Information About Kevin Hunter

My Work as a Scottish Landscape Artist

I've been painting Scotland for most of my life, and the landscape continues to give me more than enough subjects to work with. Mountains, lochs, beaches, islands, coastlines and quieter rural landscapes can all become very different paintings depending on the light, weather and atmosphere.

I'm particularly interested in capturing the feeling of a place rather than reproducing every physical detail. Colour, texture, changing skies and the relationship between land and water often become more important to me than creating a completely literal record of the landscape.

My work ranges from more detailed Scottish landscape paintings through to impressionistic and abstract interpretations. I don't feel tied to one particular style. The subject and atmosphere usually influence the direction a painting takes as I work on it.

Growing Up and Painting in Scotland

I was born and raised in Greenock, a shipbuilding town on the west coast of Scotland, and I've been painting since childhood. Growing up in this part of the country meant the Clyde, west coast landscapes and the Highlands were never particularly far away.

I later studied Interior Design in Glasgow for four years. That training still influences the way I think about composition, proportion, colour and how a finished artwork sits within a space.

Over the years I've also worked in other creative areas, including film and theatre set design, picture framing and gallery management. Each of those experiences has contributed something different to how I approach my own work.

Painting the Scottish Landscape

Scotland gives me an enormous range of landscapes to interpret. I regularly return to subjects connected with the Highlands, Glencoe, Skye, the Hebrides, Scottish lochs, mountains and the west coast.

I don't think any location has one definitive appearance. The same mountain, beach or loch can feel completely different depending on cloud, mist, season, sunset or the colour of the sky.

That is one of the reasons I can return to the same Scottish locations without feeling that I am simply repeating an earlier painting. Changing light and atmosphere can completely alter the composition and mood.

Realistic, Impressionistic and Abstract Scottish Art

My paintings can move between realistic, impressionistic and more abstract approaches. Sometimes the location needs to remain immediately recognisable. In other paintings I may simplify the landscape, strengthen colour or concentrate more heavily on atmosphere.

I tend to let the painting develop rather than forcing everything into one fixed style. What matters to me is that the finished work still feels connected to the Scottish landscape that inspired it.

Original Paintings and Scottish Art Prints

Original paintings remain at the centre of my work. Each one is individually created in my studio in Scotland, and even when I return to a familiar subject I don't try to reproduce an earlier painting exactly.

I also make selected artwork available as prints and through other art products. This allows the same Scottish landscape imagery to be enjoyed in different formats while the original painting remains a unique piece.

You can explore my original Scottish paintings and my wider collection of Scottish art prints to see the different landscapes and styles currently available.

Scottish Landscape Painting and Commissions

Some of the landscapes I paint have a strong personal connection for the people who buy them. A particular beach, mountain, island or view might be associated with home, family, a holiday or somewhere that has remained important over the years.

I also accept commissions for original Scottish landscape paintings. A commission gives me the opportunity to create an original interpretation of a particular Scottish location while still working in my own style.

My Art Business and Work in Ecommerce

Alongside my work as a Scottish landscape artist, I've spent many years running my art business online. Selling my own work through ecommerce has meant learning much more than how to create the paintings themselves. I've also had to understand the practical side of running an online store, from presenting and selling artwork to managing the systems behind the business.

That experience eventually led me into ecommerce development and to founding Amethyst Applications. The business grew from my own experience as an online merchant and the problems I encountered while running my store. I now work on ecommerce tools alongside my painting, bringing a merchant's perspective to the software I help develop. I've written more about that journey in the merchant-led story behind Amethyst Applications.

Continuing to Paint Scotland

After all these years, I still find Scotland gives me more subjects than I could ever realistically paint. The landscape changes constantly, and that keeps the work interesting.

My aim is not to produce photographic records of Scotland. I want each painting to capture something of the colour, atmosphere and character that made me want to paint the subject in the first place.

That is what continues to drive my work as a Scottish landscape artist.