just a few things

Well, I survived the second exhibition of the year, more importantly, we survived the taking of our last child up to university or rather, down to Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh. Which shall I talk about first?

 Lets talk about the above pic first. What is it?!! do you know?

Above is a pic of one of my favorite paintings in the Lochalsh Art Fair which I was involved in again. A wonderful show as usual. I put 3 pieces in; my 3 fish, the monoprinted & rusted hanging & one of the Curlews. They fitted in well but no sales this time. 

 This was Eilean Donan Castle when we came out of Dornie Hall after the opening. What a sight.

 I was involved in another exhibition down in a room turned into a temporary gallery in Sleat. It featured beautiful pieces by Heather Macdermott who is a jeweller but also paints evocative images of the trees left behind by the felling of commercial forests, a subject that is also close to the heart of my arty buddy Janet Soutar. Above is inspiration by Heather

 & above here are Heather's pieces, below x 2 are samples from a 2 hour workshop that Heather ran before the exhibition using inspiration from the forest where the wood was cut.

 This is my piece; 2 hours of fun, chat, playing with wood & wire - I found the rust in the garage next door, they said they had more if I wanted it ;) - & just making something for the sake of making. Can you see I'm using the same color pallet?

 Another guess the image, above. Something to do with our Middlest celebrating his 21st at sea. He came back for a couple of weeks, went of on a visit to Spain, came back for a weekend festival & has gone back to sea again for about 6 weeks this time. We didn't get to see much of him then, so it really is empty nest now (well, a few more weeks of B&B to keep us busy!)

He brought these back for me specially, saw Flamingo feathers, thought of Mum, just lovely!

 Parliament in Edinburgh. I'd like to hear the reasoning behind these bars all over the building. Is it to keep the masses out or the decision makers in do you think?

 As a sop to me, to keep me from crying about the removal of my apron strings from the Youngest, we went to have a look at the beautiful embroideries that happened to be hanging in Parliament for 3 weeks, just when we were visiting! It was a very quick visit & didn't do them justice at all, grabbing quick record shots of a few of the 160 panels but we had to get back for B&B guests.....

 This below is Kyleakin by the South Skye Stitchers, I had the honor of seeing it just before it was sent off, such lovely detail.

 Not sure if I got the panel that the words below belong to but they were interesting anyway....I was a little stressed & emotional ;(

 Above is the Battle of the Braes, in the North of Skye - we stayed there for many wonderful holidays, just look at those women fighting for their men! I think this was the one done by Skye Quilters - I somehow missed hearing about either of these stitching events going on, so I really must become a member of both groups so I can join in next time ;)

I had a lovely visit from Anne of Chocolatefrog
who was up here on holiday. She said some lovely things about my work so my ego was wonderfully stroked, thanks Anne!

She gave me a beautiful package wrapped up in delicious sari silk ribbon & I gave her an envelope of 'inspiration bits & pieces' including a bit of rust & 'coral' from the place she was staying; coals to Newcastle! In the package was this beautiful book mark which as you can see I used immediately, so lovely & such detail. You can still see the fern clinging on to the walls around here. I love it!

This a piece of fabric I made at the exhibition, I'll show you next time what I made out of it & who I gave part of it to.......

Some bits & pieces

Well, I made something & then I gave it away. It felt right, a neighbor & friend was 80 & inspired (finally) by her lovely garden I made a small textile piece for her the size of a CD case, a manageable size I find.

 nasturtium, lupin, lithodora

Couldn't resist a little posy too

 We took a rare opportunity to go for a kayak, just out into the sound. there's the DH way ahead

& here's me (do I look big in this?!) with Ben Sgritheall behind. The silvery water was wonderful.

 a quick visit to my garden - perennial sweet pea

honeysuckle round the mail box - the postie won't be able to get near soon

 A thistle by the front door - I'll catch it before any seeds disperse!

 & a lovely pink Grunyard Double (with half the pergola screen still missing - the clematis has grown all over the bench instead)

 I managed a few cards - past designs, I'm sure new ones will come soon

We've had searing heat, almost tropical downpours, ordinary grey days & a week of an amazing Haar type thing, the place looks so different without a mountainous background.

 Can't believe I caught this pic with a mouth wide open & the insect just about to go in. (happy to admit I couldn't see it thru the lens ;) they fledged, what must have been a second brood, a week or so ago.

A baby of a different kind, a toad I think.

 & a little bit of produce, mmmmm

Thanks for looking!

A summer hello

I feel like I've been missing in action, but here I am! I was thinking I hadn't done much recently so had nothing worth talking about on my blog but it seems I've been here & there. I sort of feel that if I haven't made a completed saleable item then I'm not allowed to write a post, that anything else isn't interesting. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't - I'll only be able to tell if I relax my own (a little too strict?) rules & find there are still people reading my day to day happenings. We'll see! I do know that I miss reading what everybody else is up to, so I need to work in some spare time for that, but in small amounts so that the pain from the little bit of arthritis in my neck doesn't flare up too much. A bit of a bore that, but I won't let it stop me. If Chris Beardshaw can leap over fences, metaphorical or otherwise, then so can I!

When my parents were up a few weeks ago my Dad brought up the journal I'd made for him for his 70th......14 years ago - he finally started recently to use it as a sketchbook. I'm delighted of course. The blue represents Space, the silver for the milkeyway all embellished with little silver open french knots & beads for stars. The motif is the design then of the Radfets my Dad makes....still, which are little dose meters that get sent into space on satelights to read the radiation they are getting. He's got some now floating about the Van Allen Belt.....I know, I'm so proud!

 These are (quite a few, just scroll thru!) pics from the end of year exhibition from the Printmaking course I did & lots from the Art & Design course that my arty buddy Janet did .

 Patchwork from Jenny of Skye Quilters top (sorry it's dark)

Janet's sketch (sorry it's too light!)

Janets beautiful leaves & my fish below (which I'm extactic to say sold, as did J's leaves!) & my long rusty fish piece on the back wall there.

 More of Janet's hills

 & the most amazing work from Kirsty in Janets A & D class. Wish I'd met her. See above in her  sketchbook is Gwen Hedley, her inspiration. A girl after my own heart!

 I must make the effort to get together for a chat one day, she's all the way up the north end of the island.

collagraphs, 2 different pulls from one plate.

more form Jenny, look at those beautiful color swatches

 & Janet's lillies

 my curlews

 I've made some more swallow cards & a few hearts for a small order samples above. But I really haven't made much else. Maybe I do need the discipline of a certain finished piece a week but then I'd surely burn out. Maybe something per month? I'm sure my mojo will return, I've got some ideas for small pieces to replace the 5 sold in June for the next show mid September. I'll just do them. They say a plumber, for example doesn't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. He can't say 'I don't feel like fixing that leaky pipe' he just gets his tools out & does it. So will I!

You can tell I'm still in to birds - The beautiful Heron my DH painted for my birthday a month ago

& the Rose Starling that everybody is getting excited about, right outside our house on the telephone wires. The Youngest spotted it, thought it was an Albino & the DH showed me, so exciting! Then we discovered it's very rare to be this far north & all the twitchers were having a field day. What a varied life we lead ;) I'll hopefully be back sooner than I have been!