Crofts and student work

Hello Girls,

Here I am this time in Aberlour a year ago, visiting my artist friend Tamsin's wee exhibition that she had over in the gallery.  Tamsin's work is very impressionistic in style and also she uses natural colours to depict the landscapes of the Highlands of Scotland.

Before I go on to show you some of this week's paintings from home.  I would like to speak a bit about 'expression and subject matter'.  

Very often we are taken by a scene we might see when having a day out, we take a photo and then at home we decide to paint or draw it.  But there are also times when we think about 'telling a story' from a scene. 



Here are two crofts I have painted in the landscape and each one gives us a different story.

In my painting of a winter croft we notice a few things that gives us an indication that there is a 'story' to this painting.  It is winter, a harsh winter of intense cold and the sky is quite blustery.  It is morning and we find that there is no path to the croft. So deep is the snow that we find that the croft is not approachable.  However we then notice a thin stream of smoke coming out of the chimney. Ah so someone is home!  Suddenly the scene becomes more cosy and homely. Words like 'snuggled in' out of the cold, comes to mind.  Also the use of the pretty blue colour behind the hills shows us that it is a day of 'promise' that a better day is ahead.  If we look at how colours are used in our landscape painting we can send messages to the viewer about how we are feeling about our work of art. The colour blue symbolizes a great deal.  Blue is about open spaces and it also represents calmness. So using the colour blue in a rather cold and bleak snowy scene can actually lift the mood of the painting. 

In my painting of a croft by the coast we can immediately see that the weather is blustery and the light is dramatic. So immediately it gives us a different feeling to the one we had when viewing the winter croft painting.  While the painting has dark depths in areas, there is also light that has great energy from the passing storm. The turquoise blue is both peaceful yet also life giving.  The croft is noticeable in that it has an orange roof that makes it stand out.  The croft represents home and hearth, a place to dwell and feel safe at home, no matter what the elements are like out of doors.   The colour orange not only makes the croft eye catching but the colour also represents joy and sunshine.  So the viewer will feel that within the 'storm' there is a safe, yet also a happy place to dwell. 

Here is one of Jean's lovely croft paintings.  It is unfinished at this stage as she went on to add more wildflowers and there was also a mention of perhaps a cat on the doorstep!  
Yet as we look at this painting we see this is a house that is perhaps not a home anymore, it looks like it was once a family home but is now abandoned.  Sometimes deserted crofts are very useful things to use in landscape painting as it stirs our imagination.  We ask ourselves who lived there once and what kind of life did they have?  While this croft is empty it is not an unpleasing scene. It is a pretty scene, the stone work, roof and wildflowers are lovely to see.  The fresh colour of the green grass has us knowing that it is summertime. A time to wander about at peace with the countryside.  A time to accidentally come across a bonny croft in the landscape.  The sky is a soft pale blue, the suggestion of hills in the distance and importantly there is the suggestion of a path to the croft.  So we can have 'access' to it!


For our last 'painting at home' before the summer break, I thought it would be nice for you to create your own 'story' around a croft in the landscape!  Please send your image via the email.  I look forward to seeing your paintings soon!  You are welcome to send one you have done before. 

Here are a couple of photos of crofts you might find inspiring.

Now to view this week's paintings from home and paintings done previously.

Two very smart coloured pencil paintings by Avril.  The eyes are beautifully done

as is the fur of the cats.  Well done!

This fine fellow is called Reggie and belongs to Carole and her family.  Such expression

in the look of the dog! I like the way the green grass and flowers go so well with the limited 

palette of the dog.  Well done!

You may well all recognize Carole's garden!  Here she has chosen to paint the scene using

a palette knife to create a lively and textured work.  Well done!

Sandra has been busy this week painting one of the many lovely poppies that grace her garden.

She has used acrylic paints and nice bright colours to bring us summer time cheer from her 

world to you all! Well done!

Margaret has been busy too, using pastel pencils she is undertaking the task of painting greeting

cards for all of her friends and family.  I think you will agree she has done a fine job of these 

Nasturtiums. Well done!

Many of you will remember Margaret's fine painting 'Monarch of the Glen' from our class exhibition
from a few years ago at the Lhanbryde Community Centre. It was a fine preview evening and you all enjoyed it so much.  How time flies!  Thank you Margaret for sending us your lovely painting!