For this piece, titled Highland Games, I wanted to strip away the literal pageantry of the event—the tartan, the crowds, the bagpipes—and distill the raw, elemental encounter between the athlete and the earth. It’s an abstract interpretation of a specific, tense moment: the instant before a heavyweight thrower releases the stone.
The background is an aggressive, textured field of vibrant, saturated green, applied with heavy impasto. This isn’t just a grassy pitch; it’s the overwhelming, breathing expanse of the Scottish Highlands, a landscape that feels both ancient and immediate. I wanted the paint itself to convey the feeling of wet heather and dense, vibrant energy underfoot.
Dominating the center is a trapezoidal form rendered in thick, fleshy peach and ochre tones. This shape represents the athlete—a monolithic human force, rooted and coiled, preparing to exert maximum power. The heavy texture here is crucial, emphasizing the physical density of the body and the effort of holding tension.
At the top and bottom of this central form, I’ve employed sharp, decisive horizontal slashes of deep black. These aren’t outlines; they are boundaries. The top black line represents the belt or harness—the point of constriction and focus. The bottom black line, where the ochre form meets the green field, is the most critical element. It represents the friction, the grip of the boots against the turf, and the absolute necessity of being grounded before launch.
Working in oil on paper allowed me to juxtapose the absorbent, matte quality of the paper with the glossy, heavy-bodied paint. It emphasizes the contrast between the ephemeral nature of the paper support and the visceral, enduring impact of the human gesture captured in oil. Highland Games is the quiet inhale before the explosion of movement.
