STUNNING ABSTRACT PAINTINGS OF SCOTLAND

SCOTT NAISMITH

Scotland has never been more beautiful than in artist Scott Naismith’s vibrant and expressive landscape paintings. Naismith, a native Scotlander, paints in a multi-layered melody of color, re-interpreting and abstracting the glens, lochs, and countrysides of Scotland’s West coast.

Naismith uses thick brushes and palette knives to create texture and capture fast-changing natural light. The result is a heightened sense of atmosphere with a dream-like feel. Scotland may not be this vivid in reality, but Naismith believes it’s the job of an artist to make viewers see things in a new way.

Color is a hugely important part of this artist’s creative life and he uses it to infuse his paintings with emotion. Some of Naismith’s paintings are lighter and more ebullient, while others are darker and moodier.

After witnessing his father’s miraculous recovery from cancer, Naismith has known difficult times but now draws upon a great sense of energy and positivity.

Naismith, whose studio is based in Glasgow, travels the country extensively to visit the sites that inspire his works. He studies each location by producing several pieces from specific viewpoints.

The artist then continues working off-site, creating abstract versions with the spirit and essence of the place in mind. The more he adds elements of himself and his own emotions to a piece, the more abstract it becomes.

Naismith describes the magnificent skies of his landscapes, changing from dark to light, as metaphors for optimism and hope.

Naismith’s abstractions feature dramatic clouds. This artist is fascinated by the way light combines with color as it filters through a cloud’s opaque and translucent properties. The paintings as a whole seem to play with the concept of cloudiness, with scenes that are sometimes blurry and sometimes more sharply defined.

Naismith begins a piece by making a series of thick, dark marks. He refines the initial outline by applying 3-6 progressively thinner layers of paint. While one layer dries, Naismith may go up to 2 months before painting the next one, with over 30 paintings in the works at one time.

Naismith became a full-time artist after earning his degree in Illustration and Printmaking from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, in Dundee. While in college, Naismith questioned the way color was taught.

The artist developed the opinion that the colors cyan, magenta, and yellow were the real primary colors – not red, blue and yellow. This theory is described in his popular YouTube video, “The Truth About the Color Wheel,” where he explains that a primary color must be a color that only absorbs one of the RBG (red/blue/green) lights.

Naismith is inspired by the colorful works of Henri Matisse, as well as Peter Howson and Alexander Goudie, two other Glasgow-based painters. He has also cited Rembrandt’s mastery of thick paint as an inspiration.

Naismith’s work has been exhibited in galleries throughout Scotland, England and the United States. “Scottish Skies,” a 128-page book of Naismith’s paintings, was recently published by Jeremy Mills Publishing. Many of his paintings are available as limited edition prints on his website and can also be purchased here.

If you are inspired by Naismith’s work to see Scottish landscapes in real life, check out our travel suggestions for the most beautiful road trip, the most beautiful castle, and more as we feature the beauty of Scotland all this week on BeautifulNow.

Read more about Beautiful Scotland in See Scotland’s Crown Jewel Park, Scotland’s Most Spectacular Road Trip, Bird Heaven: The Isle of May, Darkest Most Beautiful Place to See Stars: Scotland and Beyond Beautiful Scottish Gins.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Struie Hill.” Oil on canvas.
2. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Harris Light.” Oil on canvas.
3. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Light from Darkness.” Oil on canvas.
4. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Red Eigg.” Oil on canvas.
5. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Tiree Light.” Oil on canvas.
6. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Glen Spean Light.” Acrylic on canvas.
7. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Hebridean Light.” Oil on canvas.
8. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Rum from South Uist, Hebrides.” Oil on canvas.
9. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Transient Light.” Oil on canvas.
10. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Sunset Over Rum.” Oil on canvas.
11. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Liquid Light.” Oil on canvas.
12. Image: by BN App - Download now!
13. Image: Painting by Scott Naismith. “Broadford Shore.” Oil on canvas.