Edinburgh Castle

If you have read my previous blog on 'Beautiful Scotland', You will know that it is one of my favourite places to visit in the UK. If you haven't read the blog then here's the link.....

http://www.arimasarts.com/2/post/2014/01/beautiful-scotland.html

I was rummaging through old photographs looking for some inspiration for a painting and I found this one. I hadn't painted a castle like this before and thought it would be a challenge for me. I love a challenge, so here are the first three stages.

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I know that in the photograph the sky looks grey, but I wanted a blue sky to brighten up the painting. You see when I had the photo printed it came out darker than the digital image and I could not see the bottom of the cliff very clearly. I painted the cliff in a mixture of black and dark green. I then added the base colour of the castle. Here are the next three stages....

As you can see the castle just did not look right. The middle was far too long. So yes, you guessed, I changed it and started working on the details. I also  added the grass.

Next came the bottom of the cliff. Here are another three images for you. I added some more highlights and then worked on the bottom. The bottom of the cliff looked like a jungle so I changed it to something more pleasing. I wanted the feel of a summers day, with the bees buzzing amongst the wild meadow flowers.

Most of our visits, at Edinburgh, were spent during the summer holidays.  We have a lot of fond memories over here, especially during the Edinburgh Fringe in August. Edinburgh transforms into a surreal place during this time of year. The town streets, particularly the ones surrounding the castle are crammed full of performing artists of all kinds and tourists. It is a hive of activity with something interesting for everyone whether it's  a ghost walk with a guide or performers from around the world.  The atmosphere is so intense, it feels like one gigantic party. Sometimes you feel like a child in a candy store not knowing where to start or what to buy, there are so many goodies everywhere ..... Ahhhhh......

Oh by the way my hubby says I have to mention the time when we saw a couple busking on the street. The woman was pregnant with a tambourine in her hand and a warm smile on her face. Her partner was on the acoustic guitar. We asked them if they knew the song 'Wonderwall' by  Oasis, a famous local band from Manchester, UK.  He replied yes and in a cheeky voice said , "Put the money in the Juke box". We threw some money into his guitar case on the floor and he began singing. Yep we couldn't resist and at the top of our voices sang along with him, without a care in the world. Passersby smiled and nodded to show their support. It was one of the most memorable moments of our time spent in Edinburgh. Now every time we hear that song the memories just come flooding back.

Oops nearly forgot about the painting. Well here are the next three stages....

Finally here is the finished painting with the adjustments. Hope you like it.

Love and Peace

Samira :)


PS: Here is the song 'Wonderwall' by Oasis...

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