Viewing Room
Welcome to the Castle Gallery Viewing Rooms where you will find highlights from our exhibitions - past and present - focussing on key works, inspirational ideas and telling the stories behind the show. Best viewed on a desktop browser.
JONATHAN SHEARER
4th - 26th October 2024
'FROM SUMMIT TO SEA'
En plein air paintings made during canoe and pack-raft expeditions throughout the Northwest Highlands.
'FROM SUMMIT TO SEA'
En plein air paintings made during canoe and pack-raft expeditions throughout the Northwest Highlands.
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Canoe, Loch Arkaig
Jonathan Shearer is an adventurous artist, and he has travelled from summit to sea to present this exhibition of new en plein air paintings. His trusty old canoe and the recent acquisition of a packraft have allowed him to travel to more remote locations and to view the landscape from a new perspective.
“These adventures have allowed me to venture further into the landscape, especially by water, providing fresh perspectives on mountains and landscapes I know very well. Water is a dominant theme in these paintings.” |
Loch Hakon Reflections, oil on canvas, 100 x 120cm
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Cloud Inversion on Stac Polly, oil on board, 14 x 26cm
Jonathan treks and canoes into the Highland landscape carrying all his camping gear, paints, brushes, canvases and boards with him. His paintings record not just the moment of painting but the experience of being out in the wild, in some awesome locations.
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Suilven from Loch Sionascaig, oil on board, 14 x 26cm
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“My hope for this exhibition is that it conveys the experience and adventure of these expeditions through the paintings and sketches done on location.”
Painting from Stac Polly - Cul Mor from Stac Polly, oil on board, 14 x 26cm
Cul Mor from Loch an Doire Dhubh, oil on board, 14 x 26cm - Painting Cul Mor
Jonathan has travelled in his canoe to paint Lochs Maree, Achility and Arkaig and used his packraft to venture deep into Inverpolly to paint the mountains of Assynt. Cùl Mòr is a very fine and dramatic Corbett rising from the undulating bogland of Assynt and its summit is the highest point of Inverpolly.
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On the River Spey, oil on canvas, 41 x 51cm
Continuing the watery theme – he has visited Loch Ness, the River Spey and ferried across to the Orkney Islands to capture some stunning scenery in his inimitable expressive, impressionistic and atmospheric style.
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Summer Light, River Averon, oil on canvas, 51 x 61cm
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Northern Exposure, Portskerra, oil on canvas, 60 x 120cm
Jonathan has a deep respect for the landscape and the mountains of the Highlands, best summed up by his favourite quote from the moutaineer, Anatoli Boukreev (1958-1997):
‘The mountains are not stadiums that satisfy my ambitions to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion. From their lofty summits I view the past, dream of the future and with unusual acuity I am allowed to experience the present moment. My strength renewed, my vision cleared, in the mountains I celebrate creation for on each journey I am reborn.’
‘The mountains are not stadiums that satisfy my ambitions to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion. From their lofty summits I view the past, dream of the future and with unusual acuity I am allowed to experience the present moment. My strength renewed, my vision cleared, in the mountains I celebrate creation for on each journey I am reborn.’
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Ben Loyal, Queen of the Highlands, oil on canvas, 60 x 120cm
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Winter Ridge, Beinn Eighe, oil on canvas, 70 x 90cm
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