Tuesday 1 December 2015

Plunge


A recent collagraph I've been working on after spending many happy hours watching the cormorants and gannets diving off Waternish Point on Skye earlier this year. This is a working proof yet to be editioned but I think its just about ready to go. I really love those rich, velvety blacks full of texture which collagraph can achieve.


And some fresh inspiration from a recent trip into the Cairngorms just in time for the first serious snowfall of the year. The walk up was eerily misty but once in the bowl of the corrie it suddenly began to lift, revealing spectacular black rocky outcrops and snow filled gullies.

Monday 16 November 2015

Sea Campion and Gulls

Another new linocut fresh off the press, Sea Campion are one of my favourite flowers clinging to tiny scraps of turf in among the rocks at the bottom of my parents croft on Skye. The delicate white petals and subtle veins somehow withstand the battering they receive from the elements and always seem to have a tangle of twines, interesting flotsam and jetsam intertwining with their roots.

Thursday 12 November 2015

Christmas Exhibitions


I thought this was a suitably wintry picture to accompany a selection of other works in linocut and painting at the Frames Christmas Exhibition (13th November - 30th January)  http://www.framesgallery.co.uk/exhibitions/

There will also be a a couple of my linocuts on show at the House for an Art Lover Christmas Exhibition (24th November - 18th January) http://www.houseforanartlover.co.uk/

Further north I have recently sent a selection of new linocuts  to Gallery 48 in Cromarty http://www.gallery48.scot/index.asp and will also be bringing some of my most recent works to the Castle Gallery in Inverness later this month http://www.castlegallery.co.uk/ 

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Scottish Natural Heritage Exhibition


A selection of work ranging across paintings, drawings and prints is currently on display at SNH Battleby and open to the public. To avoid disappointment please telephone in advance to ensure your visit doesn't coincide with any large conferences which may make viewing difficult.
 https://www.facebook.com/ScottishNaturalHeritage

Monday 26 October 2015

Directional Signage NHS England


The last few weeks have seen my linocut tools being put through their paces cutting a set of images for a refurbished health centre in Nottinghamshire. Each scene is based on a site of local interest and has a key colour relating to the wayfinding signage. The prints have just been sent off for scanning and will be reproduced at several metres width to fill entire sections of wall. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result!

Saturday 24 October 2015

Puhoi Organic Milk Packaging

This summer I was asked to do some work for a design agency in New Zealand to be used on packaging for an organic milk and artisan cheese company near Auckland City. They were very keen to use artwork that evoked craft and tradition but also had a contemporary feel and would work well in a variety of soft, vintage style colours. It turned out linocut was just what was needed.

And the lovely vintage company van being kitted out with its new livery.



To see more examples visit: https://www.facebook.com/PuhoiValley/info?tab=overview

Thursday 17 September 2015

Notes from the Sketchbook

 I always enjoy heading off in whatever direction my feet happen to carry me with a sketchbook and selection of drawing equipment. Normally fairly basic, quick and easy to use items like watercolour pencils, a few soft pastels and plenty of soft pencils. This year has taken me to Shetland, Sutherland, Galway, Skye, the Lake District and the Perthshire hills so far with some great wildlife spotting including huge bird colonies, dolphins, orca and a sparrowhawk which made itself at home on my parents lawn on Skye one morning.

Here is a small selection from the current sketchbooks....









Wednesday 19 August 2015

Two books

During the spring I had the pleasure of working on illustrations for two very different books, 'The Dumb House' by John Burnside and 'A Portable Shelter' by Kirsty Logan.

'The Dumb House' published by Penguin Random House in their Vintage Classics collection tells the dark story of obsession with the nature of language, exploitation and revenge.



Meanwhile 'A Portable Shelter' is a collection of short stories which take the reader through a seemingly timeless world somewhere between dream, fairytale and contemporary life. It required the creation of a number of related works for chapter headings and a vintage style cover printed in black and silver foil onto hardback binding, published by ASLS.





All of the artwork was created using linocut printmaking, using half tones in black and white for 'A Portable Shelter' (this effect is achieved by stripping some ink from the block with a sheet of newsprint before printing). For 'The Dumb House' I opted to use two blocks with a black and white 'key' and also a colour block which could be inked up in sections. 

Both are released this month and I've just received my eagerly awaited copies so now its time to actually read the full text!
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Wednesday 22 July 2015

Summer update

Well its been a wee while since the last post and a very busy few months with trips to Shetland and Sutherland plus I've been working on some exciting illustration projects. 
More about them once the publication dates are a bit closer...but I can reveal that I've been working with Scottish author Kirsty Logan on her new book "A Portable Shelter" which will be released during the Edinburgh International Book Festival next month.

In the meantime a couple of new linocut prints





Tuesday 24 February 2015

Entrance to Khanderao on show in London


I'm absolutely delighted that "Entrance to Khanderao" which I made following a three month residency and drawing trip to north west India has been accepted into the RI show in London next month. http://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/royal-institute-painters-water-colours

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Solo Exhibition, Aberdeen

 
Here is a little preview of some of the works I will be showing at the Rendezvous Gallery in Aberdeen from 7th March 2015. Based on the walk between the homes of my parents and granny on the Isle of Skye they are a series of places which hold a special resonance for me. http://new.rendezvous-gallery.co.uk//