16 Views of Ben More
An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Linda Leroy
at Tin Shed Gallery, Larach Mhor, Torloisk, Isle of Mull, PA74 6NH
2 August — 30 September 2021
I have been painting landscapes on the Isle of Mull for many years. I work outdoors whenever possible and in all kinds of weather in charcoal and ink. When the weather is dry I use pastel as a means of capturing colour and mood.
In 2013, I began a series of drawings from a succession of different locations around the base and lower slopes of Ben More, intending to complete a full circuit. During lockdown in 2020, I began to work up some of these sketches into paintings.
I am influenced by Japanese art, having worked and exhibited in Japan, In Kumamoto in 2005 and Tokyo in 2008. Hokusai and his 36 views of Mount Fuji have been instrumental in inspiring this series. I passed Mount Fuji, which is often shrouded in cloud, several times on the Shinkansen train. Ben More is frequently covered in cloud — like a curtain on a stage. The viewer never knows what will be revealed as the curtain is pulled back. These fleeting changes of mood are captivating.
Hokusai completed his 36 views of Mount Fuji in his seventies. I’m also in my seventies and my series, 16 Views of Ben More, is just a beginning. Although a quarter the elevation of Mount Fuji, Ben More is nonetheless a massive presence rising from sea level. Swept by Atlantic gales from the southwest, its oak trees are twisted and bent to the east, depicting a hauntingly wild scene.
Its elusive nature is also mesmerising. In places the mountain is difficult to see; it appears unexpectedly, seemingly dwarfed by lower hills or slopes. It can also seem very close depending on the light but quickly, from the same viewpoint, it appears to move further away.