Orkney Landscapes

The Orkney landscape has always inspired me! The weather here can change from minute to minute and often it can be bright and sunny in one part of Orkney and pouring with rain in another area. This provides a whole variety of different images throughout the seasons. I love the low lying hills and Islands broken up by the surrounding sea. The big skies go on forever stretching away into the distance until one day you might meet Canada or America. Colours are reflected from the sky to the sea and the light controls the various hue's.

I like to look through the shapes of flowers, grasses and other subjects to reveal the image behind and the movement of the cloudy sky.  Most of my work is in watercolour and I always feel that this particular medium lends itself so well to the big open skies and low lying landscape of Orkney.

In the past ten years or so I have moved from a more traditional style to semi abstract images. This has meant a move towards using different materials in my work such as acrylics, collage and inks. I often wander along the shoreline picking up 'found' things, bits of worn rope, seaweed, pottery, sea glass and shells. Sometimes I add these things into my paintings, I think it adds to a sense of timelessness that Orkney holds.

I hope you enjoy my landscapes from over the years.