Abernethy Forest pool

Acrylic on paper, 45cm x 60cm

There’s a wonderful stillness to the old Caledonian Pine forests of the Spey Valley in the Scottish Highlands. It rains a lot up there and these woods are peppered with peaty lochs and lochans, many hidden away from view behind sentinel ranks of Scots Pines.

These tranquil oases hold a great attraction for me and, on an otherwise unremarkable, overcast afternoon, this lochan caught my attention. I liked the vibrant green, moss-covered island set like an emerald against pewter-coloured tree trunks reflected in the water. Winter-dead grasses gave straw-coloured brightness to the scene. A lone Little grebe, an early Spring returnee from the coast, fished on the far side.

This painting can be seen at my one-man show at the Donald Watson Gallery, Waterston House, Aberlady, from 19th November 2016 to 11th January 2017. Please click here for more details.