Alien Nation

Got the shock of my life when curiosity got the better of me. I borrowed a basic microscope from a friend as I wanted to see some plants and various other things up close and personal just to see what they were about, and I started with a small Creeping Thistle flower. When I focused in, I'm not afraid to admit, I jumped a mile out of my chair as this alien creature suddenly appeared in the viewfinder. It was all of 2mm big, not even quite 1/8th of an inch, so didn't notice it at all when I put it under the light, but in the viewfinder it was looked like a 10 foot alien creature with a definite human bloodsucking tendencies.

So this very small black blob, on closer inspection was an amazing insect with a really long proboscis type thing sucking the sap and two weird antennae type things on its rear end. Him (or her) and its friend were very obliging models and let me draw them, even in the full glare of the microscope light they didn't seem to mind having all their privacy taken away from them. I wonder if they saw a magnified eye looking down on them and were slightly freaked out themselves and were desperately sucking away at the sap trying to keep calm and hoping they hadn't been noticed. They were a beautiful deep rich purple with olive green legs and black knees. Though do insects have knees? The actual Creeping thistle was amazing too. I'll get round to painting it when I've got over my excitement of aliens.

I also looked at a fern with what to the naked eye looked like spores underneath, but on very close inspection it looked like a collection of worms under an umbrella. I know, totally technical terminology, but when they started flicking and moving I got freaked out and had to remove the fern. Maybe sometimes its not good looking too closely at things.

Who knew all this was right under our noses. I can see why the art director of Aliens apparently was inspired by creatures that appeared right here on earth. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Who needs aliens from outerspace, we've got our very own in our backyards. I think I'll have to do some research now in the anatomy of insects, as this has piqued my interest enough to seek out some more. Though, am slightly scared...

(ps ...oh, and those who are scientifically minded the magnification on the eyepiece said WF 10x/18 - whatever that means....)

Variations on a theme

When we finally got round to uncovering all the bulbs that we'd overwintered in vermiculite, we found these lily sprouting. I loved the colour of the stem and the bulb, and the little white shoots coming out of the base of the stalk, like little grubs.

So after doing the watercolour, I decided to try inks, not totally colour representative but great to see how the inks work and blend with each other. More practice needed I think to get balance right. As I say, a work in progress. Now I've planted the bulb, I'll wait till a flower comes and add it to the picture.

Lightheaded at the lighthouse

 I braved the heady heights of St Abb's and drew the lighthouse, watching the gulls and cormorants and guillemots nesting on the steep cliffs. But I more worryingly watched a young researcher walk to the edges and cling on while he counted the birds. Didn't look like he had a care in the world, whereas my palms were going sweaty just looking at his precarious positions. Just after I finished the ink one a thick ha (sea mist) came in and obliterated everything  from sight, which was a relief as I was getting almightly annoyed with the wind and trying to hang on to the paper and ink and pens and water and hair flapping in wind and.... but had a lovely day out anyway...

New York 2

Loved all the different fire (?) hydrants I saw on my trip. Don't know what all the different colours meant, but I especially loved what looked like gold ones on Park Avenue. How decadent.

 Went to a Korean restaurant as we used to live in South Korea when I was a kid, so we wanted to try all the food we used to adore, and it was far better than I remembered. I'm afraid the oil pastels didn't even remotely capture the delicacy and beauty of the food we were served, but great tasting bulgogi and kimchi again. Yum.

 Drew these collection of people from our breakfast table one morning all walking past in their own little worlds getting ready for their day ahead.

Loved all the reflections in the glass. You would see hidden buildings reflected but you could never find the actual original building that made it.

Natural Geometry

How on earth do woodpeckers get perfectly circular holes? I've walked past this tree many a time and always marvelled at the perfect circles, so I finally decided to stop and draw it, and celebrate the clever wee elusive birds. Yet again the dogs waited patiently, well sort of. A stick kept being dropped at my feet at a not so subtle hint to get moving, stop drawing and start playing. One day I hope to catch a woodpecker on paper...

St Bride's Day

Heard when I got up that it was St Bride's Day, goddess of fire and light. St Brigid is said to have helped the Virgin give birth to Jesus - whence she is the protector of pregnant women and midwives. Her pagan namesake, the Celtic goddess Brigit, was also associated with fertility and childbirth. Her feast day, is also the Gaelic spring festival of Imbolc, On this mystic day adders were believed to abandon their winter lairs: and the oyster-catcher birds, called in Gaelic Gille Brighde, ' the servants of Bride', made their appearance, bringing Spring with them. We saw a huge flock of them in a field today, coincidence? Not sure if I can remember seeing them earlier this year.
So this first day of February, we were told it was a good day to sow some seeds, so our new propagator bed was put to its test and tomatoes were sown. Shame she doesn't guard against forgetfulness. Forgot to turn off the hose filling up the water tank in the greenhouse, so guess what is now flooded...

Pottering On

Can't wait, its feeling oh so that much closer to Spring and all it holds. Drew these pots in a friends' greenhouse while it was getting fixed after the snow bought all the panels in. Was meant to be helping but got distracted by all these cacti in their terracotta pots. Only very quickly painted afterwards, but it got me all excited about the planting plans and ideas that are shortly to be put in place. Also just started a fascinating book about the 'Secret Life of Plants' by Peter Tompkins. Written back in the 60's but still relevant. Makes me think twice now about how I talk and deal with plants. A must read for anyone who is even vaguely interested in plants.

End of the season

Thought I'd post these wee watercolours I sold a wee whiley back of some beachhuts, based on ones that are on Coldingham beach near us.

Have always longed for one of these huts, but they get passed down through the families not surprisingly, so hardly ever get on the market, So I'll just have to content myself with my own tiny shed in the hills and pretend I'm looking at the rollers coming in on the beach.

Creative Blocks

Lesley Purcell was talking about creative blocks, and it reminded me how I try and get over them. I had gone through a period of not doing much and decided to take myself off to the woods with the dogs and my sketchbook. This is the initial drawing I did (then it started raining hence the big raindrop splodges), then when I got home I added the colour.

Not a great painting, but I wanted to try and remember the bright green leaves in the sunshine beyond the tall dark trees. I also then found some Scots Pines, one of my favourite trees, in a clearing.

I couldn't see the tops of them, but just loved the bright red orange trunks against the dark trees behind. I'll eventually get them painted properly, but at least these wee drawings got me out of a rut (with any luck). I hope Lesley finds her way out soon as her work is way too good to not be out there!

Sandwood Bay

I recommend to anyone who can face a 4 mile hike, and an extensive trip right up to the north west highlands, to visit Sandwood Bay in Sutherland. It takes your breath away, and its not just the hike doing that. Its a John Muir nature reserve, about a 2 mile or so long white beach with a loch behind it, and when we got there a thick ha was creating such an atmospheric scene, it felt like you stepped back to the time of pirates and the ghosts of the Spanish Armada.

We had heard tales of the resident ghost, and treasure that is supposed to be on the beach from ships that have run aground there, so we did the 4 mile hike with metal detectors.... like we were going to find anything on a huge white beach with massive sand dunes, but hey ho. So while one of us went off scanning with the detector, I sat and tried to paint the ha, the dogs ran wild up and down the dunes, and it was so idyllic, not even the ghost could scare off the sea eagle I saw perched by the loch. Bliss.

Literature & Lighthouses

Did these two drawings in the space of a matter of hours, and again, its amazing the variety of weathers Scotland can throw at you on a whim, from blazing sunshine to a storm in a teacup, (or whisky glass being Islay).

Painting not great as not done on watercolour paper but as had nothing else to hand, I couldn't resist trying to capture the dark clouds racing north from the Irish coast. The lighthouse is a Robert Stevenson one, built in 1825, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson of 'Kidnapped' and 'Treasure Island' books. It was a family business building lighthouses, and Robert the younger bucked the trend and went off to test his literary leanings. I was actually named after one of his books, so I feel a lot of sympathy with him in doing what was definitely not expected of him. A man after my own heart...

An afternoon in the life of

This is the view from my desk, and this is the weather that happened in the space of 4 hours in an afternoon. Not great watercolours, but gives an idea of how quickly it can all change up here. Should have been working on something else, but couldn't resist trying to capture what was happening outside.

I thought with nearly everyone surrounded by ice and snow, we needed a splash of colour and a taste of summer (that will one day come) to keep our spirits up. This is a watercolour I did a while ago, so hope you don't mind the use of an old image, as I'm currently hunkered down in front of the fire dreaming of the green green grass.

First real snow of the winter today. Trees and land covered, and things never noticed before are really standing out. Shapes and angles of branches, colours more intense and vibrant, the different marks and pattern from boots in peoples footprints, sunlight drawing a golden halo around an impatient dog who's not interested in this at all but just wants you to get on with it and throw the stick....

Armchair travelling

Getting huge withdrawal symptoms for Spain (especially looking at the wall of rain that is UK at the moment), so thought I'd do a virtual tour through all my old sketches and drawings. Looking back through my books immediately takes me back and surrounds me with sights, sounds, smells and constant chatter that the Spaniards seem to live and thrive in. Bliss.

So, virtual travelling, not quite the real thing, but good enough until it can be done for real.

Kissing season

There is an old tale that when the gorse stops flowering, there will be no more kissing. As is evidenced with the number of buds I found on the bushes, I think we'll be alright for a wee while yet. Phew.

The Great biscuit debate

I have a dilemma everyday, whether to go for the cracker or the oatcake. I know, wars, recession, climate change etc etc , but this features pretty high up on my agenda. Trying to stay off the choccie biscuits and be good, so as a wee snack have taken to nibbling on one or other of these. Not exactly inspiring but healthier. Whilst drawing them, never realised how great the writing was on the Jacobs crackers, really intricate. Also realised how hard it is to get an oatcake looking like an oatcake....

Mussels

Saw this clump of mussels clinging to this beautiful mottled pink rock (the kind of rock I would take home with me being a habitual beachcomber). Don't think I've quite captured the lovely texture and colour of the rock but I enjoyed going back to watercolours. Luckily Pulga was happily swimming and barking at the splashes so didn't come and help me paint.

Fur balls under the bed

Every morning, Pulga and I have a chase game where from god knows where, she finds one of my socks and proceeds to run up and down the corridor and under my bed with it. Find its much better than yoga in waking up in the morning....

Pepper Plant

Not done this poor pepper plant justice after all its gone through. Only just getting fruit now, after starting it way back in May, and its now looking like a cheese plant with all its holes from its resident (now evicted) caterpillar. It was only when I started to paint it that I realised what a beautiful spottled purple stem it had, as its been back lit all summer sitting on my kitchen window. I should make the time really to do a proper painting and do it justice.