Holiday

I have been away for a few precious days with my family. It has to be said I am a morning person and it is vital to get out as early as possible to see the magic. Here are some precious bits of magic I have seen this week in a very hot and dry Scotland.

 Above: deer, below: busy wasps nest.

My favourite image of the week graylag geese in the warmth of the dawn on Loch Alvie.

Rocks of old

Beautiful rocks in a virtually dry river bed in Aviemore, which has been uncharacteristically hot and dry.
I feel strangely attached to rocks, I have a collection from various holidays which are my most treasured things. I often think of the lives of rocks, those locked in crystals of life from times long gone. In terms of reincarnation I always feel sorry for fossils locked into rocks unable to reincarnate.
As we walked and swam the river, I had fun painting water faces onto their dry surfaces, anthropomorphising them and saying hello, before the sun dried their smiles away.

Holiday

At last a chance to draw breath, and we are off on adventures for a few weeks.
Posts will continue, indeed it may be seamless here, but also there may be a day or two for you to catch up on the past, almost 9 years of art room plant.
Happy Holidays
The illustration here is by the wonderful Spanish illustrator Raul Nieto Guridi, whose wonderful, eloquent line say's so much with very little.

Time out

I am working harder and longer hours than ever, so it has been a joy to breathe clean mountain air this weekend, rest and capture the last of the autumn bounty.

Holiday

I'm going to take a day or two off, see you all soon X

Sketch Book II

I love sea potato's they are difficult to find whole because they are so so fragile and below are my attempts to render 'coral weed', a fragile feather of dead coral.

Open

I took to my sketchbook this holiday in poems and paintings. Collecting myself in its pages along with collections of holiday treasure; like golden apple sea snail shells and pearlescent mussel shells.
No electricity can be an amazing thing. Time stretches and so do your thoughts.

Limpets like bird eggs, speckled shells, magic safe havens.

Closed

I am taking a week off, in the wilds of Scotland, where the modern world cannot impose internet, electricity or running water . So I am sorry to say the art room plant will be closed for one week please enjoy looking through the archives.
I hope you have a great week and I look forward to finding and sharing new treasures with you very soon.
Poster by David Shrigley

Holiday and Shadows II

I do love making things when I am away. Freya and I have worked on a vast family of cats this last week, again the loosely attached limbs and tails move well and 'walk with you' easily.

Holiday, Shadows and Reflections

We have been away for two weeks now. Much of the first week we spent at a friends stunningly stylish house in Aubais. 
It is the first time I have been this far south in France and this time the light has really struck me. 
The shadows and also a little reflection can be miraculous. 
Before we moved to the second part of our holiday, I made some shadow puppets and a wall piece using cardboard packaging and taking advantage of the reflective metallic finish on some of the packaging. A little surprise and thank you to Deb's children who were so lovely as to let us use their rooms.

Holidays and shadows I

Some thoughts and images from France as my holiday comes to an end.
I love the shadows of butterflies as they flit past so fast and so I wanted butterflies that we could take with us on our walks. 
The shadows here are really strong with the strong sunlight and great to play with. I always forget that the shadows all have the same density no mater how thin or thick the paper is. This butterfly has articulated wings and  was spliced onto a thick grass stem, it is my favorite. 

Cathy Daley

This drawing by Canadian artist Cathy Daley is full of vigor and energy and expresses exactly how I feel on most days, but especially today, as I have run away to London again to do lots of exciting things. Including becoming a piece of art for the Motley Collective and seeing degree shows and friends. I hope you have a good weekend, I am really looking forward to mine.

Bella and Bellissimo

It was also lovely this weekend to spend time and make Freya a toy. This time it was a friendly cuddly female version of the family cat Bellissimo. This is Bella complete with red dress and soon to have a mouse rucksack. 
For me this is what the Christmas holiday is all about not all that crazy running around shops.

Portland Stone

Today was a wet day of unexpected delights. As the snails appeared to enjoy the refreshing rain we thought we would have races and in going to collect them we visited  the beautiful Tout Quarry Sculpture Park and Nature Reserve. Here Freya was encouraged by the wonderful Hannah Sofaer to carve her collection of friends in Portland stone.  
A wonderful day enjoyed by all even, as you can see, by the snails.

Walking with a convex mirror

Going for a walk with a convex mirror certainly changes the way you look at the world. 
This was very early yesterday before it got too hot to do anything but hide in the shade.

Weekend

I have been playing for weeks with cacti pictures, mainly as book of face profile pictures as I like playing with these, in fact it is developing into a bad habit! 
I am leaving these cacti to look over you for the weekend as I am away, see you Monday, have a smiley weekend.

The germs are on holiday . . .

Just a thought that I woke up with today. 
I am on holiday for a week and I awoke with a very sore throat, hot nose . . .  you know the feeling. 
It occurred to me that when I go on holiday all the germs go on holiday to, and their destination 
is  . . . well it's me. 
So I thought I would do a wee sketch in between the sanding, glossing and drinking of cold medicine, here it is, the germs look like they are enjoying themselves don't they?

A week of . . . wonky horns

 

 Some wonderful wonky horns.

A week of . . . swans

Swans have been a big feature of my week away. It was a joy to wake hearing the signet on the beach and watching this swan family in Jura, navigate the rough and the unbelievably smooth waters of Craighouse.