Based in the East Lothian coastal village of Cockenzie, Ian Darling returned to painting after moving there in 2012, drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape and the wider Scottish coast.
His work centres on expansive skies, quiet places and the subtle shifts of light and weather. Working predominantly in acrylic, he builds atmosphere through broad planes of colour, often introducing a single element, a lighthouse, a croft or a distant figure, to draw the eye and give a sense of scale.
There is a familiarity to these scenes, but also a slight remove. Places that feel known, yet just out of reach. That balance is what gives the work its quiet presence.
Printed in small batches, each piece retains a considered quality, sitting easily within a space.
