SandraVick.studio

SandraVick.studio FineArt Painter, BA & MFAPainting, ECA, Edinburgh. Loves 2B outdoors painting hills, birds, flowers

Today I headed over to Aberlady to collect unsold work from an exhibition, They will now come with me to in August. So ...
08/06/2026

Today I headed over to Aberlady to collect unsold work from an exhibition, They will now come with me to in August. So if you didn’t manage catch them in East Lothian, you can see them in Fife. As it was a dry and sunny day, I took the opportunity to do some research drawings that i’ve been meaning to do for ages. I had intended to capture colour too but forgot any water for my paints 🫣 so pencil drawings it was!
These 3 rocky outcrops all caused by volcanic eruptions (actually intrusions) and made from an unsual type of rock - phonolite. It’s interesting to see the different shapes of rock crystals, the way the rock is layered and eroded. And to see the amazing greens at this time of year. All research for my next series of paintings.

If you haven’t yet been - do pop into to see my latest series of landscape paintings based on the hills in and around Edinburgh - all also the result of volcanic activity (the hills not the paintings…).

02/06/2026

A morning walk.

Hawthorn blossom,
broom in flower,
birdsong,
irises,

and all the greens of early summer.

Yesterday I dropped into the SOC headquarters gallery at Waterston House in Aberlady to see the Visual Arts Scotland exh...
29/05/2026

Yesterday I dropped into the SOC headquarters gallery at Waterston House in Aberlady to see the Visual Arts Scotland exhibition Natural Collection.

The exhibition brings together a wonderful range of responses to the natural world, exploring ideas of collecting, observing, recording and connecting with nature in contemporary ways. There is such a rich variety of work on show, all inspired by our relationship with the environment around us.

It was especially lovely to see my own work hanging alongside the beautiful landscapes of Lindsay Hamilton. Her paintings have such a quiet presence and sensitivity to place — it felt a real honour to be her neighbour on the gallery wall.

If you’re nearby, the exhibition runs until 7 June at Waterston House, Aberlady, and is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–4.30pm. Entry is free and the gallery has stunning views over a wildlife pond, making it well worth a visit.

Many thanks to Visual Arts Scotland and the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club for bringing together such a thoughtful and inspiring exhibition.

Aberladyby.lindseyh

Just collected these paintings from a gallery - I’d almost forgotten all about them. Now they’re back in my studio, wait...
29/05/2026

Just collected these paintings from a gallery - I’d almost forgotten all about them.

Now they’re back in my studio, waiting for someone who loves the hills and would like to take them home.

The first was inspired by Arthur’s Seat, seen from near Craigmillar Castle. The second is part of a triptych inspired by the Pentland Hills.

It’s hard to imagine Edinburgh and Midlothian without these landscapes. Arthur’s Seat welcomes a steady stream of walkers, runners, tourists and locals every day. The Pentlands are explored on foot and by bike in every season. They’re part of the rhythm of life here.

As someone who lives at the foot of the Pentlands, these hills never stop inspiring me.

Before…
29/05/2026

Before…

Last night was the private view of Shared Land - a joint exhibition of my Pentland and Edinburgh hill paintings alongsid...
29/05/2026

Last night was the private view of Shared Land - a joint exhibition of my Pentland and Edinburgh hill paintings alongside Simon Rivett’s beautiful drawings of Edinburgh.

What a brilliant evening. The gallery was buzzing all night and, in true fashion, I was so caught up chatting that I forgot to take any photos 😅 Huge thanks to for remembering to grab this one right at the very end of the night just before closing.

Whether you spend your weekends hill walking, trail running or mountain biking through the Pentlands and around Edinburgh, this exhibition is inspired by those landscapes we return to again and again ⛰️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♂️

The show reflects those familiar routes, changing skies and the feeling of being out in the landscape around Edinburgh. If you love the hills here, I’d love you to come and see it.

Open:
Wednesday–Friday 11–5
Saturday 11-4

I headed up into the Pentlands this week - back onto the trails and tracks that weave through the hills.It had been far ...
25/05/2026

I headed up into the Pentlands this week - back onto the trails and tracks that weave through the hills.

It had been far too long since I’d been up there. The wind made sketching a challenge, but the light across the hills was incredible. Usually the paths are full of hillwalkers, hill runners chasing the ridgelines, and mountain bikers carving along the tracks, but heading up later in the day meant the hills were quieter - just the wind, big skies, and space to look.

These are the views that keep pulling me back and inspiring new paintings. The worn paths leading your eye through the landscape, the patchwork fields below, the lambs on the paths and across the hillsides, and that feeling of openness you only get when you’re up high for a while. I even heard cuckoos while I was up there!

I’ve got my joint exhibition “Shared Lands” opening this week at Upright Gallery in Edinburgh - a collection of paintings exploring the hills and landscapes in and around Edinburgh, and our shared experience of moving through them.

I went out drawing in the hills yesterday, trying once again to capture something of the essence of the Pentlands - the ...
20/05/2026

I went out drawing in the hills yesterday, trying once again to capture something of the essence of the Pentlands - the shifting light, the quietness around the reservoir, and that feeling you only really understand if you’ve spent time walking there.

The swimmers had just left the reservoir, traces of laughter and movement still lingering in the air, and while I was drawing near the bird hide, the Pentland Hills Rangers came over for a chat. It felt like one of those moments that says so much about these hills - a place where people walk, swim, watch birds, work to care for the landscape, or simply stop for a moment to look.

This view holds so many memories. Changing weather, muddy paths, distant silhouettes, conversations, solitude, and the comfort of returning again and again to a familiar place. Those layers of memory and connection are always what I’m trying to hold onto in my work.

Arthur’s Seat is one of those places that locals sometimes grumble about because it’s always busy with tourists… and yet...
18/05/2026

Arthur’s Seat is one of those places that locals sometimes grumble about because it’s always busy with tourists… and yet we still love it deeply.

Not many cities have their own mountain rising up from the streets. Its shape sits constantly on the skyline - familiar, grounding and quietly dramatic in every season.

I love capturing the silhouette of the hill from around the city alongside Salisbury Crags, reducing it down to its bold shapes and dark edges. After the fire on the hill last year, the silhouette became even darker and more striking, changing the surface of the landscape once again.

This painting is for the people who call Edinburgh home and find comfort in that familiar outline on the horizon. It’s also for the visitors who climbed it during their trip - who stood at the top in the wind and looked out across the city and sea.

A painting that holds memories of adventures, tired legs, changing weather and that unmistakable shape that feels like home ⛰️

This is one of my paintings that will be on display in a joint exhibition with “Shared Land” at The Upright Gallery on Barclay Terrace (by Bruntsfield links) in Edinburgh.

Exhibition opens 28 May 2026 - save the date!

My paintings capture how it feels to be in the hills - the freedom, stillness, and sense of connection I experience in t...
16/05/2026

My paintings capture how it feels to be in the hills - the freedom, stillness, and sense of connection I experience in these landscapes. They also reflect what it is like to spot the hills from afar, when they appear as a familiar presence on the horizon, holding memories and possibility.
The hills in my work represent chance moments and lasting impressions of nature - time spent mountain biking, walking, running, or simply pausing for a picnic. They hold both real experiences and imagined journeys.
They are for people who love the hills, whether through memories already made or dreams of future adventures. I want to bring that feeling of the hills into the home - a reminder of wild places, and of our ongoing connection to them.

If you love the hills in and around Edinburgh and want to bring your memories and special places home - come along to the “shared land” exhibition at 29 May - 19 June 2026. Message me for more details 🙂

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