Song of Farewell (Eorsa, Gribun, Inch Kenneth)

I grew up on the Isle of Mull in Scotland's inner Hebrides, but have lived in or near Glasgow for most of my adult life. Growing up, I was something of an outcast or misfit in the community and, as a result, always harboured a great deal of resentment towards the island and couldn't wait to get away. I visited the Island for a long weekend in 2022 for the first time in many years in order to go painting with my old art teacher, and finally fell in love with the place on its own terms. The title of this piece is a reference to my letting go of those negative associations in order to rejoice in the sublime and rugged beauty of my old home.

This painting was based on a study from the west coast of the Island, looking out across Loch Na Keal and Eorsa, towards the headlands of Gribun and the Island of Inch Kenneth, where legend has it Hitler visited his girlfriend via U-boat during World War II. It was painted on the last day of my trip when, after three days of torrential rain, the skies cleared just long enough to bathe the landscape in the kind of misty, ethereal light you only seem to get on the west coat of Scotland.