Edinburgh Castle

Wonderfully dramatic painting showing the iconic castle in all its glory. Incidentally, one of my ancestors, John Winram (my maiden name) of Liberton was the Lieutenant-Governor of Edinburgh Castle for the years around 1683. His father, James Winram, Lord Liberton, owned Inch House in Edinburgh. He died at the battle of Dunbar in 1654 and Inch House was siezed by Cromwell. My family have close connections with the city, my parents having been born and bred there. When I visited Edinburgh as a child I used to love to hear Mons Meg fire the 1p.m. gun and then hear the skirl of the bagpipe band as it marched through the streets. Ah... memories and you wonderful painting has evoked them in me. What better accolade for art?

Yes Alan brilliant stuff bravo

Think this is great Alan.

Wow! That sky, that foreground, that swish of the rigger for the clouds.........perfection! I've visited a few times and if it looked like this in reality, I would want to move there and gaze upon it forever. I'm a country girl, and living in a town/city would be purgatory for me but it would be worth the sacrifice.

What wonderful strokes and dramatic colours - love it Alan

That's splendid. All done with a rigger? Do you use the side?

Thank's all, and Amanda, no it's not all done with a rigger as Fiona suggests, just the initial drawing is started with it without any guide lines - it ruins the fluency for me, then of course much of the detail also, trees, detail on wall etc.

Do you never fail Alan? This is wild and wonderful!

Thanks Carole, yes, like all of us I have my disasters, but generally manage to pull it all together, sometimes needing to apply some body colour or acrylic. I've got my fair share in a portfolio that I consider 'unfit for human consumption'.

Wonderfully dramatic. As Fiona, better than real life!!! It evokes the history of it I think.

Truly fantastic again Alan! You have such a wonderful freedom in the strokes and the colours are yummie!

So dramatic and atmospheric. This is one of my favourites, I love it!

Great painting so full of life.