'Misty morning, Goat Fell from near Brodick'
Some weeks are I guess, like this. Not much has happened really. We’ve not been away walking anywhere and have spent much of the time working. The thing is, I haven’t actually finished any paintings, or got any to a stage that I’d really want to show at the moment! But painting, (at least for me) is like that. Sometimes I just have to keep plodding on even if it does mean for the best part of a week, painting the wrong colours, putting the paint down in the wrong place and generally making a bit of a mess of things. I say to myself that this is where I learn but when I stand back and look at what I’ve done over the last few days, I’m not really sure if I’m convincing myself let alone anyone else. One thing though, is that I do know I will work my way through this little period and it’s so much easier working through it when you have a studio to work in.
'Heavy showers, October, Beinn Inverveigh'
Before I got this studio at the Courtyard, I was working from a room in the house. This was fine while the work was going well, but when I hit a difficult period like I have this week; it suddenly became even more difficult. What I mean is that when you’re working at home you can easily get distracted. You find that the thought of doing the washing or cleaning the bathroom, is far more interesting than tackling the problem of a difficult painting …..and so you put it off. When you have a studio and you know you’re down there for the day …well, there’s nothing for it but keep on plodding on …and on …and maybe swearing a little or throwing the paintbrush down in disgust …but you are confronting the problem and that is the important thing I think. This reminds me though, that we currently have several spaces available for rent at the Courtyard Studios in Irvine ….so, if you’re someone living in the area that has been thinking about getting a studio …why not come down and have a look at what’s available? You can check out details by contacting WASPS …see the link to their website at the side of this page.
'On the east ridge of Ben Lui, spring'
So then, not much to report from my studio but I have just seen that Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon is to be re opening again shortly. Sadly one of the owners was seriously assaulted earlier this year and so they’ve been unable to open this year so far. Anyway, as I say, the good news is that he is now on the road to recovery and according to their website they’ll be back open in a few weeks time. They currently have three or four of my paintings but once I’m back from our trip I’ll see if I can arrange to go up and collect the old work and leave four of the new post card sized paintings for them. If you can get along once they’re open it will as I’ve said in the past, make for a good time. As well as having a good range of work, they also do excellent coffee and food. If you go along before I change the work over you’ll get to see the three paintings shown here. Check out the link to the Blairmore Gallery website on the right hand side of this page for the exact date they reopen. Best of luck to Steve, Sylvia and Bex ….don‘t work too hard but I hope you have a very good summer season. See you all soon.
1. I’ve just got back from a few days away doing some walking. I was staying with a few friends in a lodge on the east shore of Loch Lomond at a place called Rowardennan. This is the view across the loch from near our lodge.
