A scene from the Lake District. Every painting holds a special memory for me as my landscapes are places I have visited. Experiencing the atmosphere of the location is crucial to me. I paint with acrylics and enjoy the versatility of the medium. Colour, tone and texture are all important in my detailed work.
I saw the photograph which was the inspiration for this painting in a magazine. I was drawn to the soft, dreamlike hues and long shadows and it made me think of Michaelmas, that time of year when nature is slowing down and preparing for a new beginning in the spring. As D H Lawrence’s poem, Bavarian Gentians puts it so beautifully, “soft September, slow, sad Michaelmas”. Michaelmas, or the Christian Feast of St Michael ( the Archangel who wages war against evil) and All Angels, falls on September 29th in the western calendar and November 8th in easter traditions. At one time, Old Michaelmas was celebrated on October 10th. Following harvest, it marked the ending and new beginning of the farming calendar, it was the time when hirings took place, goose was eaten and this, as with several other customs, has been transferred to Christmas. In the Hebrides, a special bannock was baked in remembrance of absent friends and those who had died. On the Isle of Skye, a procession was held. One of the few flowers left at that time of year was the Michaelmas daisy, (a special favourite of mine), hence the rhyme, “The Michaelmas daisies among dead weeds bloom for St Michael’s valorous deeds”. With all this in mind, I enjoyed creating the misty atmosphere of this picture with thoughts of trees and all of nature resting through the long, dark winter ready to burst forth again in the spring. The path through the trees suggests an afternoon walk as the shadows are lengthening.
We have had an unusually warm summer, so our outings during the school holidays have been a great success. The trip to Cruden Bay was, dare I say it, too hot, but the lovely cafe has wonderfully inspiring seascapes. The weather wasn’t quite so kind the day of the Fyvie Castle outing, but it was another time for some socialising in beautiful surroundings, with a little bit of sketching thrown in. Our final visit, to the Van Gogh Experience at the Exhibition Centre was thoroughly enjoyed by a dozen or so members, setting us up for some inspirational ideas when sessions resume in two weeks time.
Members recently enjoyed an interesting demonstration from one of the group, on his very distinctive style of art. Working with a limited palette and using metallic paints, he creates intriguing and beautiful wildlife paintings.
We are now coming to the end of the sessions until after the summer holidays. This Thursday we will meet for a social lunch at the Buchan Hotel. During the holidays, we have visits planned to Cruden Bay and Fyvie Castle to enjoy some outdoor painting and sketching, and also a much anticipated trip to the Beyond Van Gogh Exhibition.
July Calendar
One of my many paintings of the Ythan Estuary. People have suggested that I am rather obsessive about painting the boat wreck, which I don’t deny. I paint from the scene in my mind, not by sitting with it in front of me, or from a photo. I am so familiar with this view that I am able to do this. I’ve tried to depict the day just before sunrise…. red sky in the morning … but thought I would break the calm by crashing the wave as it came ashore …. fisherman’s warning. Perhaps it’s the ambiguity and/or contrast of a situation that attracts me to this. I paint with acrylics; they dry quickly and, to my mind, give an intensity and richness of colour that I appreciate.
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.