Artist in Residence ,School of Environment, University of Dundee
From the Lay of the Last Minstrel by Sir Walter Scott, and the title for an exhibition opening this Friday at the Kinblethmont Gallery near Arbroath.
Private View from 6pm until 9pm Friday and 11am until 1pm on Saturday. Then open daily from 10am until 5pm.
Dunadd and the River Add Watercolour on Gesso
Water colour and wax on gesso, based on drawings of Tsunami deposits at Maryton on the Montrose Basin currently showing at the RSA in Edinburgh.
Recently completed a series of etchings based on the Storegga Tsunami deposits at Montrose Basin. I wanted to combine what the deposits look like today with the idea of a Tsunami wave hitting the basin around 8000 years ago. I’m interested in what has changed and what has stayed the same about the landscape after sea floods and Tsunamis.
The collograph plate was textured with clay and peat from the tsunami deposits.
Drawing Pink Peonies for the Empire Exhibition at the Rope works Gallery,
Montrose in July and August…….
They are amazing to look at, less amazing to draw but think I’m getting there, the first Peonies arrived from China to the UK in 1795, and a Peony grown from the original plant still grows in the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. It took about 20 years to successfully get a plant back from China , the journey took several months at sea often in wild weather and then the plant had to be propagated successfully when it got to Kew gardens……interesting stories to tell.
Woodblock season is back …..using reduction techniques to layer colour on the theme of intensive farming.
A series of three small paintings about the seasons and farming, highlighting the power of the equinox on early farmers and the influence of the seasons on farming for centuries.Intensive farming and climate change are merging the seasons, which is worrying for the future sustainability of farming and for food security.
I use watercolour and hot wax to create layers with washes and wax and wiping off in between. I have also used varnish to do a similar job.
Have been drawing at the Living Field garden since June, it’s a lovely spot although the massive fans in the glass houses mean it’s not very peaceful. Using pen and ink and watercolour to record the medicinal and dye plants and cereals such as Bere Barley, Spelt and Black Oats.
The challenge is to try and somehow illustrate the story of agriculture and it’s development since the end of the Ice Age! Most recently finding ways of showing the effects of intensive agriculture on the landscape and the soil.
Last session in Montrose this Thursday, writing post cards with people from the Day Centre next door.
Lots of tales about beaches all over the world!
Long days with picnics and boiling kettles and swimming in the river when the har came in!
Having to book your caravan a year in advance in order to be sure of a spot for your summer holiday the following year.
Everyone pretty happy with their CECHR pens as they are serious bingo players.
Oh well moving on to other things now….drawing plants and illustrating an e-book. Lots to learn.
