Painting outdoors, 2020-23

On the sea cliffs, Aberdour, Fife.

Working outdoors is an important part of my visual art practice. The weather in Scotland can be unpredictable even in summer but in the right spot, responding to light and atmospherics there is a sense of meditative ‘presentness’. My intention is not necessarily to create finished work but to improvise and see what happens. This work is often further developed in my studio.

As well as working in Scotland, I have worked in the landscapes of France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, USA, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Working outdoors has also been at the centre of many artist’s residencies I have done including Aragon, Spain in 2023, at Merz Galley in Sanquhar, Scotland, in 2021 and at the Museum of Loss and Renewal in Collemacchia, Italy in 2019

Snapshots of working outdoors