Ellon & District Art Group

I had just begun using watercolour as a new medium and it inspired me to attempt a landscape. I sprayed water onto the canvas, applied paint with a brush, sprayed more water, and was delighted with the outcome

During a break in a life drawing session today, the group helped our most senior member celebrate her 90th birthday

After a busy Spring term which concluded with a very popular watercolour workshop, we took a break over Easter, enjoying the glorious weather and getting inspired for more artwork. We have a life drawing session and demonstrations from some of our members lined up for this term in addition to our individual projects.

MAY CALENDAR PAINTING: FIVE SISTERS OF KINTAIL

I moved to Aberdeenshire a few years after I retired. Prior to that I worked and lived in the Dingwall area of Highland. From there, it was easy to take day trips or longer, to the beautiful west coast of Scotland. On one of these excursions, I got the inspiration to do an oil painting of the five sisters of Kintail. I hope you like it

I was walking in the woods one sunny April morning, when I came across these beautiful bluebells under a row of beech trees. I went home and painted them straight away before they faded. from my memory.

Under the instruction of artist and tutor, Katherine Cowie, many members of the group recently enjoyed a mixed media workshop.

The session was deemed a great success and we are planning more workshops in the coming weeks.

My seascapes are influenced by an artist who I have done a couple of workshops with. I normally use what’s in my imagination rather than follow a photo; for some reason, I find this easier. This is an acrylic painting using anything at hand for applying the paint rather than using a brush.

Glengirnock, on the edge of the Cairngorms, is a quiet, unfrequented place, in contrast to it’s often overcrowded neighbour, Glenmuick. The little used track wends its way close to the burn up to the top of the glen, passing several disused cottages and the now abandoned Bovalgi farmhouse. Here, it opens out to reveal wonderful panoramic views. My painting, in acrylic, looks south towards Lochnagar. I enjoyed trying to create a feeling of tranquility and the impression of distant, snow clad hills.

This year, for the first time, we have produced a calendar, each month featuring a painting by one of our members.

January

The artist says the painting, in acrylic, is of Selva Gardena in the Italian Dolomites. There was still snow there in early June. It is one of her favourite areas where she spent many happy years climbing and skiing with her husband and daughter. It is a majestic landscape with beautiful mountain villages and, although part of Italy, the inhabitants are multi lingual, speaking German, Ladin and Italian. The Italians in this area were imported from southern Italy after the Second World war