The French Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro wrote in 1893, “Blessed are they that see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.”
Every work of art is based on that which is seen, experienced or perceived. The paintings of Hugh Murdoch however are rooted in that which is heard. Music plays a prominent role in his work, the African landscape and people are inspired by the rhythmic beat of the African drum. The rhythm of the landscape and seascapes of Scotland, the ever changing colours of the seasons, the ebb and flow of the tide and the variation in the weather, are all reflected in the painted surface of Hugh’s work.
“I am compelled to paint these images, painting is everything to me. Intense, challenging, inspiring, passionate and emotional, sometimes painfully so. There is also a spiritual dimension to my work, as though an inner voice is directing me.”
Born in Dundee, Hugh Murdoch graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1969. During the 1970s, Hugh worked as an illustrator and teacher. He has been prominent in the development of arts and disability initiatives throughout Scotland and has encouraged many young artists to broaden their experiences and understanding of the purpose of art in people’s lives. This reflects his life-long commitment to exclusive arts projects. Hugh also sat on various arts and disability committees, was on the board of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop and was part of the judging panel for the Helen Keller Awards.
Art critic Graham Noble has written of Hugh’s “growing confidence in his own direction and renaissance. His paintings demonstrate an intensified and developed understanding of colour and mood. That and the way paint works on different surfaces.” Hugh painted full-time at his studio at Lethangie, working almost exclusively in acrylics. With its water garden and woodland privacy, Lethangie provided the ideal surroundings for calming and inspiring the soul.
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