Stephen Howard Harrison – Lonely Trees

Stephen Howard Harrison – Lonely Trees, 2014, Oil Painting

Original oil on canvas by Edinburgh and Fife-based artist Stephen Howard Harrison, titled Lonely Trees and dated 2014. The painting depicts a stark winter landscape, with a dark cluster of bare trees standing alone against snow-covered fields and a wide blue-grey sky. The ploughed lines of the field lead the eye towards the trees, while the dark foreground branches frame the scene and give the composition a strong sense of depth and atmosphere.

Harrison’s work often draws on the landscapes of Edinburgh and Fife, combining expressive brushwork with a strong feeling for place, colour and seasonal mood. This painting is a particularly striking example of his recurring interest in isolated groups of trees, a motif he has returned to in later works connected with solitude, winter and the Fife landscape. The contrast between the pale snow, the blue horizon and the dense black forms of the trees gives the work a quiet but powerful presence.

The work is initialled and dated SHH 2014 lower left, and is further signed, titled and dated verso. It is presented in a substantial gilt frame, which suits the cool winter palette and gives the painting a strong decorative impact. A highly atmospheric contemporary Scottish winter landscape, well suited to both traditional and modern interiors.

Artist: Stephen Howard Harrison
Title: Lonely Trees
Date: 2014
Medium: Oil on canvas
Canvas size: 61 x 74.5 cm
Framed size: 80.5 x 95.5 cm
Signature: Initialled and dated lower left; signed, titled and dated verso
Frame: Substantial gilt frame
Condition: The painting appears in good overall condition. There is general surface wear, rubbing and age-related marking to the frame, including small knocks and imperfections. The work has not been examined out of its frame. Please see photographs for details.