Runrig by Fiona Phipps

Wow Fionna, I like this a lot. You've achieved lovely depth and emission. It's amazing what you can achieve with one medium that provides loads of tonal values. Steve

My apologies for my absence on the gallery these last few months, I hope to contribute more often on your work once again.

I hate predictive text. That should have been emotion! Steve

Lol....I know what you mean Steve. Thank you for your kind words on my sketch, when you look at the runrigs and the surrounding landscapes, it does seem to have a ‘time capsule’ atmosphere.....grim times. Thanks again.

Hello Fiona, good placement of the mark making and directional lines. I have been away so long I fell off the POL Canvas.

I like the contrasting lines and the subtle variation in greys and black. So much atmosphere conveyed with relatively little. Good to see you back, Fiona; I've been wondering where you were. And you've educated me about the band name too; I've been listening to them again this summer. Your comment about crops is true of the lazy beds in Harris too. How did people survive?

Morning Fiona, welcome back you've been missed 😁 great sketch and good to have the history behind it, Linda

Hello John! Yes my own presence on the site has been a little tardy of late. It’s lovely to see you back also, I look forward to seeing your wonderful pastel work. Many thanks for your comment. Hello Roger, another fan of the great band Runrig....I have all their albums.....my favourite track is Empty Glens. Have you chance to get to Harris this Year? Look forward to seeing the resulting art from your visit. Thanks very much for your comment, appreciated. Linda, hello....how are you? Thanks very much, hope to be here a little more often.

Great to see you posting again Fiona, I have been a bit sporadic myself recently. Love this it has so much energy to me those clouds look as though they are scuttling along in a stiff breeze. Beautiful mark making.

Hi Fiona, good to see you back again! Great sketch, love the movement in the clouds (and the interesting history behind it).

So strikingly beautiful in such a simple, stark form. Love your perspective and the medium you have used Linda.👍

It really does work, Fiona. The background story and charcoal tones give this another era feel, one from all our yesterdays. Charcoal is such a good medium and you've used it to great effect with this one. Good to see you back again! Bri

Sounds an interesting place Fiona, and a great narrative to go with it. Nicely drawn and good to see you sketching again!

Great tonal quality piece, Fiona

Good to see you back, Fiona. Wow, a sketch with a story, very interesting!

Nice loose charcoal and great mark making, also I love a bit of history for the background!

Hello Fiona, I had a week in Harris and Berneray at the end of May. Planned the same plus Barra for the beginning of August but a cyclist ran into and smashed my rear windscreen 36 hours before I was due to set off. Holiday cut short to Berneray and Barra. Results from both trips in my Hebridean Gallery, POL. My favourite tracks are Flower of the West, Beautiful Pain and Foghar nan Eilein

Hi Barry, thank you very much. It’s difficult to fit everything in at this time of year, I have been doing the odd bit of art but nothing serious. Charcoal is easy and quick for a fast result, if messy! Many thanks Jenny, it’s good to be back!

Carole thanks very much, I’m pleased the scene comes over as stark and grim. Many thanks Brian for your observations....happy that the medium and story has set the scene. Thanks Alan, sketching is all I’ve managed, along with a few monoprints over the summer. Slowing down a bit now so hope to get back into proper stuff. Thank you Thalia! Many thanks Mia, you are very kind. Tessa, thank you....I like charcoal, especially for creating atmosphere.

Sorry to hear your second trip was shortened by a day or two, very inconvenient. I’ll check out your gallery, sorry I missed them. And of course the track Loch Lommond.....live!

You do charcoal very well Fiona, great feeling of distance.

Lovely to see you posting again - I had been wondering if anything was wrong. Beautiful image - rather evocative of hard lives. Another fan of Runrig - I saw them 3 or 4 times in the eighties. Needvto dig out the old records again!

Great sense of depth Fiona.

They knew by long experience Fiona that's gorgeous

Lovely to hear from you Carole, thank you. Thank you Margaret, not enough days in the week this time of year. They were probably at their best in the eighties Margaret. Hello Richard, thank you! Dennis thank you x

Super! I know this sort of landscape too, from the Outer Hebrides. Why they were called lazy beds is beyond me. It would have been back breaking work!