Pennan

This is a collagraph print of Pennan in Aberdeenshire. I first visited Pennan on a campervan trip up the east coast of Scotland. As an artist I would always visit the highlands and islands of Scotland to gather my inspiration. One day I woke up and thought this may well be completely unfair on the east of Scotland. So in September 2017 I jumped in the campervan and over the course of a couple of weeks drove along the coast starting in Fife (I stay in Edinburgh) all the way up to Duncansby Head then across to  Cape Wrath. Stopping and painting all the way. I found many amazing fishing villages along the way and Pennan was one of them (famous for the red telephone box in Local Hero).

This is the original plein aire painting - lacking in colour because it started raining and I was afraid to stay down in the village because it was time for the children to come back from school and I didn't fancy meeting the school bus on the very steep road out of the village. 
In December I was working in a wee pop up shop in Bruntsfield and I was showing my prints and my plein aire sketch books and a client suggested I made a plate to print exactly the image I had painted as she liked it the way it was.

I first printed this plate in October 2017. I found it really challenging to print - and only managed 3 prints that I was happy with. This week I decided to get the plate out again and see if I could continue the edition (10). Sometimes I find collagraph plates do not respond well to long intervals between use. I don't clean my plates when I put them away - I am not sure if it would help if I did. Anyway I found the plate much easier this time around - although I decided that I preferred the houses not so white - so that made it easier. I also decided to put colour in the sea - as one of the defining characteristics of Pennan is the sea. I think I prefer it with a blue sea - what do you think?