Katrina McIntosh - Aspire Magazine

Scottish Art GuideSuperb Scottish ArtSarah HillKatrina McIntosh | 01561 320319www.kmcintosh.co.ukIntroducingKatrina McIntosh…With an eclectic range of theatre and dance, the world’s festival capital, outstanding summer music festivals, blockbustermovie locations, breathtaking art and architecture and a captivating literary history, Scotland has a truly thriving arts andculture scene.Image courtesy ofCaroline PlummerLizMcCarthyA love of art since childhood led me on to take it up more seriously once my children grewup. In 1994 I graduated as a mature student with a B.A. Honours from Duncan of JordonstoneCollege of Art, since then I have consistently exhibited in galleries in the U.K.My works are to be found in corporate and private collections worldwide including Australia,America, Germany and Ireland, one painting being hung in a major bank in Mumbai.Two are also owned by the Mayor of Danville near Los Angeles. I have been lucky enough tohave painted in France and Spain and have won several awards for my work.I have usually painted semi-abstract landscapes in acrylic but I wanted to avoid painting toa formula, and I have recently started to experiment with mixed media, collage and moretextural effects. Although most of my paintings are rooted in reality, surrounded as I am, bythe beautiful Angus countryside, I do enjoy putting my own personal spin on what I see, andinterpreting in a more imaginative way. I am particularly excited by the abstract harmoniesthat I sense in my subjects and in colour harmony and composition.If you would like to purchase a painting, ask about a private commission, or arranging anexhibition, please contact me directly by email lizmcart@btinternet.comWeb: www.lizmccarthy.co.ukAberdeenshireThe Aberdeenshire Council Arts Development Team works strategicallywith a broad range of partners to strengthen the arts sector and creativeindustries while increasing participation in the arts. The Team has a wholehost of events lined up for Christmas and beyond, including a Bookmakingcraft session, children’s winter story and crafts session and Knit andNatter sessions. For more info, visit www.aberdeenshirearts.org.ukArgyllRed dots blossom along the Argyll trail during the Open studio weekend.Wherever you find them, you’ll be assured of a warm welcome and muchto look at as you cross the beautiful landscape from north to south,east to west feasting your eyes the whole weekend long! For furtherinformation and dates for 2014, please visit www.artmapargyll.co.ukStirlingshireStirling Art was founded to act as a link between collectors and artistsacross the country. They do their best to promote the work of the artistsin original form and in the form of limited edition reproductions, whichare made in-house, one-by-one. For further information, please visitwww.stirlingart.comFor further information on arts and culture across Scotland,please visit www.visitscotland.com/about/arts-cultureSarah studied at St.Martins School of Art,aged 16 and then wenton to specialise inTheatre Design at theCentral School of Art.She left the art worldbehind after a few yearsin order to changedirection and studiedpiano, double bassand cello at the RoyalCollege of Music.Fascinated by the movement of waves, lightand colour, Sarah is dedicated to painting howshe sees her world from the ordinary to themagical moods of landscape and, of course, hercolleagues in the musical world.Working with a limited palette of four colours,the creative process begins with studyingcolour and how it works. Mixing and balancingtone with the vibrancy of colour is when theexcitement of painting begins.Tel: 01786 870535Email: sarahhillartist@btinternet.comWeb: www.sarahhillartist.comBirch Grove Cottage, Burnside, Kippen,Stirlingshire FK8 3EFScotland’s Unspoilt BeautyCaptured by Caroline PlummerCapturing the very best ofunspoilt Scotland CarolinePlummer (who signs herwork in her maiden name‘Wytrazek’) has always lovedto paint. She is inspiredby the dramatic coloursof the rugged landscapeand seascape of the westcoast, living nine milesdown a single track roadand overlooking the islandof Jura.Caroline told Aspire: “I try tocapture the changes in lightand amazing colours of themany splendid sunsets, themovement of water and thedrama of the changes of theseasons. Crashing waves on desertedbeaches and vivid sea-pinks influence alot of my work.”With her impressionistic style, Carolineuses bold colour and texture with paintlayered on the canvas. Caroline exhibitswidely throughout Argyll and the Isles‘White Sand and Thrift’ acrylic 60cm x 60cmand has just held a successful show‘Life on Land and Sea’ at The ArchwayGallery, Lochgilphead. Part of theArtmap Argyll artists network, Carolinealso takes part in the annual openstudio event held over four days eachAugust. She has also undertaken manyprivate commissions.For further information or to see more examples of her work, please visitwww.carolineplummer.co.uk or www.wytrazek.co.uk oremail info@carolineplummer.co.ukBorn and raised in Stonehaven, Scotland, Katrina McIntoshis a passionate and experienced artist who paints the worldaround her, as well as regularly taking on commissions to doanimal portraits, buildings (homes and castles) and murals fornurseries.Katrina told Aspire: “Art was my best subject at school, so I went on to study Graphic Designat university and ended up working for a design company until 1990, all the time still paintingand drawing for fun in my spare time. However a personal tragedy in the mid-80s caused meto lose my love of painting and drawing. After leaving my graphic design job, I worked in avariety of places, including working in France as a chalet cook. I came home from France in1992 and my father bought me a ticket to go to an artist’s demo; I begrudgingly went but assoon as I stepped inside I was hit by the smell of oil paints and everything clicked back intoplace. I’ve been painting ever since.“I met my husband through a mutual friend. He was teaching me how to water ski on AboyneLoch and we’ve since started a family. I am so grateful that I can make money from my art andalso to have it fit in around my family. I have a studio at home where I work and display mywork and I’m happy for people to visit me here and to see my work for themselves.“After having an operation on my right shoulder in May (an old skiing injury), I have spentthis year getting back into painting. My Highland cows are selling well at the moment. InSeptember I took part in the North East Open Studios (NEOS) and, as well as selling 25paintings, I was also asked to do several commissions. It was a highly successful event that I’mlooking forward to doing again.“I don’t have any one preferred medium, so I mostly work in acrylics, watercolours and pastels;I love them all equally! I get my inspiration from texture, reflections and the dramatic contrastbetween dark and light, as seen in the image on the front cover of the swans on the river atWindsor. I work from photos and I’ve always got my camera on me, even when I’m doing theschool run. I’ve been known to stop more than once on any given journey to take a photo ofsomething that has caught my eye.”Katrina’s work has been shown at numerous exhibitions around the northeast of Scotland. Sheregularly takes part in the Iverbervie show in April as well as the September North East OpenStudios. This year alone, Katrina has sold three large paintings to Shell in Aberdeen and sevento Fasque House in Fettercairn. She’s also sent three paintings of Highland cows to Canada,one to Atlanta and one to Dubai.The majority of the time, Katrina is working on a commission, which she mainly gains throughword-of-mouth recommendations. Katrina explained: “I am a very private person so much ofmy painting is for other people, to their specifications. I try to paint my commissions as thecustomer wants, so sometimes they are a little abstract but the subject of the painting is alwaystrue to life. I’ve got a few commissions lined up at the moment so I’m quite busy but I’malways happy to have a chat with potential customers about what they’d like. I’m also happy toprovide quotes on any commissions.”For further information, to discuss a commission or to arrange a visit to see Katrina in her home studio,please call 01561 320319, visit www.kmcintosh.co.uk or email katrina@melsom.co.uk2 ASPIREASPIRE 3