Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 35 on 15/11/2007.

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A brush with art

Artist holidays are a great way to get creative and experience Scotland’s outdoors. Kate Ennis reports

Artists have always had a canny knack of making their craft look so effortless. That may explain why art programmes on television enjoy such large and loyal audiences – watch close enough and the secret of how to recreate such visually appealing paintings may be revealed. Bob Ross on his enduring Joy of Painting television series or the talented competitors on Watercolour Challenge would be mesmerising to watch as they deftly created an atmospheric landscape.

Of course, the eye-catching scenery that the artists are depicting also makes compelling viewing. No wonder such shows have helped to inspire hobbyist painters, but also those who haven’t picked up a paint palette since school, to head outside into the field with a canvas.

The combination of being free to indulge in some creativity, as well as being immersed in a picturesque landscape, makes painting breaks an extremely popular activity holiday and there are few better destinations than Scotland, where ‘paint-able’ subject matter presents itself at every turn.

The country has always been considered a great destination for art lovers, of course, who are keen to view treasured collections at the National Galleries in Edinburgh or the Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove in Glasgow, as well as local artists’ showcases in smaller studios dotted around Scotland.

The Scottish landscape has long been a popular with painters too, both with Scotland’s own artistic sons – William McTaggart, Henry Raeburn and Alexander Nasmyth – .....

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By Kate Ennis

Section : Scotland Breaks

Page number : 42