SCOTLAND

COLLECTION

PART 1 COMING FRIDAY MAY 30th

The reference photos are from our road trip day on the North East 250, but what is really inspiring the paintings is our human history of queer love. Because queer people have always existed!

Personally, I have many generations back of family being from Scotland, as many other Canadians do. With this work I’ve been exploring what my queer ancestors lives may have been like. Did they share feelings that many of us have of “being in the closet”? Did they experience budding feelings of romance? Abandonment and shame? Hopes and dreams? Real and true love?

Historians will call them friends, but how often is the truth really queer love?

This collection has started with over 60 mini watercolour studies of different photos I want to paint.

I am painting the collection in several parts, centred around specific locations, and there are 2 themes (flower studies and driving photos) that do fit within the locations but sort of have a different feel and intention for me.

The general location themes include: Edinburgh, Cairngorm National Park, North East Castles, Glencoe, and Isle of Skye.

GARDENSTOWN

This first week I’ve been painting some photos I took in Gardenstown on the north east shore roadtrip day we had. The town lived up to its name with beautiful flowers and yards everywhere.

I started with this to work on my flowers for this collection, and I do think some of these flowers will end up in the composition of some larger pieces where I would like flowers to be but they aren’t. It also gave me a chance to play with a lot of different greens and painting some buildings.

Available Gardenstown Paintings

Oil on Canvas
16” x 12” • Sold

Let Your Flowers Grow

Gardenstown Study #1
Oil on wood panel
7” x 5” • Available

Gardenstown Study #2
Oil on wood panel
7” x 5” • Available

Gardenstown Study #4
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Available

Gardenstown Study #3
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Sold

Gardenstown Shore
Oil on Canvas
8” x 10” • Available

Flower Garden Study
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Sold

Coasts + Castles

The last several weeks of April I have been painting studies for the Coasts and Castles part of my collection. From the coastal hills of Portknockie, to Bow Fiddle Rock, to the flowers of Slains Castle, this was all one AMAZING and inspirational day.

Available COASTS + CASTLES Paintings

Oil on Canvas • 16” x 12” • Available

Guardian of the castle

Cliffs of Portknockie
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Sold

Banffshire Coast
Oil on wood panel
5” x 7” • Sold

Dunnotar Castle Study
Oil on Canvas
8” x 10” • Available

See Bird Sea Bird
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Sold

Buckie Coast
Oil on Canvas
8” x 10” • Available

Bow Fiddle Rock Study #1
Oil on Canvas
8” x 10” • Available

Hilly Port
Oil on Canvas
16” x 14” • Available

Portknockie Coast
Oil on Canvas
12” x 12” • Available

Castle Roy
Oil on wood panel
7” x 5” • Available

Bow Fiddle Rock Study #2
Oil on wood panel
7” x 5” • Sold

Flowers of Castle Roy
Oil on Wood Panel
7” x 5” • Sold

seaside Tryst

Oil on Canvas
24” x 20” • Available

RECKLESS ABANDON

Oil on Canvas • 30” x 40” • Available

Immortal queen

Oil on Canvas • 20” x 24” • Available

Slains Castle Study
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Available

Dùn Fhoithear

Oil on Canvas • 24” x 30” • Available

Avalonia

Oil on Wood Panel • 48” x 36” • Available

Coastline Rocks Study
Oil on Canvas
8” x 10” • Available

Dunnotar Castle Study #2
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Available

Valley at Dunnotar
Oil on Canvas
10” x 8” • Available

What’s coming next?

  • Edinburgh in spring can be expected with lots of blooms and (while we were there) sunny skies. Edinburgh castle, Letih, and Ross Fountain are all on my list.

  • We camped and hiked in Cairngorms National Park for a couple days and I’ve got some paintings to come that are less spectacular views and more romanticizing the everyday.

  • Photo references that are taken out the car window always end up as some of my favourite paintings and this trip has so many that I decided it needed to be it’s own little series.

  • Big paintings that showcase the expansive valleys and towering hills can be expected from this part of the series.

  • Magical greens and fairy pools can be expected from this part of the collection.

  • This is mainly iconic scenes on Isle of Skye but a few places along the way too that are just epic, well known sites that will make for a spectacular ending to this collection.