Getting set for the exhibition

Staic Pollaidh

A recently completed commission of Staic Pollaidh, a mountain on the West Coast of Scotland.

Based on the photography of renowned photographer, Chris Rutter (permission given for use), this painting was my first use of Aluminium as a surface.

Untitled

Painted mid 2020, inspired by recent sunsets, this painting captures the depth of colour and warmth of summer evenings on the Moray Coast.

At Last

Painted in 2016/17, this diptych has now been framed. Depicting the sunset near the mouth of the famous River Spey, I wanted to use two canvasses to illustrate the separation and connection between the air and the water.

Untitled

Painted mid 2020, I am always falling in love with the evening skies over my home, and wanted to share that with this painting. The vivacity and warmth of the sunsets in summer is sometimes bewildering.

Bidden

Living on the coast exposes you to extremely variable weather, with moments of quite dramatic light. This painting captures one of those moments when the sea seems to become leaden with the weight of the sky above.

Glen Moray Distiller, 2 of 5

At over 1.5m wide, this panoramic painting encapsulates the heart of one of Moray’s most vibrant Whisky Distilleries. Sweeping from the Master Distillers home, through the Still House, Grain Store and Visitor Centre to Warehouse 1, this commissioned piece now hangs, as part of a set of 5, in the Tasting Room of the Distillery.

Sometimes the space around you seems bigger, the horizon further away, and this can often be the case on the beach. This framed mirror of water seemed to illustrate that.

Colin Stetson

Inspired by both Colins amazing music and BBC Radio 6 DJ Mary Ann Hobbs, I created this, whilst listening to a broadcast in 2017. Once a year the show focuses on Art and its relationship with Music. Listeners were asked to create works during the show, and this was born.

Ember

A revisit to a previous work inspired this reworking. This is the view from a nearby hill, looking west toward Lossiemouth, over the intervening coastline.

Clearcut

A reworking of an earlier piece (of the same name), this lonely tree stood stoically in the absence of what had been a thick wood.

Mull

I have travelled around Scotland but never had my breath taken so often as I have in Mull. It may be a small island but it is shamelessly dramatic and wild.

Phoenix

Sunrise behind the now demolished shipyard in the fishing town of Buckie, Moray. Once a thriving industry it stood only as a sombre memory.

Holding against the Sea, the harbour wall stands silent and resolute

Open Arms

Ever welcoming, and stoic, the Harbour shelters and nurtures our embrace with the Sea. 

Beginnings End

70cm x 100cm, acrylic on canvas

Based on the work of a good friend and creative photographer, this interpretation echoes her image of waves rolling ashore at Lossiemouth. 

Rising Call

100cm x 70cm acrylic on canvas

A painting of the view at sunrise looking from my campsite on Mull. 

William

Painted as a private commission. 2' x 3' acrylic on canvas

Drifting Gold

This was a small painting I completed just to warm up, as it was 5am, and the morning coffee hadn't been drunk yet, so I wanted to do something while it was brewing before working on my next commission. 
It shows the early morning sun above my house as it emboldens a passing cloud with a fierce glow.

The Port

Depicting my home town of Portgordon, this painting is looking away from the setting sun as it catches off the high clouds and the facing houses along the sea front.

Callywag

This energetic and bold style harnesses the vital character of my youngest son, Callan. 

Elope

Commissioned as an anniversary gift for her Husband, showing the beach they were married on, looking across the water to Jura. 

Sweep

Trying to loosen up my brushwork, i produced this view from half way to Buckpool looking back at Portgordon at dawn. 

Eventide

Based on a few sketches I painted on the same evening I painted Cinder Tide, this painting explores a greater range of colours and depth of space. Looking across the bay with my back to the Harbour, this view looks toward the setting sun as it drifts down behind the hills to the West of my home. 

Autumnfall

Based on a leaf I found recently while walking my Dog, I intended this to be a revisit of the painting I'd created for my Wife, in 2003. 

Winters Chapel

This painting is based on a photograph I took 3 winters ago, while walking our dogs. I loved the way the evening sun was casting through the trees in a way not dissimilar to the way light casts through a stained glass window in a church. 

An Idea To Grasp

A sketch that ended up being a freeform painting created during a stormy night, with the wind whistling in the door of the studio. 

Aurous Mass

Based on my photographs that inspired Golden Dance, this smaller painting broadens the focus on the sky of that distant Autumn evening. The painting can be viewed at Leap Gallery, in Rothes, Scotland.

Cinder TIde

A recent vigil at my local Harbour began this painting. As the sun cooled below the horizon, its fire burned on the sea and in the sky above. SOLD Prints available.

Sanguine Opal

I've been down the beach most evenings recently, and caught this beautiful contrast of colours and depth. It was impossible to resist. 

Late Exchange

This painting was created for the Moray Chamber Of Commerce, to be auctioned at a recent Business Awards Dinner. The painting sold at auction. Prints available. 

Violet Gold

Violet Gold seizes a moment in Autumn as the sunset begins. The view is from the area near Fochabers called Ordiquish. This stands above the famous River Spey as it makes its final turns before meeting the Moray Firth. 200mm x 200mm Canvas. Original SOLD

Honeymoon

Painted as a private commission to celebrate their wedding anniversary, this composition was developed by riffing on my interpretation of their characters, and how they are as a couple. It also drew inspiration from their memories of their honeymoon in Majorca. 

Veil Alight canvas 1

The first canvas sets the tone for the triptych. Showing the shore, the cool sky and warning of the intense sun. SOLD

Veil Alight canvas 2

The second and middle canvas in this triptych warms you as the sun cascades through the veil of clouds. SOLD

Veil Alight (canvas 3)

The third canvas in this triptych allows the eye to cool and rest SOLD

Broken Cover

The storm has passed, and the clouds part to allow the breath of the sun to bring calm.

Morning Stretch

The rising sun obscured behind the morning clouds as I lift off toward Norway from Aberdeen.  Available for viewing at Elgin Marble Workshop, or through Leap Gallery, Rothes.

Homebound

Evening light filters through the clouds, burnishing the North Sea as I return home, leaving behind Norway to land in Aberdeen. 

Last Light

The end of a hot summer, and the sun touches fire to the clouds as a finale to its day.  Available for viewing at Elgin Marble Workshop, or through Leap Gallery, Rothes.

Slow Gather

Sometimes the clouds thicken and seem to collect themselves as if ready to pounce. In this painting I've sought to seize this feeling of building tension and power. Painted in acrylics on 200mm x 200mm canvas. Original SOLD

Silent Wander

This painting illustrates all I find bewildering about clouds. The way they create a sense of mass, how they change the light,, and how they change our perception of the landscape. This is a view of the hills near my home, as they are passed by this silent leviathan. 200mm x 200mm canvas . Original Sold. Prints available.

Cloud Turn

This painting shows an area of coast near my home. on the Moray Coastal Trail. The skies here are anything but dull, and this captures some of that drama.

200mm x 200mm Acrylic on framed canvas. - SOLD Prints still available. 

Clear View

This painting is from my Whiteash Hill series, showing a lone tree amongst the remnants of the harvested or storm damaged trees it once stood with. I admire the optimism and tenacity of him, despite his solitude. 

Acrylics on Canvas 200mm x 200mm - SOLD

Golden Dance

This painting is a view atop a local hill, looking across the hills, inland, from the Spey River, Moray Firth coastal region of Scotland. The nearby Pine forest stands in shadow, as a heavy mask of clouds struggles for dominance in a sky lit by the setting sun. 

900mm x 900mm Acrylic on canvas -  Available for viewing at Elgin Marble Workshop, or through Leap Gallery, Rothes.

Distant Ember

This painting is taken from the same area as Golden Dance, but shows a view flowing up the Spey Valley. I love the way the light bathes the hills, and everything seems to shine at the last sigh of the day.

Acrylics on Canvas, 200mm x 200mm - £85

Autumn Gift

A painting created for my Wife, based on a leaf she found while sharing some leaf kicking in her favourite season. 

1000mm x 1000mm, Oil on Canvas

Sunset Flock

This is a recently completed commission, based on a painting I originally completed for my Parents. The Customer had remembered seeing that painting 12 years ago, and was delighted to be able to commission me to complete another.

900mm x 900mm, Acrylics on framed canvas. (SOLD)

A Bridge To Pass

This shows a local bridge, crossing over a now disused railway line, which forms part of the Speyside Way, a coastal Tourist walk route that passes through my village. 

90cm x 140cm Oil on framed canvas

Private collection

In just a few months I'll be holding my first solo exhibition of 2017, and my second show ever. I learned a lot last time, and not just in painting. Also, the space I have this time is much bigger, and for that reason I'm taking a different approach to this. 

First though I'll be earning my coffee at Dava School House. This is such a pleasure for me as Andy and Sharon have been big supporters of mine in more ways than one. The essential support has been their exceptional coffee which has been instrumental in the production of these works. Those who know me know what hours I keep, but for those who are just reading this and don't know, I paint at night, or early morning. I work part time and when I'm not working I'm being Dad or helping (she may disagree) the Wife to keep the house a home. So I can't really paint through the day. This means when I can paint, I may need a wee helping hand to stay focused and alert. Enter Sumatra Blend from Cairngorm Leaf and Bean. Belter. 

So during our shared visits to Craft Fairs and other local events, we kept bumping into each other and I would top up on coffee, and Sharon floated the idea of having my work at their new business, the School House. 

Enfolding, inspired by the photography of Peter Reid

I've been having some wonderful moments in the studio recently, letting go and trying something new. It's interesting to be in that frame of mind, and to work instinctively. It's also hard to keep yourself from overthinking things. I wanted to keep this painting free and flowing like the water it's depicting. It was so enjoyable to do, and a little messy too :) 

So in the meantime I've got 7 more canvases to fill, and three to finish so I'll head out. 

I'm currently running a discount on my placemats and coasters until the end of this month, too, so pop over to the shop to have a look see.