Art news from Scottish contemporary commission artist Kevin Hunter

Simon Reeve Step By Step Lost Valley Moonlight Glencoe Commission Painting

16/12/2018

A few months ago I received an enquiry for a commission painting that was a bit of a buzz for me. Not only because it was of a favourite and very special place for me, The Lost Valley in Glencoe, but it was also for the author and television presenter Simon Reeve who's books and television shows I think are great.

So the first thing to do was to read Simon's new book Step By Step. If anyone has read the book (I can definitely recommend it) you will know there is a chapter on The Lost Valley and that was to be the subject of the painting. Then it was a trip back up to Glencoe to visit the Valley again for a bit of added inspiration, albeit at a slightly brighter time of day than the trip Simon made.

The Lost Valley Of Glencoe

I was then invited along to a night at the Glasgow Pavilion to see Simon give a talk on Step By Step and his last 15 years on travelling. I didn't know what to expect but it was a fantastic show and can thoroughly recommend catching one of the nights on the extended tour early in 2019.

Finally it was time to work on the painting, no time for procrastination, I just had to go for it. I won't go into the background to the trip Simon made and why he made it (it's all in the book) but the brief for the painting was to try and capture a brooding atmosphere but also some light and revelation appearing, no easy task, but something I really like to try and capture in my paintings and I hope that's why I was asked, I have never asked.

Once the painting was finished I then sent some photographs and a quick video (albeit I'm no film maker) to properly show the effects of the paints I use that can slightly change depending on lighting, angle and time of day.

Then it was off to my framer, Elaine from ArtCapture in Greenock, to be put into a 'floating frame'. And she did a wonderful job.

Finally, the finished artwork was presented to Simon on the last night of his 2018 part of his tour.

This painting was a great journey to go on (pardon the pun) and a great buzz to paint, Step By Step.

P.S. short video and another couple of photographs further below.

Thanks for reading,

Kevin.