Jonathan Shearer
Journeys into the North West Highlands ‘A Bothy Too Far’ 2 - 24th March 2018
Journeys into the North West Hightlands - A Bothy Too Far Jonathan Shearer is exhilarated by the wilderness of the North West Highlands. During the Autumn and Winter of 2017/18 he organised four expeditions to some of the most remote bothies in the Highlands to make paintings in situ based on his experiences. His intention was to capture the sublime quality of light that illuminates the wilderness at this time of the year. From the Suileag bothy, not far from the foot of the mighty Suilven, he painted the dramatic mountains of Assynt and from the Shenavall bothy at the foot of An Teallach he surveyed the ‘Great Wilderness’ of Wester Ross. His journeys are a meditation on the landscape and our place within it. Everything was put into perspective as he stood on Beinn Eighe, on 60 million year old quartzite on top of 260 million year old Torridonian sandstone. Places such as this are truly awe inspiring and Jonathan aims to capture this feeling in his paintings. For him, this can only be achieved by walking into the landscape and painting directly as each experience unfolds in front of him. Jonathan uses a pochade box which carries all the oil paint and brushes and a separate wooden box for storing wet paintings. In addition, he carries sketchbooks, ink, watercolour and aquabord panels for ink and wash. As Jonathan struggled with the weather, the terrain and the paint, at times he might have thought that this was ‘a bothy too far’ but the stunning paintings which resonate with the exhilaration of the experience prove that, in the end, it was well worth the effort.
The entire exhibition can be viewed on the Castle Gallery’s website: W: www.castlegallery.co.uk T: 01463 729512 E: info@castlegallery.co.uk
Cover: Beinn Dearg Mor, oil on linen, 30(h) x 80(w) cm
The Four Bothies and Gaelic Meanings:
Durness
Suileag, Assynt (Suilven) Sùileag - French willow or goat willow. Coire Fionnaraich, Loch Carron Coire Fionnaraich - A cool glacial hollow or corrie. Shenavall, An Teallach Shenavall - Norse-Gaelic hybrid meaning the old settlement, in Gaelic An Seanbhaile.
Lochinver
Suileag
Assynt
Suilven Lairg Ullapool Shenavall
An Teallach - The anvil, forge, furnace. Lairig Leacach, Grey Corries Làirig Leacach – Pass of the flagstones.
Coire Fionnaraich Inverness Plockton
Lairig Leacach Fort William
Jonathan’s personal sketches from the bothy trips. (not for sale)
Beinn Dearg Mor from Shenavall, oil on canvas, 36(h) x 61(w) cm
In High Places, oil on canvas, 18(h) x 13(w) cm each - set of 12
Evening Glow, Coire nan Clach, oil on board, 15(h) x 30(w) cm
Shenavall Bothy, mixed media on aquabord, 13(h) x 18(w) cm
Shenavall Bothy Interior, pen & ink on paper, 39(h) x 55(w) cm
Sunlight Through the Mist, Liathach, oil on linen, 51(h) x 92(w) cm
Mountains of Wester Ross, Autumn & Winter, oil on board, 13(h) x 18(w) cm each - set of 12
Morning Light, Coire nan Clach, oil on board, 14(h) x 25(w) cm
Sunlight after Heavy Snow, Novar, oil on board, 31(h) x 26(w) cm
Winter Woods, Strathruisdale I, oil on board, 31(h) x 26(w) cm
Garden Birch Tree in Snow, oil on board, 25(h) x 18(w) cm
Exhilarating Day, Beinn Eighe, oil on linen, 46(h) x 92(w) cm
Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail I, oil on board, 14(h) x 31(w) cm
Autumn & Winter Light Series, oil on board, 13(h) x 18(w) cm each - set of 9
Low Winter Light, Beinn Eihe, oil on board, 23(h) x 30(w) cm
Morning Mist, Liathach, oil on board, 15(h) x 31(w) cm
Opposite: The Grey One, oil on canvas, 50(h) x 77(w) cm
Northern Corries, Cairngorms (triptych), oil on canvas, 30(h) x 90(w) cm
Beinn Eighe, Liathach & Ben Wyvis Winter Studies, oil on board, 13(h) x 18(w) cm each - set of 12
Aonach Beag II, oil on board, 14(h) x 25(w) cm
Aonach Beag (triptych), oil on canvas, 26(h) x 61(w) cm
Winter Ascent II,
oil on board, 21(h) x 15(w) cm
Into the Void We Go,
oil on board, 21(h) x 15(w) cm
Follow the Leader,
oil on board, 21(h) x 15(w) cm
Fireman,
oil on board, 15(h) x 21(w) cm
Bothy Nights,
oil on board, 15(h) x 21(w) cm
Summit II,
oil on canvas, 18(h) x 13(w) cm
Summit III,
oil on canvas, 18(h) x 13(w) cm
Our Shelter, Lairig Leacach,
oil on board, 21(h) x 15(w) cm
Torridon Hills, oil on board, 15(h) x 21(w) cm each - set of 4
Summit Aonach Beag,
oil on canvas, 46(h) x 36(w) cm
Golden Light, Winter Shadows, Strathruisdale, oil on linen, 90(h) x 90(w) cm
Deep Snow, Novar Woods, oil on board, 20(h) x 56(w) cm
Back Page:
Winter Light, Fyrish Woods, oil on board, 13(h) X 18(w) cm
Castle Gallery, 43 Castle St, Inverness, IV2 3DU 01463 729512
www.castlegallery.co.uk