Mischief in the Moors are oil paintings that tell an imagined story guided by the ancient faery folklore told on the Isle of Skye and across Scotland.

Courage Plays at Night (2023) is the first of two scenes in which the artist presents a faery glamoured as human, glimpsed in the stormy gloaming as faeries twinkle in the background, watching over them. We are witness to something ceremonious as they outstretch a hand to the electric sky that is thick and static with magic.

Throned on the Misty Isle (2023) is the second painting and shows us a definitive moment for Courage as they sit atop a throne. Our faeries are much closer now, and we can tell some time has passed between the scene in Courage Plays at Night and what we see here. A shift has taken place, the sky is darker, mistier, and the dying sun over the sea symbolises an ending of sorts. They hold the viewer in their eyes.

Exhibited at Crafted Selves (2023-24) group exhibition, St Andrews Museum, Scotland.

I locate myself in these works as the storyteller, or the witness to what I see as a stumbled-upon scene. Oil painting has this rich history of artists painting not only what they witnessed, but also by interpreting stories in relation to folklore, myths, and legends. In these two paintings I am leaning into this further, it’s kind of a step-up from my painting Shrouded Druid in Boots (2021) where the viewer is presented with a druid wearing Doc Martens in Balgay Hill Wood in Dundee.

In my work I enjoy engaging with the historical legacy of oil painting and creating images that align with my aims, thoughts, and interests as a painter. Mischief in the Moors was created from blackness and joy. The model is art in herself; enchanting musician and singer Shingai Shoniwa who sang to the sky that night and danced on the beach to crashing waves. I witnessed this, documented, and these paintings took form. I would invite the viewer to interpret these paintings however they like but can share themes present at the time of creating them; The Seelie and Unseelie Faery Courts, The Morrígan or Morrígu from Irish folklore, song was also a huge part of this trip, as well as mischief.