My two etchings of Dunnottar Castle from different viewpoints
The exhibition brings together the work of many of Scotland’s leading contemporary printmakers, celebrating the incredible breadth and diversity of printmaking being produced across the country today. Curated by acclaimed printmaker Ade Adesina RSA and RSA Head of Programme Flora La Thangue, the exhibition explores both the traditional craftsmanship and the innovative approaches that continue to make printmaking such an exciting medium.
Artist preview night
For me, printmaking has always been a vital part of my artistic practice. Although many people know me primarily as a painter, I have spent many years exploring traditional intaglio techniques, producing etchings that are every bit as carefully considered and time-intensive as my paintings. It’s a highly technical, process driven artform and I love the fact that, while it still allows me to be creative in the same ways being a painter does, the day to day job of printmaking feels and is completely different to working on canvas or with paint.
Delighted to have my work in the show!
The two works selected for the exhibition are inspired by Dunnottar Castle’s dramatic clifftop position and are viewed from two different angles. The etchings were produced using traditional copper plate methods. Hard-ground line establishes the structure, followed by successive layers of aquatint to build tone and atmosphere. The plates were repeatedly bitten, adjusted and, in some areas, worked back through scraping and burnishing to recover light. The final images emerge through this process of construction, erosion and recovery, reflecting the same forces of weathering and resistance seen in the landscape itself.
It was a real pleasure to attend the opening evening, to meet up with some old friends and to see such an inspiring collection of work brought together under one roof. The exhibition showcases established names alongside emerging artists and demonstrates just how vibrant Scotland’s printmaking community continues to be.
If you’re in Edinburgh before 26 July, I’d highly recommend paying it a visit. Admission is free, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to experience the richness and variety of contemporary Scottish printmaking.
Transformation & Anticipation at Aberdeen Art Gallery
I was recently in Aberdeen Art Gallery and was delighted to see that two of the three prints I made for them were still on show after 2 years. They’re on the 1st floor in the Oot n Aboot exhibition, which brings together pictures and stories of local residents and their shared expeirence of living in the city.
I’ve been asked many times how I made the 3 different prints, so here is a fairly in-depth breakdown of the entire process; from my original application for the Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums (AAGM) commission, to getting the pictures made, framed and on the wall.
Anticipation (Aberdeen Market)
The Application
I was initially told about the AAGM Micro-commissions by a studio colleague the day before the deadline. I was in the middle of moving into my new studio and packing for a New Year trip to Crovie the following day. However, as a relative newcomer to Aberdeen and having spent many hours admiring the gallery’s fantastic collection, my interest had been piqued! I downloaded the application form as soon as she left and had a first draft written within an hour.
Applicants were asked to say something about their lived experience in the city, addressing themes that might include social justice, climate change, identity, diversity, representation, well-being and migration, while responding to something that was already part of the AAGM collection. The Micro-commissions could be small in scale and created over a short time period. I thought it could be a challenge to come up with an exciting print-based project that would test some of my recently-acquired printmaking skills, especially in screen and photopolymer printing. And, in the unlikely event my proposal was successful, I might just about manage to complete the rather ambitious project I had put together in my mind, despite having already committed to 2 solo shows and another important commission – all of which were to be fulfilled before the AAGM June deadline.
So the first day of our supposedly relaxing holiday was spent rewriting my application (with considerable editorial help from my patient and very understanding partner) and it was submitted within an hour of the deadline. Then, having never applied for anything like this before, I resignedly put the whole experience down to practice and relaxed for the rest of our trip.
John Piper’s beautiful watercolour of Dunnottar Castle which was the inspiration for my own version
Around 4 weeks later, having forgotten all about my application and while frantically finishing several paintings and working on the final preparations for my early March solo show, I received an email to say my proposal had in fact been successful. My initial elation and surprise at this great news were suddenly followed by a gut-wrenching dread that I might just have overstretched myself! But I do love a challenge and that’s exactly what the following 5 months proved to be!
The Proposal
In selecting a work from the AAGM collection as an initial reference for my own project, John Piper’s powerfully atmospheric painting of Dunnottar Castle immediately sprang to mind. Like many of his works, it perfectly captures with great drama and deceptive simplicity the beauty that can often be found even in a crumbling old building. This got me thinking about how the disintegration of one thing can lead to something new and possibly even more beautiful in its place (a painting in this instance, but also the castle itself).
From here I travelled north in my mind to Aberdeen city centre and thought of the recently opened Union Terrace Gardens and how they have helped to rejuvenate that part of the city.
I then took a short trip across the road to the recently demolished Aberdeen Market and pondered how that has provided an opportunity and also some hope that something better might arise out of the dust and rubble.
One of several photo references of Dunnottar Castle for Disintegration
I decided to produce a triptych of handmade prints exploring the theme of disintegration in relation to those three well-loved local sites. To bring these ideas into fruition I wanted to use three different printmaking techniques, which would reflect the past, present and the future in their own way.
Here are some work-in-progress images and details that I hope will shed some light on the various processes used in creating each print:
Disintegration
Disintegration, the first piece in the triptych, is a traditional copper-plate etching inspired by John Piper’s painting of Dunnottar Castle.
Disintegration – copper plate etching with hard ground and aquatint (including sugar lift and spit bite) on Hahnemüle etching paper.A line etching produced on a polished copper plate with a hard ground wax resistA first proof pulled from the above line etchingAnother proof after spit biting over aquatint
Beginning to develop areas of tone across the whole image using a combination of aquatint, sugar lift and spit bite methods. Sugar lift involves painting the aquatinted areas where tone is required with a syrupy solution – Camp Coffee in this instance – then coating the whole plate with a protective varnish. The plate is then submerged in hot water and the sugar solution ‘lifts’ off the plate and through the varnish, allowing the exposed areas only to be bitten by acid to create tone. Spit bite combines gum arabic with nitric acid which is applied directly onto those aquatinted areas with a brush. Tonal washes can now be layered up by adding more or less spit bite in a painterly, watercolour-like manner.)
The etched copper plate and a proof taken at this stage of development.Inking up the plateHolding up the final print, ready for editioning
Transformation
Transformation – Photopolymer etching with chine collé and watercolour on calendered Hahnemüle etching paper
The middle piece, Transformation, depicts Union Terrace Gardens and contrasts old and new features now present in the gardens and also in the method used to create the print; in that it combines ancient etching techniques alongside photography.
(‘Calendering’ involves running the paper through an etching press under a steel plate in order to flatten out an irregular or rough surface. This results in a smoother, more photographic final image when printed using this method. Other papers could have been used, but, as this is part of a triptych, it was important to maintain continuity of tone and colour. Using the same paper for all three prints helped with that.)
A cropped photo I took with my drone that would be used to produce a photopolymer plateThe above image required further editing in Photoshop – spot the difference!The final image is printed onto acetate to produce a film positive when exposed under UV light onto a photosensitive film, which in turn has been adhered to a plastic or steel plate.After developing the film, it can hardened outside in natural UV light from the sun.
This was an early failed attempt using plastic as a support for the film. I used steel in the successful print which holds the film better and is more robust during the inking and printing stages.
Inking up the plate
Chine collé (a technique using coloured tissue which is sandwiched between the ink and the support paper) cut to shape and added to colour the base of the podium and the circular pendant light. The poles were hand finished with watercolour.
Chine collé paper is glued and in place prior to positioning the support paper on top before it is all run through the press. The pressure will adhere the tissue (glue side up) onto the support paper and the ink will be printed from underneath onto both surfaces.
The steel plate used as a support for the photosensitive film was cut to be slightly larger than the final image, creating a debossed ‘frame’.
The print is signed and ready to frame for the Aberdeen Art Galleries & Museums collection
Anticipation
Anticipation – Screen print on calendered Hahnemüle etching paper
Anticipation focuses on the Aberdeen Market area and poses the question: what does the future hold for this site? The imagery for this three-colour screen print was created entirely in Photoshop.
Drone photo of the old Aberdeen Market site used for the background image of the third print in the triptych.
Photoshop was used to combine a drone-captured digital image with an interpretation of the Herakut mural from the old Aberdeen Market. Three colour separations were then produced: one combining the main background image and the Old Market mural and one each for the gold question mark and the silver Aberdeen Market text.
Manipulating a photograph of the old Aberdeen Market in Photoshop. Note the removal of the lighthouse and how the hand is now upturned to hold the question mark.
After editing the background, I combined a ‘ghost’ image of the girl and old market along with the gold question mark and text in layers to create 3 colour separations to produce the screens for printing the final piece. In the end I decided to hand-paint the question mark screen separation as I wasn’t satisfied with any of the fonts I tried, including the one seen above.
Screen printed proof combining the original background image with the girl/old market and printed in one colour.Another proof incorporating the hand-painted golden question mark
Testing different colours of ink for the Aberdeen Market text. Silver foil and glitter were also tried at this stage, but I went with a silvery grey to reflect Aberdeen as the Silver City.
The final image is signed and ready to frame for Aberdeen Art Galleries & Museums
The Micro Commission Experience
Working on the AAGM Micro-commission has been a fantastic experience as well as a great opportunity to learn. Not only because it has allowed me to develop and test my skills in traditional and photopolymer etching, as well as screen printing, but the funding that was provided by the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums has also enabled me to produce an entirely new stand-alone series of prints that are quite different from anything I have done before. It is also wonderful to know that my triptych has been accessioned into the AAGM permanent collection.
I would advise anyone who is interested in applying to the next round of Micro-commissions to absolutely go for it. This has been a hugely rewarding experience and has shown me what I can achieve under intense pressure.
At the Aberdeen Art Galleries and Museums Treasure Hub where I gave a talk about my Micro Commission work to the Friends of AAGM
And finally …
Finally, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU once again to the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums for providing the £2500 funding that enabled my Micro Commission, and many thanks also to Shona Elliot and all the staff at AAGM for their excellent support throughout. I’d also like to thank the staff at Peacock Print Studio and, in particular, James Vaas and Struan Hamilton who have both been very generous with their time, patience and expertise throughout this process.
Getting ready to step inside 84 George Street to discuss a potential commission with the NLB Commissioners.
A Commission from the Commissioners
Back in early 2024, I slipped a simple flyer through the doors of the Northern Lighthouse Board’s Edinburgh headquarters, affectionately known as 84 George Street by those who work there. It was an invitation to a talk for my upcoming solo exhibition, Northern Lights — a collection celebrating the beauty, history, and resilience of Scotland’s lighthouses.
The Bell Rock
Scurdie Ness Lighthouse
Dubh Artach
I had no idea that this small act would lead to one of the most meaningful commissions of my career.
A few weeks later, CEO Mike Bullock and Heritage Trust chair Alastair Beveridge attended my gallery talk. During the event, I shared the story of an earlier architectural commission for Strathberry Ltd. When I unrolled a full-size print of that painting, it caught their eye. Alastair even bought the print on the spot!
Not long after, they invited me to discuss creating a bespoke painting of their George Street headquarters — a building steeped in history and purpose.
Walking into the NLB’s HQ is like stepping into a hidden world. From the elegant Georgian exterior, you’d never guess just how vast and intricate the interior is. Room after room tells a story, many filled with antique furniture and commissioned artworks that span more than 250 years of maritime history.
It’s not just a building — it’s the operational nerve centre for every lighthouse in Scotland and the Isle of Man, a place where history and innovation coexist.
A hidden world inside — where heritage and innovation meet to keep Scotland’s lighthouses shining.
Bringing the Vision to Life
For a building and commission like this, getting the perspective right was crucial. Using my drone, I captured images from multiple angles, ensuring I could represent everything — from the roofline to the subtle details of the lower levels — without distortion.
Finished pen-and-ink outline ready for approval before painting began.
Some of my favourite touches include the subtle flash of the Bell Rock lighthouse decoration, glowing in the night sky, and the gold leaf accents used to portray the brass door furnishings. The deep blue evening sky contrasts beautifully with the warm sienna tones of the stonework. And then there were the flags — trickier to paint than they look — which needed to be clear and recognisable while still looking as though they were naturally blowing in the wind.
The Bell Rock lighthouse detail above the doorway — in my painting, it flashes every five seconds, just like the real thing.
The Finished Painting
The completed painting, with warm sienna tones and deep evening blues capturing the atmosphere of the building at night.
It took about four weeks to complete the painting, with a few much-needed sanity breaks along the way! Getting the geometry of the paving slabs right was also a challenge, but a rainy day in Edinburgh gave me great reference photos — the wet stones reflected the light perfectly, adding depth and richness to the foreground of the piece.
The final painting captures what I hoped for: a sense of atmosphere and purpose, where architectural beauty meets the vital work of the NLB in guiding mariners safely home.
Handover day — Alastair Beveridge (left), me, and Mike Bullock (right) outside the NLB headquarters.
A Personal Milestone Achieved on Handover
This commission wasn’t just another art project; it was the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition to work with the Northern Lighthouse Board.
As someone who grew up in Arbroath, watching the Bell Rock lighthouse flash every night from my bedroom window, and who has long been fascinated by Scotland’s lighthouses — thanks in part to Bella Bathurst’s The Lighthouse Stevensons — this collaboration felt like everything coming full circle.
Handing the painting over to Mike and Alastair was a proud and humbling moment. I’m delighted with how the painting turned out, and even happier that the team at the NLB felt the same when I delivered it personally to 84 George Street.
A Proud Moment
I recently returned to NLB HQ and was genuinely moved to see my painting hanging just inside the main entrance. It’s a little surreal to know that my work has now become part of the building’s story.
My painting hanging proudly just inside the entrance at 84 George Street.
The moment was topped off when I opened the Summer 2025 edition of the NLB Journal and spotted a feature about the painting and its handover. Several staff members have since ordered prints — some to be given as retirement gifts for NLB staff — a gesture that feels like the highest compliment an artist can receive.
The Summer 2025 edition of the NLB Journal featuring my painting and its handover.
Prints Now Available
If you’re as obsessed with lighthouses as I am and would like to have a beautiful Giclee print of the Northern Lighthouse Board’s Edinburgh HQ, just send me an email at: cliveramage@gmail.com and we can arrange for one to be sent out to you.
Next Up
I’ll be sharing another post soon, showing the step-by-step process of how this painting came to life — from initial sketches to the final framed piece — so keep an eye out for that update.
Just in time for Christmas and after several months in the making, I am delighted to share some very exciting news about recent work I have been doing for top Scottish luxury leather goods brand Strathberry.
Strathberry HQ Christmas animation
For those of you who don’t know, Strathberry is based in Edinburgh’s West End and has a retail outlet in the city’s Multrees Walk, along with 3 stunning boutiques in London’s Covent Garden, Kings Road and Burlington Arcade.
Strathberry’s four stores around the country
They are internationally renowned for producing high quality, beautifully hand-crafted handbags and are the go-to brand for the likes of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle according to Marie Claire.
The Princess of Wales loves Strathberry
The Commission
It was just over a year ago that I was approached by Amber, Chief Marketing Officer at Strathberry, in a particularly serendipitous twist of fate. The company was about to celebrate its 10th anniversary and wished to use their stunning 4 storey Georgian townhouse, in Edinburgh’s Melville Street, as the new face of the brand. She had googled ‘Edinburgh artist’ and, as a result of that search, came across a previous blog post of mine where I had detailed the various stages towards completion of a commission I had recently done of a similar townhouse in the city’s Rutland Square (see that image below and click here to read that post).
Rutland Square Commission
Impressed by the end results of that project and looking for something similar but uniquely ‘Strathberry’, they commissioned me to produce a detailed ink drawing of their HQ. The brief was not only to create something that was representative but something that could also be utilised in a variety of novel ways going forward: for example, an image that might be flexible enough to appear on packaging, tissue paper and product care booklets, as well as being featured in a variety of media online and in print.
The final Strathberry HQ drawing before adding colour
With all of that in mind, I created the image above – deceptively simple in design and finish, but far from simple to produce. In order to fit the whole building into the frame (including the roof and chimneys as well as the basement) I had to somehow show it from mid height (I used a drone to get a variety of photos at different heights for this purpose). However, this created its own problems in that a bird’s eye perspective had the effect of warping the entire image, revealing too much basement and moving the focal point away from what I hoped would be a welcoming doorway that would lead the viewers into the building – so to speak.
In the end, and after a couple of time consuming false starts, I managed to compose an image which shows the entire building without warping the perspective at all, while giving equal prominence to every storey (roof and basement too) but maintaining the entrance way as the main focal point. I submitted my final ink drawing in April and, thankfully, Strathberry owners Guy and Leanne were delighted with the result.
Now it was time to paint the townhouse (see below)!
The Strathberry Townhouse
Again, I wanted to keep the painting as simple but effective as possible, while showing the Strathberry townhouse at its very best. 34 Melville Street, Edinburgh is not only the company HQ, but it’s also the place where products are designed and marketed (as shown to great effect in the magical Christmas animation above). It also happens to house a sumptuous showroom on the ground floor. All in all, Strathberry HQ is an extremely elegant Edinburgh townhouse – sophisticated, yet warm and welcoming – and I hope to have created something that reflects those qualities with these images.
Commissions are never straight forward or relaxed affairs but, much to my relief, Guy and Leanne were again delighted with the final painting, which I delivered in June (see handover picture below).
Handing over the finished painting to Strathberry owner Guy Hundleby
I’ll post a more detailed account of the whole procedure in a future blog piece, including a stage by stage breakdown of the creative process involved. But for now I just wanted to show the final images produced for this prestigious commission and give a little more information about how Strathberry have been using my images to help celebrate their 10th anniversary and also to showcase their stunning World Heritage listed HQ.
A detail of the painting pops up when hovering over Strathberry Stories on the company website
An animated version for Christmas in Strathberry’s Multrees Walk Store, EdinburghThe beautifully animated version has been on show on window display screens in every Strathberry boutique in the land
And and how’s this for a bit of unashamed name dropping … ? I was recently informed that ex US president Bill Clinton, while on a shopping trip to London, was entranced by the animation while walking through the Burlington Arcade store. So much so that after watching the whole clip he was enticed into the store and purchased 4 handbags for Hilary and Chelsea!
Strathberry have also used an inverted version of the ink drawing on menus for a recent press event at the Kimpton Hotel in Edinburgh.
Menus featuring an inverted version of the image
The Strathberry story will continue to develop over coming years and I am very excited to see how the image I created for the company will be utilised in exciting new ways going forward.
In the meantime, I hope to do more of this kind of work in future. So if you are looking for a similar (but different!) picture of your own elegant townhouse, or anywhere else for that matter, and would like to discuss how to make that happen, then please do not hesitate to get in touch via the contact page or by emailing me at: cliveramage@gmail.com
Proud and delighted to see my work being used in such a wonderfully creative way this Christmas!
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and Happy New Year!
Saturday 4 November saw the opening of the inaugural Scottish Landscape Awards (SLAs) at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre.
And I was delighted to be able to attend the highly anticipated private view of this prestigious new exhibition the evening before, having had my etching of Dunnottar Castle shortlisted for the SLAs back in July.
It was one of only 133 artworks to be shortlisted from almost 3000 entries and, although it didn’t win a prize, I was extremely proud to see it hanging in a fantastic spot in one of the country’s best and most visited public galleries.
It was a wonderful evening of catching up with some old friends in my former Edinburgh stomping ground, as well as meeting a few of my own favourite artists for the first time. It also allowed me to see what’s happening right now at the sharp end of Scottish landscape painting and printmaking.
The variety of work on show at the Scottish Landscape Awards – not to mention the talent and skill employed to create it – ensure that this is a hugely enjoyable exhibition for artists and art lovers alike, showcasing the country’s huge diversity in subject matter and the many different and intriguing techniques used to create the pieces.
My partner Pam who accompanied me on the night
And, of course, its always great to see your work shown alongside your peers and some of this country’s most successful and admired artists.
Barbra Rae announcing the SLA winners (photo by Greg Macvean)
My image of Dunnottar Castle came about as part of a commission I was awarded by Aberdeen Art Galleries & Museums in January 2023. Click here to learn more about and the various printmaking methods I used in its creation. I am also very proud to have an artist’s proof of this print, along with the 3 others I produced for that commission, in Aberdeen Art Galleries & Museums’ permanent art collection.
Describing my working methods to the Friends of Aberdeen Art Galleries & Museums at the city’s Treasure Hub earlier this year on completion of the commission
This has been a particularly busy and hugely rewarding year for me so far: with two successful solo shows under my belt at Frames Gallery in Perth and Inverness Creative Academy; the aforementioned commission from Aberdeen Art Galleries & Museums; and another for luxury Edinburgh-based leather goods brand Strathberry Ltd (of which there will be more to report soon).
At the Scottish Landscape Awards private view with my show catalogue and print of Dunnottar Castle
And having my work included in the inaugural Scottish Landscape Awards exhibition, as well as featured in the gorgeous catalogue that accompanies the show, means that this has also been my most successful year to date.
Meffan Winter Show 2023
But it doesn’t end there for 2023, or for this particular print! I am happy to say that Dunnottar Castle is also featured in the Meffan Art Gallery annual winter show, which opened in Forfar on Friday 10 November.
As for the rest of the year, I will be working hard to produce new paintings and prints for my next solo show, which is at Graystone Gallery in Edinburgh in February. Details to follow, but I am excited to be the first artist to have a solo show at their brand-new gallery premises in Stockbridge.
Dunnottar Castle, in a limited edition of only 40 signed and numbered prints, is currently available to purchase (in a frame) at the City Art Centre, Edinburgh and the Meffan Institute, Forfar. Unframed prints can also be bought directly from my shop by clicking here.
Just a quick update to say I have 4 etchings for sale as part of the annual St Columba’s Hospice charity fundraising event, which opens to the public this Saturday 28th October at 10am.
The Bell Rock, photopolymer etching (42x42cm)
I’ve been taking part in this fantastic event every year for almost a decade and it’s always a great show. This year promises to be bigger and better than ever with paintings and prints by over 70 artists, alongside a selection of sculptures, ceramics and tapestries.
Victoria Street, Edinburgh, etching (16x21cm)
Buying art, helping others
At least 50% of every penny spent on art over this weekend goes directly to the charity, so it’s a great way to buy something you’ll love and cherish forever while helping the hospice continue to do its incredible work.
This year I have contributed the 4 pieces you can see here. But you’ve only got 2 days to see the show in person and snap them up (although the works can be viewed and purchased online between 10am Saturday 28th October and Friday 3rd November). Click here for the direct link to the online exhibition!
Fidra, photopolymer etching (19x42cm)
So if you’re in Edinburgh or fancy a day out then get along to the stunning St Columba’s Hospice building this coming Saturday or Sunday between 10-4pm and treat yourself to something beautiful … you know you deserve it! It’s worth the trip for the incredible views across the Firth of Forth alone!
Here’s where to find the art show. It’s free to enter and on-street parking is available:
I was initially told about the Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums (AAGM) Micro-commissions by a studio colleague the day before the deadline. I was in the middle of moving into my new studio and packing for a New Year trip to Crovie the following day. However, as a relative newcomer to Aberdeen and having spent many hours admiring the gallery’s fantastic collection, my interest had been piqued! I downloaded the application form and had a first draft written within an hour.
At the Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums’ (AAGM) Treasure Hub where I gave a talk about my Micro Commission work to the Friends of AAGM
The brief
Applicants were asked to say something about their lived experience in the city, addressing themes that might include social justice, climate change, identity, well-being and migration, while responding to something that was already part of the AAGM collection.
I thought it could be a challenge to come up with an exciting print-based project that would test some of my recently acquired printmaking skills, especially in screen and photopolymer printing. And, in the unlikely event my proposal was successful, I might just about manage to complete the rather ambitious project I had put together in my mind, despite having already committed to 2 solo shows and another important commission – all of which were to be fulfilled before the AAGM June deadline!
No holiday for me … not yet anyway!
So the first day of our supposedly relaxing holiday was spent editing my application (with considerable help from my patient and very understanding partner Pam) and it was submitted within an hour of the deadline.
Having never applied for anything like this before, I resignedly put the whole experience down to good practice and relaxed for the rest of our trip.
Success!
Around 4 weeks later, having forgotten all about my application and while frantically finishing several paintings and working on the final preparations for my early March solo show, I received an email to say my proposal had in fact been successful!
My initial elation and surprise at this great news were suddenly followed by a gut-wrenching dread that I might just have overstretched myself! But I do love a challenge and that’s exactly what the following 5 months proved to be!
The final 3 prints that make up the triptych: Disintegration, Transformation & Anticipation. I named the triptych with a nod to the 3 institutions that feature in the middle print; namely the Central Library, St Mark’s Church & His Majesty’s Theatre, collectively known by locals as Education, Salvation &Damnation.
The Proposal
In selecting a work from the AAGM collection as an initial reference for my own project, John Piper’s powerfully atmospheric painting of Dunnottar Castle immediately sprang to mind. Like many of his works, it perfectly captures with great drama and deceptive simplicity the beauty that can often be found even in a crumbling old building. This got me thinking about how the disintegration of one thing can lead to something new and possibly even more beautiful in its place (a painting in this instance, but also the castle itself).
Dunnottar Castle by John Piper
From here I travelled north in my mind to Aberdeen city centre and thought of the recently opened Union Terrace Gardens and how they have helped to rejuvenate that part of the city.
Newly reopened and rejuvenated Union Terrace Gardens (January 2023)
I then took a short trip across Union Street to the recently demolished Aberdeen Market and pondered how that has provided an opportunity (and also hope) that something better might arise out of the dust and rubble.
The currently vacant site of the old Aberdeen Market
I decided to produce a triptych of handmade prints exploring the theme of disintegration in relation to those three well-loved local sites. To bring these ideas to fruition I wanted to use three different printmaking techniques, which would reflect the past, present and future in their own way.
Three Different subjects printed three different ways
Disintegration
Disintegration, the first piece in the triptych, is a traditional copper-plate etching inspired by John Piper’s painting of Dunnottar Castle.
Disintegration – 40x60cm – copper plate etching with hard ground and aquatint (including sugar lift and spit bite) on Hahnemüle etching paper
Inking up the plate
Disintegration is signed and ready to deliver to Aberdeen Art Gallery when framed
Transformation
Transformation – 40x76cm – photopolymer etching with chine collé and watercolour on calendered Hahnemüle etching paper
The middle piece, Transformation, depicts Union Terrace Gardens and contrasts old and new features now present in the gardens and also in the methods used to create the print.
Chine collé tissue cut to shape for adding colour to the etching
It combines very traditional etching techniques like chine collé above to add colour to the print …
An acetate was used to expose the image onto a photopolymer-coated steel plate
… alongside methods employed in contemporary digital photography.
Transformation completed at Peacock Print Studio in Aberdeen and ready for the AAGM collection
Anticipation
Anticipation – 40x60cm – screen print on calendered Hahnemüle etching paper
Anticipation focuses on the Aberdeen Market area and poses the question: what does the future hold for this site?
Making a composite of the various pictorial elements in Photoshop
Photoshop was used to combine a drone-captured digital image with an interpretation of the Herakut mural from the old Aberdeen Market.
A proof incorporating the hand-painted golden question mark
The final image of the triptych, Anticipation, is signed and ready to frame
The Micro Commission Experience
Working on the AAGM Micro-commission has been a fantastic experience as well as a great opportunity to learn. Not only because it has allowed me to develop and test my skills in traditional and photopolymer etching, as well as screen printing, but the funding that was provided by the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums has also enabled me to produce an entirely new stand-alone series of prints that are quite different from anything I have done before. It is also wonderful to know that my triptych has been accessioned into the AAGM permanent collection.
Describing the processes involved in producing each print at Aberdeen’s Treasure Hub
I would advise anyone who is interested in applying to the next round of Micro-commissions to absolutely go for it. This has been a hugely rewarding experience and has shown me what I can achieve under intense pressure.
And finally …
Finally, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums for providing the £2500 funding that enabled my Micro Commission, and many thanks also to Shona Elliot and all the staff at AAGM for their excellent support throughout. I’d also like to thank the staff at Peacock Print Studio and, in particular, James Vaas and Struan Hamilton who have both been very generous with their time, patience and expertise throughout this process.
I will put together another post soon where I will go into more detail about the making of each print in the triptych … watch this space!
This is the final week of my solo show Paintings & Prints From Scotland To The Moon at Inverness Creative Academy.
I’ll be on site from 2-3.30pm this Friday 14th July to give visitors a guided walk around the 40 pictures. I’ll discuss the many techniques I use to create the works as well as the inspirations and ideas behind them. I’ll also be more than happy to answer any questions about my practice and experience of working as a full-time artist.
It’s free entry so just show up at the cafe at 2pm and say hello. I’ll look forward to meeting you then!
Paintings & Prints From Scotland To The Moon is on until Saturday 15th July at 4pm.
Inverness Creative Academy, just a 2 minute walk up the hill from the Eastgate in the city centre and 5 minute walk from the train station
The Assembly Hall at ICA has to be the most beautiful gallery space I’ve ever seen, never mind shown my work in, and I’m delighted with how my 20 paintings and 18 prints look in such a fabulously well-lit and stunning exhibition space.
The staircase provided the perfect place for my 3 Glitter Moons, leading visitors to the upstairs level to where my etchings and watercolours are hanging.
A panoramic view of the landing where 13 of my etchings are on show
The whole gallery benefits from wonderful natural light provided by the many windows and the great arched window on the stairwell. In addition to that there’s a spotlight above every single picture and this really shows off my work beautifully.
Photo etchings, oil and watercolour paintings and my partner Pam enjoying a cup of tea in the cafe
I had some incredible help over the two-day installation from resident artist and ICA technician Martin Irish
The view from upstairs showing my oil and watercolour paintings
And before even half of my pictures were on the walls I was presented with a glowing review of the show by Gael Hillyard, who did a wonderful job of describing the effect my oil paintings and Glitter Moons had on her. Read the full review here.
After almost a year of hard work and preparations, last Friday night saw the opening of my solo show at Frames Gallery in Perth. And what a fantastic night it turned out to be, with almost a quarter of the pictures sold within 2 hours!
But I have to admit that I am always a little anxious when it comes to opening nights, and especially when it’s just my work that’s on show.
There’s a lot of pressure to get everything finished, framed and on the walls on time and I feel that heavily on my shoulders for weeks in advance.
A quick spin around the show!
And there’s quite a lot of variety in my work too, so I’m also always wondering how all of those pictures will look when they’re hanging together in one room.
Glitter Moons, watercolours and etchings Etchings and oils with a sea theme in the main
Of course, I’m also hoping there’s going to be a good turnout for the opening, as a great atmosphere always helps to get any show off to the best start.
But in spite of my growing nerves as 6pm approached on the big day, I should really have known that I needn’t have worried! Hugh and his team at the gallery had done a brilliant job of hanging the show and I couldn’t have been happier with how all 45 pictures were presented!
The first picture to sold was one of the largest, Muckle Flugga, oil on canvas
And to add to my great feeling of relief and excitement I was delighted to see that there were already some red dots accompanying pictures before the doors officially opened!
It’s always lovely to chat to the people who have been to my previous shows and have bought my work in the past, and I love to meet those who’ve come along to see it for the first time.
Two more of my lighthouse oil paintings sold on opening night!
It’s really the one chance I get to hear what people think of my newest work and that feedback is always very helpful when it comes to starting new pictures.
All in all it was a lovely night, with lots of interest and by closing time at 8pm 10 pictures were sold, ranging in price from £250 for a framed etching of Victoria Street in Edinburgh to £3450 for my large oil painting of Muckle Flugga.
Glitter Moon – Black & Gold
Glitter Moon – Blue
I want to say a huge !!THANK YOU!! to Hugh, Julie and Jenny at the gallery for making it such a wonderful event and also to Lucy who so beautifully framed many of the pictures there! Massive thanks also to Kevin at Framing Point in Aberdeen for his incredible service and help over the past couple of years! I can’t recommend both highly enough!
And, finally, thank you so much to everyone who came along on the night, with some of you traveling a fair distance to get there! When you buy my pictures, or any artist’s, you really are helping to ensure that we can keep making more and the world would be a much duller place without art!
Here are some photos from the night. If you couldn’t make it along but still want to see the show, then you still have 2 weeks to go. And if you do go, please let me know what you think.
I’m delighted to have two of my etchings included in Chaos and Control: Printmaking in Scotland Now, currently showing at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh (until 26 June 2026).
My image of 
Dunnottar Castle, in a limited edition of only 40 signed and numbered prints, is currently available to purchase (in a frame) at the City Art Centre, Edinburgh and the Meffan Institute, Forfar. Unframed prints can also be bought directly from my shop by 
This is the final week of my solo show Paintings & Prints From Scotland To The Moon at Inverness Creative Academy.
