Linlithgow Palace at Sunset

I have painted Linlithgow Palace and St. Michael’s Church many times, when I lived in Linlithgow. This was a special one, as it was Christmas gift to my brother and sister-in-law, as they had just moved into a new house.

I thought to do a view of the palace and church from the side of Linlithgow where they live. It is often the view I see when going from our parents’ house to theirs. It is such a beautiful view from there, especially at sunset.

For this picture, I used scraps of fabrics to make up the appliqué. For the sunset colouring, I used different chiffons, organza and net to create the blending colours. The trees in the midground were done in a semi-transparent linen, so that the background could show through.

The further towards the foreground, the thicker the fabrics, which are then layered with more semi-transparent fabrics.

I used different stitch patterns on my machine, to create natural and directional texture.

Image: An appliqué picture, portrait orientated, of a ruined castle and church, in silhouette, at sunset. The castle overlooks a loch (lake). The picture is split into horizontal thirds. The sky and castle are in the top third; the loch, with trees, and a grass bank are in the middle; and a grass hill with a path leading into the picture are in the bottom section. A silhouette of a tree, closer to the viewer passes over the sky and part of the castle. There are many textures of stitching and fabrics, which create the image.