paintings
Much of the painting shown here is by Ian Scott Massie, whose work has been part of the gallery’s life for many years. His paintings grow from sustained looking — at landscape, weather, memory and the everyday — and form a continuing thread through our exhibitions and permanent collections.
Alongside this, we occasionally show paintings by other artists, often in response to a particular exhibition, season, or place. These works appear more intermittently, but are chosen with the same care and attention.
Our online shop presents a seasonal selection of available paintings. Further work may be on display in the gallery itself, where paintings move between walls, plan chests, and exhibition spaces.
yorkshire
Fountains Abbey, Autumn
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'This is the view as you approach the abbey from Studley Royal’s water gardens. The extravagant tower that Abbot Huby built in defiance of the monastic vow of poverty gives the ruin a great sense of majesty.'
Image size 14 x 10" / mounted size 20 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Pickering
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The town piles up the hill toward the beginning of the North York Moors. In addition to its castle, one of Pickering’s great treasures is the church. The walls are decorated with a wonderful sequence of wall paintings for the Middle Ages.'
Image size 10 x 14" / mounted size 16 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Saltaire
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Titus Salt built not only the mighty mill which carries his name but also a town to house its workers. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is full of little corners like this where, as here, the mill is usually somewhere to be seen.'
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Byland Abbey Morning
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The manuscripts from Byland’s library were removed at the dissolution of the monastery in 1539 and they included a collection of twelve ghost stories, dating from the 15th century. The tales are now in the British Library.'
Image size 7 x 10" / mounted size 12 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Saltburn Pier, Evening
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The pier at Saltburn was originally much longer. It once had a landing stage and a bandstand. A gale in 1875, a collision with a ship in 1924 and storm damage in the 1970s gradually shortened it. In 2009 it was declared the Pier of the Year.'
Image size 10 x 7" / mounted size 16 x 12"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Ripon
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'This view from the Boroughbridge road shows how Ripon’s cathedral rises above the city. Founded by St Wilfred in 672, people have been coming here to worship for over 1300 years. The 7th century crypt still remains from the first building.'
Image size 10 x 7" / mounted size 20 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Whitby Abbey by Ian Scott Massie and Anna Matyus
Mixed media etching and watercolour by Ian Scott Massie and Anna Matyus.
Framed size 12" x 12" /30cm x 30cm.
Also available unframed, 10cmx12cm, £215
Richmond by Moonlight - Ian Scott Massie
Original watercolour painting by Ian Scott Massie. unframed 12" x 10".
Whitby: Moonlight & Mist - Ian Scott Massie
Watercolour by Ian Scott Massie. Unframed size 20 x 10 Inches. Framed £495 (Collection only).
Unframed £445 - please call to arrange.
Masham, A Blue Day II - Ian Scott Massie
Original Watercolour
Framed £495, 51cm x 25cm
Unframed, mounted, cello wrapped £445
Masham Autumn Evening
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'An impressionistic view of my home town. Coming down Station Bank late in the day, the landscape is reduced to its most simple elements under a sky heavy with clouds. It’s one of my favourite viewpoints, the image of coming home.'
Image size 5 x 3" / mounted size 10 x 8"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Masham, Summer Light
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The meadow of Lanquit lies beside the River Ure - the approach to Masham trodden by countless feet for hundreds of years. There are kingfishers, sand martins, egrets and little plovers here. This is the view we have on the homeward path.'
Image size 5 x 14.5" / mounted size 10 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
the north of england
Helvellyn
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Helvellyn is the third highest point in the Lakes and a place of sharp ridges. In 1926, a couple of dare-devil aviators from Lancaster landed a light plane on the summit. Their feat was witnessed by a professor from Birmingham University who had just completed the climb to the peak.'
Image size 10 x 14" / Mounted size 16 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Hexham
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Hexham Abbey is one of the most atmospheric churches I’ve ever come across. It is full of wonderful art: medieval paintings, Viking age carvings, a Dark Age crypt and an early bishop’s throne.'
Image size 10 x 14" / mounted size 16 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Ullswater, Sunlight
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The skies of the Lake District are frequently dramatic. Wind and rain sweep in from the Irish Sea and across the fells, clouds pour over the crags and sunlight shows through in unexpected bursts.'
Image size 15 x 11" / mounted size 20 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
scotland
Across the Loch
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The lochs of Western Scotland are rich with atmosphere: islands of the dead where clan members have been buried for hundreds of years, deep peaty water where brown trout rise in the evening, little ferries butting through the silken reflecting surface in morning mists. Always an inspiration.'
Image size 14 x 10" / mounted size 24 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Castle Urqhart, Loch Ness
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'This romantic ruin was once one of the largest castles in Scotland, sited on a headland beside Loch Ness. It features in the brilliant Billy Wilder move The Secret Life of Sherlock Holmes in which the famous monster of the loch makes an appearance.'
Image size 7 x 7" / mounted size 12 x 12"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Moonlight Skye
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Eilean a' Cheò, “the island of the mist” in Gaelic, Skye remains a stronghold of the ancient language. At Dunvegan Castle there is The Fairy Flag - a small banner of yellow silk. Among its considerable powers are the ability to cure a plague on cattle, to increase the chances of a woman bearing children and to draw herring into the sea loch below the castle. It is said that if it were waved three times it would vanish forever.'
Image size 17.5 x 5.5" / mounted size 22 x 10.5"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Stromness
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The Hudson Bay Company, controllers of the lucrative fur trade across North America, did much of their recruiting here. Mariners from Stromness in Orkney were accustomed to sailing into the freezing waters of the far north on whaling vessels. The town is home to Login’s Well where ships of the Hudson Bay Company, Captain Cook and Sir JohnFranklin drew their water.'
Image size 10 x 14" / mounted size 16 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Tantallon Castle
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'On the sharp curve where East Lothian in Scotland just into the North Sea, Tantallon clings tenaciously to the rocks. During the Civil War just 91 defenders held the castle against 3,000 of Cromwell’s troops. Only when the castle was reduced to ruins after 12 days of bombardment did they surrender. The defenders’ lives were spared in recognition of their bravery.'
Image size 5 x 7" / mounted size 10 x 12"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
The Mound, Edinburgh
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Before Waverley Station and gardens were created the land beneath Edinburgh’s Castle Rock was underwater - the Nor Loch. When it was drained and excavated to the resulting soil and rock was piled into a mound, now topped by some of the most elegant buildings in Edinburgh.'
Image size 10 x 14" / mounted size 16 x 20"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
london & the south
St Michael's Mount, First Light
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Looking from Marazion in Cornwall St Michael’s Mount changes constantly with the light and the weather. Edward the Confessor gave the island and its monastery to the abbey of Mont St Michel across the English Channel. It was a destination for pilgrims who could obtain indulgences here - a medieval passport to heaven which supposedly allowed the soul to skip the horrors of purgatory.'
Image size 7 x 5" / mounted size 12 x 10"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
midlands
Worcester, Dawn
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Worcester Cathedral once looked down on the music shop run by the father of Edward Elgar, composer of The Enigma Variation and the sublime Cello Concerto. The cathedral is perfect, beautifully proportioned with a crypt, chapter house and cloisters. It overlooks the river where there is a swan sanctuary. Every day a spotless host of white birds come to be fed. '
Image size 7 x 5" / mounted size 10 x 8"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Christchurch College, Oxford
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Around Oxford’s small cathedral, in which I once sand as a choir boy, rises the glorious architecture of Christchurch College with its main gateway, designed by Christopher Wren. When forced to flee London during the Civil War Charles 1st made this the base for his parliament and the Deanery his palace. One of Christchurch’s many traditions is tortoise racing and there is usually a resident tortoise lodged in the college.'
Image size 15 x 5" / mounted size 20 x 10"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped=
Shrewsbury Churches
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Set beside the River Severn Shrewsbury preserves much of its medieval heart. The street names alone are worth a visit: Grope Lane, Shoplatch and Gullett Passage. It’s a miracle that any of this survives since, in the 19th century, no fewer than three railway companies drove lines and bridges through the town. At one point there were more railway lines running into Shrewsbury than roads.'
Image size 14 x 10" / mounted size 20 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Major Oak, Sherwood Forest
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Under this venerable tree Robin Hood assembled his Merry Men in their outfits of Lincoln Green. Although the forest is much smaller than in Robin’s day it still has the magic of any great wild wood to draw you into its deepest green depths. It’s easy to understand how the power of such a place inspired such a great legend.'
Image size 14 x 10" / mounted size 20 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Ely Cathedral
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The Ship of the Fens appears to glide serenely above the meadows and trees, a fantastic silhouette of towers and finals. J M W Turner, in the years before he became an artistic superstar, created a beautiful watercolour of the church - delicate and pale beneath the cloudy sky.'
Image size 7 x 10" / mounted size 12 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Oxford Skyline
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'I was inspired to paint this view of Oxford by a drawing made by the author J R R Tolkien - the man who created The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien wrote letters for his children every Christmas in which Father Christmas sent them seasonal news, much of which involved his accident-prone Polar Bear. In one letter Tolkien draws Father Christmas’ sleigh gliding over the dark rooftops of Oxford. The image stuck in my mind waiting for the right time to be reworked.'
Image size 14 x 10" / mounted size 20 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
St Laurence's Church, Ludlow
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'John Betjeman called Ludlow “probably the loveliest town in England. It’s dominated by St Laurence’s Church and Ludlow Castle. The castle was once the property of Roger de Mortimer who was exiled for his part in a rebellion against Edward II. In France he was joined by his lover - Edward’s Queen - and together they raised an army and invaded England. Having overthrown the king the story is now mired in controversy - was he murdered with a red hot poker, starved to death or, the current thinking, did he escape to Germany and live out his life there?'
Image size 14 x 22" / mounted size 20 x 28"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
paintings without a map
National Grid
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Where I grew up in south Buckinghamshire was close to where the encircling London grid met the National Grid - fields full of pylons. They might not be for everyone but I love these steel monsters, striding like giants across the countryside.'
Image size 7 x 11" / mounted size 12 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
A Tight Turn
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'The sound of a group of flat racing thoroughbreds powering through a turn is incredible. The thunder of hooves, the kicked up mud, the quivering rails, the sheer drama - hard to capture in a watercolour. Just up the road from where I live is Middleham with its 14 racing stables. It’s wonderful to watch them walking up to the gallops past the medieval castle.'
Image size 21 x 7" / mounted size 28 x 15"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
Autumn Steelworks
Original watercolour painting, created by Ian Scott Massie with artists' quality paint on specially made paper, signed by the artist
'Now gone, the Redcar Steelworks were an impressive sight, lit up at night like a massive chemistry set. Originally built to manufacture steel for WW1 shell casings the steelworks made the metal for the Sydney Harbour and Tyne bridges.'
Image size 7 x 10" / mounted size 12 x 16"
Sold unframed, mounted, backed and cello wrapped
