Caitlin Allison
Lichen Eye, Gairloch, Highlands, Scotland, 2026
oil on board
11 ¾ x 9 ½ ins
30 x 24 cm
30 x 24 cm
This piece is based on a rocky cliff in Gairloch, on Scotland's northwest coast. On location, I was drawn to the shoreline, where rocky outcrops were densely encrusted with decades...
This piece is based on a rocky cliff in Gairloch, on Scotland's northwest coast. On location, I was drawn to the shoreline, where rocky outcrops were densely encrusted with decades of lichen growth. The layers of lichen exist in tension with the geological form: two natural structures shaped over time, one slow and mineral, the other living and accretive. The 'eye' was not a deliberate motif, but once it emerged, I allowed it to develop and remain.