Haig found all of his subjects within a small radius, never travelling much outside the Scottish Borders except to Venice. Solving the problem of the most painted place on earth was the most liberating experience in Haig’s painting life. As he painted the Lagoon or Grand Canal (such as in Campo Santa Sofia) he confronted something which had always been difficult for him: space and light at the heart of his picture. The blues – some deep, some icy – and ochres of the Italian paintings soon made their appearance in the Borders’ scenes as well. Altogether it was a stimulating time in Venice, which encouraged unusual subjects. – Douglas Hall, Haig the Painter, 2003