Painting trip in Scotland

Better late than never, here is the post about my painting trip to Scotland earlier this year. I went to the little village of Monymusk in Aberdeenshire to meet fellow painter Melanie Harrison who was such a wonderful host and showed me all the best spots to paint. For just 4 days, we were both baby-free so we made the most of that time and painted whatever the weather.

For the first painting of the trip, Melanie took me to the little harbour of Portsoy. Such a little gem! It took me some time to choose the perfect spot to paint but at the end I settled for this view that shows both the harbour and the lush green hills in the background.

Portsoy harbour, Scotland  12"x10"  oil on board
Available here

Detail

Here are some shots of the progress:

Melanie in action

In the afternoon, we went to the beautiful coastal village of Cullen. We only had an hour to spare so produced a quick study of the sea. I enjoyed looking for all the shades of blue, green and turquoise in the water and trying to keep up with the big waves.

Waves, Cullen, Scotland  10"x8"  oil on board
Available here

Detail

The next day, we stayed near Melanie's house and went painting in the Estate nearby (Monymusk house estate with the river Don flowing through). It was a glorious crisp sunny day and the autumn colours were in full swing, a real feast for the eyes.  

Bright Autumn day, River Don, Aberdeenshire  16"x9" oil on board
Available here

Detail

Detail

We painted in the shade to avoid sun reflections on the canvas but it meant it was pretty cold...

After that, Melanie popped back home for lunch and to feed her baby but I decided to stay and paint more. For those who know me well, you probably know that I've never skipped a meal in my life and that food always comes first. So it is a real testament to the beauty of the place, that I chose it over my lunch! And Melanie was kind enough to bring me sandwiches afterwards. A win-win situation! 

I really enjoyed painting this one, capturing the lovely colours of the distant hills.

River Don, Aberdeenshire  10"x8"  oil on board
Available here

Detail

Time for one more painting that day, and Melanie took us on a trek to the top of the hill to enjoy the beautiful views over the estate. A beautiful explosion of pink, orange and greens with the afternoon sunshine casting long shadows in the fields.

Monymusk house estate, Aberdeenshire  12"x10"  oil on board
Available here

Detail

Detail

The following day, the rain was back, but it didn't stop us of course. We drove around looking for inspiration and this foggy view with sheep really caught our eyes. There was no time for precision or meticulous work, but instead we just had to go for it! I ended up with something very lose but I think I like it that way...

Sheep in the rain, Aberdeenshire  10"x8"  oil on board
Available here

We had to paint with our umbrellas to stop the water mixing with the paints. We both looked as mad as each others but had such a great time! I found that the enjoyment you get from painting is often directly correlated to how ridiculous your outfit is! 

Here are a few details below:

Detail

Detail

You can see the traces left by the rain drops on this one below!

Detail

The next painting I did (still in the rain) was quite terrible so I decided to wipe it afterwards so I wouldn't have to stare at it ever again! :-) 

Finally, back home, we had a couple of hours to spare before my flight but no strength to get back out so we ended up painting the view of the garden from the cottage living room. We had been in the rain all morning, but as soon as we were all set up inside, the sun started shining! Anyway, I enjoyed this quick little sketch and flew back home with a head full of lovely memories.

The garden from the window, Monymusk, Aberdeenshire  8”x6,5”  oil on board
Available here

Detail

All my paintings from this trip can be seen and purchased on my website here.

And if you're not yet familiar with her work, I recommend you to have a look at Melanie's lovely paintings on her brand new website here: https://www.melanie-harrison.com/

To finish, just a quick note to say I have a few wall and desk calendars still available so if you would like one in time for Christmas, order it soon here:
http://www.valeriepirlot.com/shop

All there is left to say now is to wish you all already a wonderful Christmas and fantastic new year.