Small Isles from Sanna Bay

Robert Kelsey painted this view from Sanna Bay, the far western tip of mainland Scotland where the Ardnamurchan peninsula stretches into the Atlantic. Everything here rings true to the actual spot: the bright turquoise shallows, the pale sweeps of sand, and the reddish-brown rocks scattered across the shore. Those soft blue mountains sitting on the horizon are the Small Isles, a cluster made up of Rum, Eigg, Muck, and Canna.

A Scottish artist with a taste for the Highlands and islands, Kelsey works with thick, loose paint that gives the whole scene a lively, unfussy energy. The clouds are built from chunky dabs, and the rocks and coastline come together in quick, choppy strokes. He is clearly less interested in fine detail than in capturing the light, the colour, and the big open feel of the place, an approach that fits this breezy, windswept coast perfectly.

Reaching Sanna Bay is no small task. The journey involves a long, twisting drive down single track roads, and the payoff is one of the quietest beaches Scotland has to offer. That remoteness is part of its charm for both painters and walkers, and Kelsey's canvas carries a bit of that stillness, the feeling of standing alone at the edge of the land with only the islands out on the water for company.