Emer Beattie

I am an Irish watercolour artist living in the Highlands of Scotland. Growing up in rural Ireland and ending up on the Black Isle has influenced my work hugely. At home, I am surrounded by nature and find inspiration in the environment around me.

I prefer to focus on the small things in nature – the colours and textures of leaves, branches, grasses and flowers – their variety can be just as expressive and majestic as big landscapes.

I like painting in watercolours – it’s what I grew up with, and I love the immediacy of the results. It’s a versatile but difficult medium. It can be subtle yet strong, have depth yet be transparent. You have to work fast, then wait, then fast again. I push myself with every painting to make it a new challenge, trying to use a different technique or skill.

I have had two solo exhibitions - my 2020 exhibition in the Alchemist Gallery, Dingwall ran entirely on-line due to the Covid lockdown, and my second was in Eden Locke, on George Street, Edinburgh. My painting "Joyous Summer" was selected from that exhibition and will be exhibited in the Finals of the SAA Professional Artist of the Year in London later in October 2023.

Music plays a large part in my creative process and now most paintings are painted to the soundtrack of one artist....Paul Simon, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald and the Chieftains have all featured so far!