The Trees
SUMMER 2025
Since Storm Éowyn, which claimed so many of our ancient trees, I have been drawn to artworks where trees take centre stage—seeking out powerful, evocative expressions of their presence. As my fascination deepened, I came to realise that artists have long turned to trees as symbols of self, resilience, and transformation—rooted yet vulnerable, permanent yet ever-changing. In conversations with artists across disciplines, I felt a profound empathy with their connection to trees, a deeply personal bond that speaks to nature’s enduring role in art and life.
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COLSTOUN ARTS
2022 saw the inception of 'Colstoun Arts' starting with a residency programme when British Landscape Artist Joe Grieve spent a month painting 'en plein air' through the Scottish autumn. The idea began to create a residency programme that encouraged young and established artists to live at Colstoun for a period and let their surroundings inspire them.
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Colstoun Arts has evolved out of our residency programme to include multiple exhibitions throughout the year. 2024 marked our first exhibition, 'The Other Side', which sees the arts programme go full circle, inviting Joe Grieve back again to show his work and how his practice has developed since the inception of the residency programme. RESIDENT I sees 8 artists show their work at Colstoun for the first group featuring Raffael Bader (b. 1987 in Germany), James Dearlove (b. 1970 in Kenya), Lara Cobden (b.1971 in UK), Suhaylah H (b. 1993 in UK), Marina Renee Cemmick (b. 1994 in UK), Joe Grieve (b.1997 in UK), Angelique Nagovskaya (b. 1998 in Canada) & Jen Hitchings (b.1988 in USA)
Each year, Colstoun invites 6-8 artists to spend a month or more at Colstoun to produce a cohesive body of work inspired by the house and grounds. We work with the artist to provide learning and development, introduce them to industry experts, and provide them with guidance. Every 12 months, Colstoun will show selected works produced by the artists at an Exhibition.
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Artists include Raffael Bader, James Dearlove, Lara Cobden, Suhaylah H, Marina Renee Cemmick, Joe Grieve, James Mortimer, Angelique Nagovskaya, Jen Hitchings
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This programme develops the careers of a handful of artists each year in a meaningful way, it also provides an opportunity for established artists to take a break from their established practice. It is hoped that over time the alumni of this programme will begin to help one another and provide meaningful contributions to the British Art Scene.
