"I am delighted that the Historic Scotland Collections Team have purchased one of the paintings that Iona produced during her residency at Stirling Castle. I have enjoyed seeing Iona???s art develop during her time here and am very pleased that we will have a lasting legacy on display in the castle."

Gillian Macdonald, Stirling Castle Executive Manager

"I imagined the Palace at midnight in November as intensely dark and draughty. I wanted the picture to reflect sparks and splinters of light thrown out by the fire and the two guttering candles on the mantelpiece. James V sits close wrapped in a robe, a goblet of wine in his hand enjoying the warmth. Who the woman is behind him is deliberately ambiguous."

Iona

An exhibition by Stirling Castle's artist in residence Iona Leishman is being extended due to popular demand. The works have been inspired by the beauty of the castle, the historic events which shaped its past and the remarkable people who have lived within its walls.

Entitled A Sense of Place, the exhibition was due to finish this month but can now be enjoyed throughout the Christmas and the New Year period right up until 22 January. Iona is adding extra pieces to reflect the current wintry weather such as the atmospheric 4ftx2ft oil painting called Snow Approaching Ben Lomond.

Iona said: "Thousands of visitors have already seen the exhibition and the feedback has been fantastic, in fact I've been dazzled by the variety of reactions to different pieces. So it's great news that even more people will be able to see what I have been doing during my residency.

The castle is the most astonishing place and I have been privileged to see it at all times of day and night, and through the changing seasons. I've also learned so much about the people who lived here over the centuries, about their joys and sorrows. It's all this that I have tried to capture in my work, showing the castle as a living building, repopulating it as a place filled with hopes and dreams.

It's also wonderful to be able to include some landscapes in the exhibitions. Pieces like Snow Approaching Ben Lomond and Beech Trees on the River Teith show scenes that the Scottish royal family and nobles would have known and loved in centuries gone by, when they left the Stirling on hunting expeditions or to visit other towns and castles.

Iona, who lives in Dunblane and was born in Perth, is best known for her landscapes, many of which show the beauty of Perthshire and the surrounding area. The Stirling residency - which has now been extended by an extra three months to March 2012* - has taken her in new directions and the exhibition covers a host of different and unusual themes.

Some pictures focus on the castle itself, depicting everything from the magnificence of its recently-refurbished renaissance royal palace to charming details, like the hunting dogs and hares carved in the stonework. Others are thought-provoking reflections on dramatic moments in the lives of past residents, such as the enigmatic and beautiful French princess Mary of Guise - wife of James V, mother of Mary Queen of Scots.

During the residency Iona has created 80 works of art, ranging from 4ftx4ft oil on board paintings to smalls watercolours and charcoal sketches. Many of these pieces, plus some of her earlier landscapes are on display in the exhibition area in the castle's Nether Bailey. Other original works (some for as little as £40 to £90), plus beautiful giclee prints and greetings cards are on sale in the Palace Shop.

A full colour exhibition catalogue is available at the Palace Shop for £6.95. With an introduction by Dr Euan McArthur, the catalogue contains information about Culture Matters and this partnership project. It is also available from iona@ionaleishman.co.uk, from the Watermill, Aberfeldy and Waterstones in Stirling.

• Entry to the exhibition is free with a ticket to the Castle or Historic Scotland membership. Guided tours are available by arrangement.

*(Iona's extended residency is at the request of Historic Scotland, in partnership with Education Scotland and Stirling-based arts development business Culture Matters).

• For details of the castle's opening times and prices visit the website at www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/

Further information

For further information or to request pictures contact:

Matthew Shelley

01877 384337

07786 704299

Matthewjhshelley@fsmail.net

There will be a rare opportunity to spend a weekend drawing and painting with Iona at Stirling Castle in February on a weekend's painting and drawing course, called Up At The Castle. Taking place on 4&5 February it costs £105 for Historic Scotland members and £120 for non-members. Places are limited and must be booked in advance. Participants will be able to use a mix of media that will be provided, including oil paint, charcoal and pastel, to explore the character of Stirling Castle.

For further details and booking email iona@ionaleishman.co.uk or phone 07773 347 780.