• Rose Strang creates contemporary landscape paintings that capture the spiritual essence of Scotland's natural environments. Working primarily in oils on wood panels and canvas, she transforms recognizable Scottish vistas into atmospheric explorations of place, memory, and literature. Each piece invites contemplation, blending expressive brushwork with cultural research to reveal the emotional and historical layers embedded in the landscapes that shape us.
     

    What draws us to Rose's work is its profound sense of aliveness. Her background as both artist and curator (she led public art projects for NHS hospitals before focusing exclusively on painting) informs a thoughtful, research-driven approach to landscape. Yet her paintings possess a vitality that transcends academic study. These are works that honour Scottish landscape tradition whilst embracing expressive techniques: energetic brushwork, bold contrasts, experimental compositions. This emphasis on capturing the atmosphere and "alive-ness" of a place sits at the heart of Rose's artistic practice, prompting viewers to experience landscapes not as static scenes but as living, breathing environments rich with cultural meaning.

    • Rose Strang, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Winter
      Rose Strang, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Winter
      £ 600.00
      Available
    • Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
      Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
      Available
      Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
      £ 600.00
    • Rose Strang, Coigach 10
      Rose Strang, Coigach 10
      Enquire

  • What Makes Rose Strang's Work Unique

     

    Rose's practice is defined by her immersive approach to landscape painting. Working primarily in oils on wood panels or traditional canvas, she employs expressive, energetic brushwork intended to convey the "energy" of the natural elements she observes. Her marks and brushstrokes respond to landscapes in a way that captures both what is seen and what is felt in the environment, creating paintings that feel "seethingly alive" with movement and energy.

     

    The depth of Rose's work reveals sophisticated cultural intelligence. She frequently conducts research into history, literature, and music related to a landscape, using these influences to enrich the meaning and mood of her paintings. For example, in developing a body of work she might draw on local folklore or musical compositions to inspire the palette and composition, integrating these contextual elements into her creative process. Her style ranges from representational to semi-abstract; whilst many works capture recognizable Scottish vistas, she employs abstraction and experimental compositions to evoke memory and emotion.

     

    Rose's commitment to interdisciplinary exploration distinguishes her work further. Whilst oil painting is her mainstay, she experiments with mixed-media approaches, combining oil paint with cold wax medium or incorporating unconventional materials to achieve different textures and abstract effects. Her practice extends beyond painting to include collaborative projects with writers, musicians, and videographers, creating visual art in dialogue with poetry or music. These interdisciplinary projects serve to "memorise and record" the experience of landscape in a multi-sensory way, highlighting Rose's multifaceted approach to capturing the essence of place.

  • "Rose's paintings ask us to slow down and truly see the landscapes around us. Her work rewards patient observation and invites collectors to appreciate the subtle complexities of light, atmosphere, and cultural meaning that emerge when Scottish landscape tradition meets contemporary expression."

     

  • Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter

    Rose Strang

    Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
    Mixed media on wood panel
    Framed size: 28.5 x 28.5 cm

  • Spotlighting Rose Strang at Graystone Gallery

    • We seek artists whose work demonstrates both technical mastery and conceptual depth, and Rose exemplifies this balance. Her paintings occupy a distinctive space within contemporary Scottish art: they're rooted in traditional landscape painting yet speak to profoundly modern concerns about our relationship with nature, literature, and cultural heritage.

       

      Rose's approach to landscape resonates deeply with our curatorial philosophy. Her most celebrated project, "The Living Mountain" series inspired by Nan Shepherd's classic book, demonstrates her ability to translate literary and spiritual connections to landscape into powerful visual form. Commissioned by The Folio Society in 2020 to create nine paintings for their illustrated edition, Rose developed a larger body of work that earned a five-star review from The Times critic Giles Sutherland, who described the paintings as "a symphony of subtle essences, distilled experiences, fleeting memory fragments and deep, heartfelt lingering impressions."

    • Since becoming a professional member of the Society of Scottish Artists in 2018, Rose has exhibited extensively across the UK and internationally, from Edinburgh's Royal Scottish Academy to galleries in Berlin and Portugal. Her work has attracted notable collectors including Professor Frances Fowle (former senior curator at the National Galleries of Scotland) and The Times critic Giles Sutherland, whilst nature writer Robert Macfarlane praised her "extraordinary paintings" as "intensely dynamic, seethingly alive with stroke, dab, scratch and drip."

  • Available to buy

    • Rose Strang, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Winter
      Rose Strang, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Winter
      £ 600.00
      Available
    • Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
      Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
      Available
      Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
      £ 600.00
  • Rose's works suit collectors who appreciate the intersection of Scottish landscape tradition and contemporary cultural exploration. These are paintings designed...
     

    Rose's works suit collectors who appreciate the intersection of Scottish landscape tradition and contemporary cultural exploration. These are paintings designed for spaces where one can engage with the natural world through art: a living room with changing Scottish light, a study surrounded by books and ideas, a hallway that invites pause and reflection. The expressive brushwork and atmospheric quality create powerful emotional connections to Scotland's landscapes, inviting repeated viewing that reveals new layers of meaning with each encounter.

  • Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Rose Strang, Hunter's Loch, Edinburgh Winter
  • Rose's oil paintings range from intimate studies on wood panels to larger canvas works that demonstrate the full scope of...

    Rose's oil paintings range from intimate studies on wood panels to larger canvas works that demonstrate the full scope of her expressive technique. Her themed series (including explorations of the Cairngorms, Isle of Eigg, and coastal environments) show an artist deeply engaged with specific Scottish locales, conducting cultural research that enriches each painting's resonance. Recent works continue her exploration of landscape infused with literary and mythological themes.

     

    Each painting captures not just the visual appearance of a place but its spiritual and cultural essence. The energetic brushwork, the atmospheric light, the sense of landscape as living presence, these elements combine to create works that feel both contemporary and timeless. For collectors interested in discovering more about Rose's practice or arranging a viewing, we welcome you to visit the gallery or contact us directly for personal guidance on selecting pieces that suit your space and collecting interests.