Edinburgh Collection Release
Scotland has burned its way into my heart since our first trip. For this adventure we chose to spend our time in Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside. The Old Town part of the city feels like a fever dream of medieval history. It is a rabbit warren of streets that feel like either a wizard or King Arthur will round any corner.
To give you a visual of old town, imagine a large ancient cat curled on top of a hill. At the head of this feline is Edinburgh Castle, the North Star you can sight from anywhere in the city. Now stroll down the cat’s spine for a mile and you will fall into Hollywood Palace, the bookend on the opposite side of old town. If you choose a point about halfway between these bookends you will have landed right about where our apartment was for this trip. An ideal launching point for sketching adventures!
Every day we would load up with my pochade box (oil painting kit) or my much lighter sketching kit and wander the city. Pat and I both love rambling and seeing where our feet take us.
Most mornings we are layered up like our battle with the cold was a personal vendetta. Few experiences are more magical than collecting a hot coffee and walking around a sleepy city in the wee hours pre-bustle. The streets of old town don’t follow logic or rules, but rather the whims of history and her vagaries.
November in this northern climate feels like the light is constantly on the verge of sunset. The sun barely mustering enough energy to climb above the roof tops. Preferring rather to roll lazily along the horizon. The resulting quality of light would make any artist weak in the knees. The light has such a buttery goodness that I would exclaim aloud multiple times a day.. “look at the light!”
One of THE BEST parts of travel is getting to wander museums and galleries absorbing a variety of artwork. My favorite exhibit was from the Royal Archives and was a collection of Sketches from some of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance. It felt like peeking into the studio and working process of the greats. To see the rough sketches, or the focused detail, the grids from enlarging, or the notes in the margins… I feel like seeing the rough workings of where an idea began feels intimate. Like you are on a first name basis with that artist.
The building of my collection begins when I start to flip through my sketches back in my studio. From the pieces I made on location, I start to make notes and brainstorm ideas. I like to lean heavily into what I’m most excited to paint, to guide me toward my final choices for the collection. Some of the final artwork will be made from an oil sketch that I may have spent an hour or two on location painting and then some pieces might be made from a 5 minute sketch with a few notes in the margins on color and my vision for the final piece. Even if it is just a rough sketch, creating the composition on location has such a different feel to it. My mind can more easily condense, or pull bits of the landscape closer, or re-arrange slightly. I can better see how the light and colors interact, because the camera is always going to see differently than our own eye.
Obviously these paintings are all based in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. But I’ve pulled heavily from how Edinburgh makes me feel. There is a brightness in the nature of the Scottish people that is infinitely magnetic. Layered over a long and right history full of the depth of these passionate people. I painted each piece to showcase the glow of light that then creeps into the heartiness of the shadows. And to display the impact, whether through the waves of an oncoming storm, or the spooky fog lying low over the cobblestones.
If you choose to decorate your home with one of my originals or a fine art print from my collection, I want the piece to have a timeless and old world feel. I adore adding texture to my paintings, because it shows up so wonderfully on the prints and adds a quality and luxurious note. I believe it helps the prints come to life.
My love of travel started early in life. My parents made travel a priority and believed it was a great way for us to learn and grow. I will forever be grateful to them for that privilege. Thankfully I also married a man who loves to travel as much as I do.
