Seabird Colonies
My landscapes, or rather seascapes, began in earnest in August 1996 after a month spent ringing birds in Shetland. I remember it well; the turning point. I was sitting on the cliffs above the seabird colony on Hermaness in a thick fog, listening to the sounds, smelling the guano and thinking dark and deep thoughts about time and the passing of things. All at once my former images – moments of drama; seabird scuffles in the air, meant nothing at all beside the bigger picture.
But dark as they are, my seascapes are not all about doom and gloom. They are full of life, and light, and action.
I produce all these works in situ out on the cliffs and only spend an hour or so tidying up some details back at home. I work mostly in graphite on paper, with ink, watercolour or pastel thrown in here and there, though recently I’ve begun to also work in oil and acrylic.
Although I’ve travelled quite extensively; in Europe, South America and Africa, there’s no-where quite like Scotland, and I return to my favourite seabird colonies – at Foulsheugh or St Abb’s, every year.