Discovering Scotland’s Wild Through Murals: A Page Turned
If any of you are regularly checking in on my website you might see, that as a mural artist in Scotland, my work has always been about putting out eye catching and bold designs for mostly businesses, taking on a wide range of mural commissions, and subjects from all over Scotland, from work in Glasgow to Dundee and further afield.
Recently, however, my focus has shifted from general commission work to an exploration of nature-inspired murals, featuring wildlife in Scotland’s forests and beyond our shores. Since getting a DJI Mini 4 Pro drone, I’ve started filming our local Scottish landscapes and disappearing off into the woods for a bit of wild camping. It has made me realise I really need to start focusing on more personal artwork. A shift toward nature-themed murals, means I can blend my love for the outdoors with artistic roots in graffiti. It could be a woodland mural depicting a stag, a pheasant or a bird of prey - my goal is to bring some of nature into the urban spaces of Scotland. As an extension to this, I have plans to bring in some of our further afield European wildlife and ancient history too.
The Faces of the Ancients
It is known that our ancestors had a deep connection to their land, their forests and to nature. It is depicted in their ancient carvings, their religion and their weaponry. Mixing in some of Scotland and Northern Europe’s ancient history into street art mural work, can be achieved by researching our ancestry and digging into our past to look for inspiration. I plan on creating work that strikes a cord via a connection to this land that we call home. Scotland and Northern Europe, home to Celts, Vikings, Saxons and Germanic tribes. These Scottish nature murals can celebrate the interplay of wildlife - like birds of prey, pheasants, wolves or stags - with the ancient artistry of Celtic and Pictish traditions, with further work also giving a nod to our ancestors and neighbours - Germanic, and Saxon tribes - creating artwork that feel timeless, ancient and contemporary.
Recently I made a trip up to Culbin Forest on a trip to get some inspiration from the coast of Moray, near Elgin. I spent 3 nights camping in the woods off trail, and then in the forest next to the beach, listening to the waves crash on the shore and sleeping under the stars. I took my drone and made some footage. It is these kind of trips that will be the creative fuel for the next chapter. I also have a Scottish tour in mind of some of our ancient sites - however I think I might need a new car first! So expect more blog posts with photography and other inspirational subjects, as well as commission updates, and other bits and pieces from the mural/graffiti/street art world.
