I am returning to Dumfries House for a further two weeks as Artist in Residence. During the residency in October 2013, I immersed myself in this extraordinary part of Scotland, making drawings in response to the building’s important collection and the estate.
Dumfries House is a magnificent 18th century Palladian mansion designed by Robert Adam. In 2007 the house and its entire contents were due to be sold at auction, but His Royal Highness Prince Charles succeeded in saving it for the nation and has since worked tirelessly on a wide range of regeneration projects in and around the site.
Whilst there in the autumn, I divided my time between the house, the artist studios and the grounds. The time and space offered by the residency allowed me to investigate at a deep level current interests in my artistic practice: expressing form and space in landscape, depicting intimate interiors and focusing on small still life studies. The richness of textures and surfaces in the furnishings of the house is challenging, and I am looking forward to returning to draw in such an inspiring environment.
