IAN SCOTT MASSIE: PAINTER AND PRINTMAKER
  • Home
  • Art
    • Paintings and Prints
  • Commissions
  • Exhibitions
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Where you can find me
    • Previous Exhibitions
    • Biography
  • Books etc.
  • Courses
  • Art Tuition
  • Blog
  • On Film
  • Dreams in Stone

Ian Scott Massie's Blog

Painting Pendragon Castle

4/20/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Pendragon Castle

I’ve been collecting stories from the Yorkshire Dales for a while now in prepartion for an exhibition this summer. When I started asking for it didn’t take long to realise that some places attract legends like a hedgehog attracts fleas. Pendragon Castle is a case in point.

Pendragon Castle lies on the north western edge of the Dales in the shadow of Wild Boar Fell and the crumbling ruin sits on a mound in which a dragon  lives. The castle’s name is well known from the legends of King Arthur. Uther Pendragon was Arthur’s father and was reputedly born here. That’s the first legend. Uther lost the castle when an enemy poisoned the castle well during a siege killing a hundred soldiers.


Picture
Wild Boar Fell

The castle was also home to Sir Hugh de Morville, one of Thomas Becket’s murderers. Sir Hugh was haunted by the similarity between the silhouette of Wild  Boar Fell and the shape of Becket’s face in death. From the right angle the hill looks like the profile of a fallen man.

As if all this wasn’t sufficient for one ruin there is also a buried treasure which is guarded by a spectral black hen. As fast as a treasure hunter digs a hole the hen fills it back in.

So, for my forthcoming exhibition, I’ve been wrestling with how to portray this mysterious place. In the first painting I played with idea of an aura, using a halo effect to enclose the castle and echo the shape of the tree. In the second I drew my inspiration from the colours of the hen: black feathers, red wattle. And in the third I tried to bring an other-wordly, unreal feeling to the castle’s silhouette. 


Picture

Picture

Picture
For Wild Boar Fell I wanted to capture to remote wildness of this high outpost of the Pennines and also something of the sadness that here was where the last wild boar in England was killed.

As an ensemble I hope they reflect the various legends of this little-visited corner of the Dales.

All the paintings will be on show at the eventual exhibition (see the poster - right).

Picture
Picture

Tulips in Watercolour

For those interested in watercolour floral painting there are still a few places left on the course I’m teaching at Constable Burton. Run by Artison studios of Masham, the course includes a tour of the beautiful gardens and lovely Palladian house of Constable Burton as well as lunch. CLICK HERE for further details and to book a place.


Picture
For exhibition updates, pictures and other news please visit (and "Like") my Facebook page. You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter there. CLICK HERE to visit.

1 Comment
Tuly Flores link
10/17/2023 12:57:04 pm

Appreciate your bblog post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    July 2023
    May 2023
    November 2022
    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Ian scott massie


Paintings & prints

Paintings and prints

About

Exhibitions
Books
Art Tuition
Commissions
Contact
Privacy Policy
​

Email

[email protected]
  • Home
  • Art
    • Paintings and Prints
  • Commissions
  • Exhibitions
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Where you can find me
    • Previous Exhibitions
    • Biography
  • Books etc.
  • Courses
  • Art Tuition
  • Blog
  • On Film
  • Dreams in Stone