From my static van window, here in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, I see a range of mountains all the way into a distance that at times is someone else’s weather. Every day and at every hour of the day those mountains look completely different. Sometimes they are mist-shrouded. Sometimes they are covered with snow. Sometimes they glow a deep, Ayer’s-Rock red, especially in the twilight. Sometimes they are wild, rocky outcrops. Other times they are tame curves prettied with copses of pine, somewhere you imagine a hike and a picnic. Sometimes they vanish entirely, as the low Scottish clouds turn the view to a wall of grey. And at other times they are dark, mysterious outlines, refusing to reveal their secrets.
One morning, very early on in our move here at the end of 2023, the rising sun hit the ridges, and the mountains went tones of purple. The sky hung in layers of peach, mauve and gold. In the distance, the retreating mist caught the growing light. It was so fantasy-esque I knew I had to use it as a basis for fantasy art. I quickly snapped a photo and cropped it:
The resulting art is “First glimpse”. It’s the first glimpse of the castle by a traveller coming over the rise, but it’s also the first glimpse of the sun on the mountains. And on another level, it marks the first glimpse of our new view and the mountains that will form part of what we now call home.
If you like “First Glimpse”, it is now available as an art print.
And, as our first-ever photography print for what we hope is a whole new range, we’re also offering the photograph behind the art. “First Glimpse” – The Photo is out now.
About the Author: Lisa Saul
