Miranda Richmond

Scotland

I’ve just returned from the Northwest Highlands, having spent half of January and the beginning of February painting near Torridon.

I'd been here before, but decided to stay longer this time. The mountains offer the perfect opportunity to work within a breathtakingly vast landscape, to confront immensity and really challenge my imagination.

For reading material I brought Art and Instinct by Roy Oxlade, and reread his interpretation of Bomberg's thoughts on drawing:

'Bomberg believed that within the freedom of drawing it is possible to apprehend perceptual experiences which take place on a pre-reflective level of internal feeling.

'...for in sensing the magnitude and scope of mass and finding purposeful entities to contain it in the flat surface (this is the mystery) is cultivated its rehabilitation, an age-old gift to think and feel in terms of form.'

'..drawing as the representation of form – not the representation of appearances of form, but more the representation of all our feelings about a form.' [emphasis mine]

On this trip, it rained almost every day, and we often had gale-force winds as well, though in fact, the temperature was mild for the time of year.

For two weeks I was joined by Neil Bolton, who also makes a point of painting outdoors. Being well-equipped (and well tried) we both managed to work despite the conditions. But thankfully, we also had a large, well-lighted shed available when the weather made it absolutely impossible. 

Neil is a longtime friend and collaborator, and for the last couple of years we’ve been working out of my studio in Middlesbrough alongside Shirley Fletcher and Rosie Skaife d'Ingerthorpe painting and drawing with a live model.

Iona

Iona diary, January-February 2019:

I’ve painted off and on in Scotland for many years now, particularly the West Highlands. But early last year, I had the chance to paint in Iona, partially sponsored by Iona Hostel.

It’s a marvellous place for an artist. The croft and adjoining hostel at the north end of the island are more or less isolated, at least a twenty minute walk from the village and the ferry port, but just steps from the beach.

From just above the hostel one has the sense of the sea on almost three sides, westwards towards the Atlantic, north along the coast of Mull, with the islands of Rum and even distant Skye visible on a clear day, and eastwards across the Sound of Iona. This gives a fabulous sense of space and light, the lifeblood of a landscape painter.

Australia

A few years ago I travelled to Australia at the invitation of friends who live in the Blue Mountains.

I actually went twice, returning to visit an Aboriginal community living in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. I count myself extraordinarily privileged to have made these two trips and having the opportunity to make work there. The Blue Mountains of New South Wales constitute a stunning natural landscape of canyons with dense forests of eucalyptus and areas of temperate rainforest with spectacular cliffs and waterfalls filled with the sound of birdsong.

It is heart-breaking to hear of and see the devastation that is currently taking place through the wildfires, even in places where I walked. Sadly, these days I feel I can  no longer  travel to these lovely places – air travel is a major contributor to damaging carbon emissions and I don't feel I could justify such journeys.

Egypt and Cyprus

In 2017 I was invited to join the Edinburgh-based writer, film-maker and painter, Angus Reid in North Cyprus, where he was painting for some months. He had rented a very basic house, ideal for painting, in the Turkish village of Ardahan, which is near the Castle of Kantara. I stayed for 2 ½ weeks in November/December and every day we drove to nearby locations and worked together.

Egypt I have visited several times as I'm lucky enough to have my sister living there in Cairo, so I've been able to visit and paint in various locations, including on the Red Sea, in Luxor, and on the last occasion, a visit to the Oasis of Siwa in the Western Desert. I was able to make these small watercolours in the old city, but on visiting the salt lake and the crystalline mountains of the oasis I was  overcome with the beauty and, and in the short time I was there, was unable to do anything!