The Sound of Sleat: A Painter’s Life, Ed. Magda Salvesen & Diane Cousineau, pub. Picador USA

As nature became a stronger poetic force in his life, the American Abstract Expressionist painter Jon Schueler (1916-1992) left New York in 1957 for the fishing village of Mallaig, overlooking the Sound of Sleat between the Scottish west coast mainland and the Isle of Skye. Here, the dramatic play of light in the northern skies inspired his art and influenced his entire career. Over 30 years, as he painted, Schueler worked on this book, struggling to describe the forces which compelled him to paint. At the same time, he wrestled with the eternal artistic conflict: how to balance creative solitude and the equally powerful need for human intimacy. The Sound of Sleat tells the story of a passionate life and offers a fascinating window on art, passion, hope, despair and creativity