A Scottish Landscape

A Scottish Landscape.

We have a marvellous few saying about the Scottish landscape and its weather. One is, "if you stand in the same place for too long you will experience all four seasons in one day." The other, "it is not bad weather it is just you who are wearing the wrong clothes."

We certainly have an ever-changing and varied weather which in turn brings wonderful atmospheric landscapes scenes.

I tried to capture this in this very abstract paintings. Abstract and yet obviously landscape in nature. I cover the canvas with texture before applying the paint. Normally I paint very fast but in this case i gave the texture a full day to dry. This meant I could look at it and get a feel for it.

I then applied the paint slowly and colour by colour allowing it to mix on the canvas.

As I look at it now I am thinking I might apply one or two small sections of purple but as usual full of doubt about whether it is finished or not.

I also have doubts about how to hang it. In a frame with glass or in a frame with a deep coat of varnish which might show the texture better than behind glass?

This blog is linked to my other.You can Sometimes try Too hard.

Arran Summer

Arran Summer

I chose to add this painting to my other blog this morning because it fitted well with the story I was telling. I have always been a person who put my whole being into everything I have every done. If I do something I want to do it to the very best of my ability. It is not enough to be good at something I have always to be very good at it.

Now I can hear you say that there is nothing wrong with that. You may be right but for some of us we have to beware of this tendency and always acknowledge its presence.

When I was a minister in my first charge I would never take holidays. If I was off for a weekend I would let everybody in the parish know where I was so that if they wanted me I could be contacted, and often was.

When I took up running I was running miles every day and marathons most weekends. Obsessive behaviour.

A friend once invited me to this island, Arran in Scotland, for a few days with his family. I remember him one day saying to me that I needed to give thought to myself and my family. It did not change my life over night but it made me think. I have got better over the years. When I retired I promised my family that I would at last relax.

Then I found painting. As I said I am about to go on holiday for a break and it is a good time to take stock so my thoughts took me back to Arran.



This painting sold very quickly and the person who bought it went on to buy another.



This blog is linked to my other  No Sales