Picture perfect at The Harbour Gallery
Acclaimed artist Stuart Herd’s love of rugby and landscapes can be found at his three west coast galleries: Tarbert, Ullapool and Inveraray
Sporting success can be fleeting and pass in an instant, but Stuart Herd, owner of The Harbour Gallery, is ensuring that these glorious, treasured moments will last forever.
Stuart’s exquisite brushwork has captured some of the most defining moments in rugby. From Scotland’s stunning Calcutta Cup 2021 win at Twickenham last year, to England and Wales, France v Scotland, the British and Irish Lions against South Africa last summer, with more to come during this season’s Six Nations and the road to the World Cup in 2023.
Stuart has established three busy galleries in Scotland, the Harbour Galleries, which are situated along the west coast of the country, which showcase original paintings and prints by the artist and owner, alongside other local artists’ work, including jewellery, memorabilia and ceramics.
Stuart said: ‘I started painting full time more than 20 years ago. I went to art college briefly but left to work in photography, and did that whilst travelling around the world in different jobs and on different treks. I’ve stayed in a lot of places, but was always drawing and painting at the same time.
‘I had a job as an art auctioneer at Sandals Resorts in Jamaica but left it after six months, and made my living on the island as an artist for another two-anda-half years! This was tough work, but I thought, if I can make my living out there, I can do it anywhere. So, I decided to come home, and set up in Scotland as an artist.’
Stuart’s work depicts recognisable locations from throughout Scotland, especially in and around the locations of his three galleries, in Tarbert, Ullapool and Inveraray.
His distinctive style also sees him paint Highland Cows on canvas, as well as paintings on top of Ordnance Survey maps. The artist continues: ‘I mostly work with acrylics but I do oil now and again.
‘I’ll sit and sketch if I have the time, but the majority of my work is done from photographs in the studio, but for me that’s part of the process: you look for an angle, and work from that. You use the camera to capture that angle, especially if you are going to paint a building, as my work is quite realistic so I need that detail.
‘But I never work on one painting from start to finish. I’m always jumping around!’
Stuart’s attention to detail can be seen in his rugby prints, especially those capturing match action, with the stadia in the background, and some of the players who have appeared in his paintings have bought the originals.
Stuart says: ‘ “The Last Scrum Before The Try” was done in February last year, and I’ve done a limited edition print run of 500, and well over three-quarters have sold already. That went really well.
‘I have done a few more Scottish paintings, then I painted the the Springboks versus the Lions in the first Test. One of the Lions’ front row got in
touch afterwards, and bought the original.
‘It’s varied subject matter, from the rugby art to Scottish landscapes, to European cityscapes, to superyachts on nautical charts. I have exhibited in galleries across Europe.’
Stuart’s work can be found in corporate and private collections worldwide.
But owning art galleries wasn’t part of Stuart’s original plan. After an accident which saw him lose an eye. He struggled to paint for more than a year during surgery, and ended up having to have his eye removed. It was during this time he decided to start his business career and opened his first gallery.
He says: ‘Although I’m an artist, I also own three galleries, in Ullapool, Tarbert and Inveraray. Some 90% of the artwork sold there is done by myself, from £2000 originals to £20 prints.’
The Harbour Gallery, Tarbert, is located on the Harbour Front and his studio is also on the Quay. The newly opened Inveraray Gallery in Argyll is situated on the Main Street, while the Ullapool gallery can be found in the heart of the village.
Although the galleries are far apart in terms of mileage, Stuart uses the time when travelling between them to find new regions and to explore new ideas for future paintings.