🔴 Black Dan - 80 x 30cm - Oil on Canvas

So in my head I went right round the houses with this one, it might look like a picture of a tree but to me it’s the personification of a gypsy tramp called ‘Black Dan’. I had planned to paint some of the birchwood in Glen Cannich, I had been up recently chasing docile stags around the river, sticking my nose in derelict caravans etc etc. On readying my imagination to set about painting the first landscape picture I’ve done in over 6 months I was reading up on the Chisholms of Affric and found a story about a first generation American fellow, Jesse Chisholm. He was married to 3 different Cherokee women an Indian Trader, guide and interpreter and famous for forging a trail from south Texas to northern Kansas. His father was from Glen Cannich, Here’s the article if you want to explore. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/chisholm-jesse

Anyhow, on imagining the life of this man my memory drifted the story of ‘Black Dan’… I found out about his life on a cryptic website about the public school at Rannoch, the website contains many enlightening stories about the place, the most compelling being that of ‘Hairy Dan’ or ‘Black Dan’, a tramp who often squatted in the ice house on the estate.

“James MacDonald, who was born into a gypsy camp on the 4th November, 1924. He followed this camp until he was 16, when he and a friend decided to try their luck on their own. But fate was cruel, for his friend was drowned while swimming in a river only a year or so later, and since this time Dan has wandered mostly on his own. He maintains that Nature is his best friend, and that she is always around...”

So aye, given the long frost we’ve been having I was given in to thinking about this man who was found frozen to general wades Military Road… Cheery as always eh. Happy Christmas :)

If you’re interested in reading more, have a go at gaining access to the exrannoch.com website.

This size of panoramic canvas fits perfectly above most Scottish fireplaces.

Can be crated and couriered at the buyers expense, pick up in Glasgow most welcome.