Through a Painter's Brush: Scotland
Now available!
Over the years, I've had many people ask if I would ever publish the many sketches I've made during my trips to Scotland. Well, I'm happy to announce that the time has come. My new book, Through a Painter's Brush: Scotland, is now available as a Kindle book. (Yes, there will be a print version. The hardcover is currently in the proof stage and will be available soon. But here’s an important note: You can ZOOM IN on the images in the Kindle version—you can’t do that in the print version. The images in the Kindle version are high-resolution.)
The book turned into a bigger project than I'd expected. As I was getting started, I asked myself, Why just publish the sketches when I can also publish the studio paintings based on the sketches? And why not include my journals, too? I felt that the writing was equally important; after all, I'm a sort of a chimera, a hybrid beast, one that you might look at and ask yourself, "Is this a writer who paints, or a painter who writes?" So, I organized my notes—it was a pleasure, reliving the trips—and added them.
The book chronicles the three journeys I've embarked upon so far:
Perthshire and Beyond: from the rolling hills and quiet lochs of Perthshire to the medieval town of Stirling with its ancient castle, and on to the glacier-carved valley of Glen Coe;
Highlands and Islands: from the majestic mountains and broad moorlands of the Isle of Skye to the towering cliffs of the Orkney Islands, rich with prehistoric treasures; and
Wider Horizons: from the remote Moray Coast to the beauty of the Cairngorms, to the varied landscape of the Isle of Arran and the "Artist's Town" of Kirkcudbright, and finally, to historic Berwick-upon-Tweed. (Berwick, right on the border, is technically part of England, but it has been swapped back and forth between England and Scotland many times over the centuries, and so I'm now claiming it for Scotland.)
I gave each trip its own section with glossy images of both sketches and finished paintings. In addition to the journals, I thought it might be useful for any painter who is thinking of traveling to Scotland to include sections on what I took for gear and materials and how I packed, and how I as a plein air painter dealt with the Scottish weather, among other topics. Finally, I added a step-by-step studio oil demonstration of what became one of my favorite subjects while there, the 16th-century buildings around Portsoy's Old Harbour.
The Kindle edition is only $9.99 USD, but if you have subscribed to Kindle Unlimited, it is free. You can get the Kindle version here. The hardcover will be $24.99 and is a large-format book (8.5"x11") with 101 pages. I will send out word when it is ready to order.
Now, I'm off to plan my next trip to Scotland! (But first, I have another painting retreat for experienced outdoor painters in Sedona, Arizona, coming up April 7-11. Only $300! Let me know if you are interested and I will send details!)
