Yew tree project: exploring the ancient trees at Limefield House

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Painting project to capture ancient yew trees At the end of 2024 I was delighted to receive a commission from Limefield House, a Georgian property outside Edinburgh, to create paintings inspired by the yew trees on the grounds. Limefield Mansion House built in 1805 is steeped in history and surrounded by trees, monkey puzzle, Canadian redwood and a promenade of yews estimated to be at least 1000 years old. The yew tree project is to create two large paintings but in the process I will develop a body of work including paintings, drawings, photographs and possibly time-lapse video. I want to…

Inspiration: painting in the Spanish countryside

Categories: Inspiration

In June/July 2023 I went on a solo, self-directed residency to paint in the landscape of Aragon a region in northeast Spain bordering the Pyrenees. My son lives in Banaguas, a tiny ancient village (the church dates from 1100) outside of Jaca, the medieval capital of Aragon. He travels in the summer so I decided to sublet his studio flat and take my painting on the road. As a contemporary painter I often go to the landscape to find solitude and to engage with nature. Quiet time alone allows me to experiment and opens up new avenues with materials. It…

Life experiences inspire my artwork

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I AM A PAINTER based in Edinburgh, Scotland making contemporary art, that includes painting, collage, video, and installations. Inspiration happens throughout the creative process. Like many artists I am a magpie, inspired by colour, found objects, memory, real and imaginary places. My creative process is simple: I go to the studio (or go outside) and I get started. I don’t wait for inspiration, for it is through making that thoughts, ideas, and connections, surface and become something new. In 1990 I migrated from the USA to Scotland an experience that continues to inform my work. I often say that the…

What is the strangest thing you ever found on a beach?

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  BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND, USA The 4 miles of beach past Southwest Point on Block Island in the summer is hot, littered with trees, boulders, the detritus of the shipping industry it is also empty of day-trippers and family beach parties. The wild ocean facing side of the island here evidence and artifacts lie everywhere but the people are far away, the arc of existence described by a million pointless objects. Decisions that were made elsewhere and long ago. GYRE, The piece I created for Reuse, Reinvent Reimagine started with the beachcombing ; the process of acquiring junk, trash,…

My creative space: finding a room of one’s own

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For years I have had a recurring dream. I am alone in an old house (or is it a flat?).  With a dark central hallway and a number of closed doors  it feels haunted,  intimidating but also exciting and full of potential.  I think I have been here before.  Should I be here? I start to open doors into dark empty rooms. Bedroom? Living Room? I feel an odd sense of propriety – I would like to  live here – but also that somehow I am trespassing.  I walk into the kitchen which is large and old fashioned and hasnt been…