"Moorland Dawn" Oil on canvas

"Gathering Storm" - Oil on canvas - 10 x 14in

Painted at first "en plein" air and then completed in the studio, in "Gathering Storm" I was aiming to capture the dramatic moods and atmosphere in the weather and atmosphere around my home in Dolphinton, just south of Edinburgh in Scotland. This was right about the time I was packing up my cosy, country life, giving up my home and all the possessions I had gathered over 40 years of existence - about to embark on a brand new adventure as I started the process of relocating to North America. 

Optimistic and positive as ever, I had no idea the incredible challenges and upheaval I would face over the following three year period that is still not quite drawn to it's conclusion...  Many of my paintings around this time are quite unsettled, and I believe somewhat premonitory of what lay ahead...