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‘Painting the ‘Cigar Box Lid’ Landscape in Oils’ with Robert Maclaurin

Date: Wednesday 9th October 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Venue: The Gallery at Green & Stone

Tickets: £25 (SALE)

Painting the ‘Cigar Box Lid’ Landscape in Oils

Join us for an exciting workshop at The Gallery at Green & Stone, where you'll have the unique opportunity to explore the art of Cigar Size plein air painting in oils, guided by the renowned artist Robert Maclaurin. 

Cigar lid painting has a rich tradition dating back to the 19th century when artists used the small, rectangular wooden lids of cigar boxes as portable canvases for quick outdoor studies. With its historical significance, this art form provided a convenient way to capture the essence of a landscape or moment, lending itself perfectly to plein-air painting, where light and atmosphere shift rapidly.

During this 2.5-hour workshop, participants will dive into this fascinating method, learning the nuances of painting in this distinctive format. You’ll have the chance to create your own study of the stunning Highland scenery, using techniques passed down through generations of plein air painters. The class costs £50 and includes all necessary materials—just bring your creativity and a passion for the outdoors! Due to the less-than-perfect weather, we will run this workshop indoors, but the methods you will learn can be transferred to the great outdoors when you're feeling brave!

This is a beautiful opportunity to learn from a master and explore a historic art form in a fresh, contemporary way. We hope you'll leave with a unique and personal artwork that reflects the beauty of the Highland landscape in this intimate, timeless format.

All art materials provided by Green & Stone.

About Robert Maclaurin

Robert Maclaurin (b. 1961) is a Scottish artist who lives and works primarily in Scotland and Australia. Predominantly landscape–based, his initial en plein air paintings and drawings lead to major works in the studio, capturing the contrasting environments of the Scottish and Australian wilderness.

Robert Maclaurin graduated from Edinburgh College of Art (1983) with a Drawing and Painting BA (Hons) degree and a Post Graduate Diploma with distinction (1984). Since then his work has been recognised with numerous awards, grants and residencies.

After a Royal Scottish Academy travel scholarship to Italy in 1984, Maclaurin won a Turkish Government Scholarship, painting in Istanbul for 15 months. This experience inspired and informed his work for over 15 years with many returns to far eastern Anatolia.

In 1993-4 he was awarded the highly prized Durham Cathedral Artist in Residence, spending a year living and working in the Cathedral community. The following year in 1995-6 he was awarded a Sir Robert Menzies Fellowship from The University of London, winning an artists residency at The Dunmoochin Foundation, former home and studio of Clifton Pugh, set in bushland north of Melbourne. John Olsen and Fred Williams had also worked at this location. Using Dunmoochin as a base, Robert painted around Australia for 18 months. He was subsequently awarded a Distinguished Talent Visa and Permanent Residency enabling him to set up a home and studio in Central Victoria. In 2016 and 2019 he completed an Artist in Residency at Ateliers Höherweg, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Maclaurin’s work of mountainous and arid regions in Turkey, Scotland and Australia have won him critical acclaim and recognition, including first prize in the prestigious Noble Grossart Scottish Painting Award, the James Farrell Self–portrait Painting Prize (Australia) and the Manet Maldon Landscape Prize (Australia), as well as commissions from The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, The Dundee Contemporary Print Centre and the English National Trust.

Today, Maclaurin’s works are held in important public, corporate and private collections worldwide which, together with a selection of stand-out solo shows and group exhibitions, are listed opposite.

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24 August

‘Atmosphere and the Still Life in Watercolour’ - an art class with Elena Stogneva

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18 January

‘Drawing the Portrait’ with Stephanie Mills