PaintScots

Growing Pains

2011-06-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

I can't in all honesty tell anyone I LIKE the creative process of building a presence in the online world - be it presenting my work personally on this time-sucking entity called the web and all it's 'necessary' chores of seemingly endless writing, editing, revamping, etc. There, I'm done wingeing for today - check back tomorrow for more descriptive comments!! All I did was hit a simple button to check out the new templates page in Blogger, and 2 1/2 hours later, have finally got the blog back to looking something near what I will allow others to view again - phew! At one point, it appeared that the whole blog had vanished into the ether....maybe I should have gotten the hint and stopped there.....??

New Venues
I appreciate the owners of two coffeehouses 5,000 miles apart who are now hosting my work:

Rose and Sihead of newly opened Cafe Savini in the quaint Ross-shire market town of Dingwall in Scotland (I saw a great review on Trip Advisor - can't wait to visit!)

Amy of Twisp Cafe & Coffeehouse in Liberty Lake near Spokane (the service and food are excellent!

Enjoying the ambiance in a good coffee shop or tea room has got to be in the top ten of favourite activities on my list, and even MORE fun is hearing comments on my work as patrons express their impressions and reactions.....always a lift to hear I've made someone's day just a little bit brighter, or inspired some thought or action through the paintings.

Time Marches On.......

2011-03-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the wonderful 'Painting A Day' idea, where one creates and completes a small painting, on as regular a basis as possible? Very beneficial for honing skills and focus, besides a fun
concept! This year, it feels as though I'm on the 'Painting A Quarter' program, due to family focus....
ah well....at least everything's there ready and waiting when time allows, and I refuse to get frustrated!!
An excellent local Idaho 'Painter A Day' is Mary Maxam, and her website and blog are well worth a visit.

Coming in April:

   - Friday, 1 April and Saturday 2 April I will be performing traditional Scottish tunes with drummer Todd
      Neel and fiddler Lorna Woelfel at Unity Church's Mardi Gras Variety Show, 7pm both nights.

   - Friday, 8 April, noon-7:30pm and Saturday 9 April 10am - 7pm.....I will be exhibiting current paintings
      (and talking about Scotland with anyone interested!!), along with cards and prints in the 11th Annual  Artist Showcase by the Coeur d'Alene Art Association. We will be at the CDA Resort Plaza Shops, 2nd and Sherman downtown. Forty two artists are participating, and it's always a lovely event, and a great opportunity to meet interesting, creative people, who might happen to be your neighbour! I will be demonstrating part of the day on Saturday.

- 22 April - 31 May.....I will be on holiday in Scotland - gathering inspiration, and hopefully dipping into some of the inviting tubes of paint that are sitting around the studio saying 'squeeze me!'.....

Perthshire Amber & More - Jottings on the Oct/Nov 2010 Trip

2010-12-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

Have been meaning to transcribe the pages of Moleskine neolithic chicken-scratch laid down on my latest sojourn in Scotland into something readable for a later date, so why not here - good things are meant to be shared, eh?

26th Oct - Fly out - Jess & I are chatting so intently we miss the airport turnoff.....typical....luggage scanning guy requests a concert with my 'piano'....in a fiddle case??...hmm, maybe it was just early in the morning! The checked baggage goes FREEEE....the overseas flight: 2 seats to self - heaven in flight....Robin Hood, good food, skimpy snacks....just barely caught them accidentally routing me to VENICE!! Sounds good, would love to go, but not THIS trip!

Wooden Shoes, Amsterdam

27th - Found museum in Schiphol....there's been renovation at the airport, & things are a bit confusing after a long flight. Featured paintings are of cows in the 15th & 16th centuries this time...lovely, inspiring, freeing, as I stand admiring works by people who didn't have so many 'rules' to follow in their art. An incredible barnyard scene with a gigantic rooster....the detail is unbelievable. All the funny people, going so many places in this travel hub of northern Europe. So many languages! A new feature of the airport this time: Dutch armed forces in full garb & weaponry standing on alert. Disturbing. Young Italian on the shuttle to Aberdeen. Beautiful speech. I said so & he immediately shut up! Customs thankfully uneventful, & cases all intact. Clear weather & stunning views of the sea, the coastline, Aberdeen & surrounds as plane arrived. Catching proper bus to Dyce was easy, altho it did take the long way 'round thru Tullos, but who cares....I'm BACK! Jokes with the driver, catching up on local news & info. Long wait for the train at Dyce. Och ay, the wind off the sea. Heard a bit of life & times of newly married guy fae Inverness, returning home from work on African island. Seatmate on train pregnant masseuse going to Elgin for the weekend. Woman from down near Feschie Bridge into archeology & other things I didn't want to inquire about. Came from Shetland. Got scolded for mucking about with train ticket, (less changes the way I went), & conductor making good-natured comments about travelling nutters....a real tea from the heavily-laden trolley enroute!

Changing at Inverness, waited in line with lovely elderly Englishwoman, asking if I was classical violinist in travelling theatre group - wishful thinking! Lives on Skye. Fascinating face. Such enthusiasm for life and music & culture. Long black wool coat, glinting white hair, thick specs....backbone of steel....inspiring.... Gorgeous ride to Pitlochry, altho staying awake requires concentration. Pitlochry appears a lovely little burgh at first glance - finding the B&B is easy, but trailing 2 big cases on cobbled streets is a bit of a challenge - can't stick the rattling!

Pitlochry

28th - Aye, it's really true....am waking up back in Scotland!! A guest in a B&B rather than working in one....brilliant. Full cooked breakfast & then some, in lovely, decorated dining room of old hoos. Runny egg, sausage, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, oatcakes! Ought to last most of the day!! Met photographer L....chat & arrangements for the day: walk in village, shop for supplies at the Co-Op - blustery autumn weather. Guest at the B&B has been returning here for 35 years - is nowon his 3rd proprietor. Buttonboss Lodge owned by Colin & Marlene MacKay....the best of hosts. Colin's a retired golf pro, from Portmahommach (sp?), Marlene's Dutch. Possibly a mum of one does housekeeping, a couple of 'local' foreign girls help out. Lovely people, all. Very clean. Discussion over scarcity of lemons. The yin-yang of cup half-empty, but positive about it. Or the other way 'round?

Tummel Brig towards Pitlochry

I ride w/L to local sights - Faskally Wood (weird light show & music in evenings)..we did it in daytime, & lovely wood it is, despite the electronics setup for the techno show. Queen's View is a stunner - especially on this clear autumn day. Busy with visitors - white roofs of caravans mar the lovely view a wee bit, inspiring discussion with fellow onlookers! Hilarious chat with F&K, gardener & teacher fae Paisley - banter continues in the tearoom - fruitcake slice & cappu made w/instant coffee - now REALLY?! Bilgewater in a cup. On up an unmarked track in general direction of Killicrankie - Mexican standoff in Perthshire hills: vehicles approaching both front AND back on narrow farm track. Lots of grins & a bit of maneuvering, & we're out of that scrape!

near Killicrankie

On to Killicrankie, famous for a Brit soldier's having lept the 18' span of river to escape pursuing Jacobites. Wee active mousie collecting goodies in autumn leaves at carpark - Scottish wildlife! Lovely views of river & rail bridge. Colours of the hill foliage-it's perfectly clear where older tartans and weavings took their inspiration from. Back to Pitlochry & explore a bit thru the toon - more blether with Queen's View people - it's Samhain (Halloween) weekend, & the town's really gone all out - street musicians, a 5' miming mouse, clowns - quite the production. Late evening chat w/fellow guests....

29th - Monstrous breakfast again - stiff eggs today (yes!), 3 pcs bacon, tomato, muesli. Full house, lots of interesting chat. Off to Dunkeld by bus, not a straight shot....change & wait at Ballaluig, famous for being the best lorry stop in UK (meaning best diner food). Interesting chat w/lovely dried-apple-faced woman w/brown hat made in Shetland (design of knitting reminiscent of celtic knotwork). Hungarian, fascinating history - da was in Brit embassy.

Queen's View

Walked about Dunkeld - trees are lovely - visitors centre - discover festival tickets back in Pitlochry.- staff from NZ very helpful. Directions to Arts Centre on foot, & Birnam oak - gorgeous walk along Tay, desipite rain - enormous oaks & sycamores - the oak immortalized in Macbeth - convoluted, incredible branches, the size...& textures....halloweeny, for sure! Birnam Arts Centre for good coffee & fruit salad, quite a busy place. Lovely facility - Willie Nelson on sound system - country/bluegrass pretty popular.... Retrieve ticket from Birnam CD's courteous proprietor, who later turns out to be Martin Hadden, bassist of Silly Wizard. Return walk heavy rain. Poured in Dunkeld. Wee castle-like edifice in car park to draw whilst sheltering... back to Pitlochry & lovely walk to theatre, pick up bulk of tickets from gracefully patient Vaire...the pfaffing aboot is now completed! Amazing to feel energetic & no jet lag....near tears today, thinking on privilege of once again being here....seeing a heron is deemed good luck in our family - a large prehistoric-looking specimen balances atop the burnside fence passed en route to the Theatre....fearless.....clearly it's home territory. Now I'm looking forward to the festival even more!

the Birnam Oak

30th - Twa burly pipers from a Dublin pipe band provided a bit of extra ambiance for those of us who really didn't need sleep....aarrgghh. I don't begrudge their enthusiasm - a competition's on at Blair Atholl -this weekend - must've been pretty cool. Tough to return to sleep what with the time change, tho. Am finding it quite entertaining attempting to adjust to new phone, time difference & daylight savings all at once. Have yet to find adjustment for time difference - all readings involve subtracting 9 hrs.... I think...! Breakfast a full house again. Couple w/B&B in East Linton left details. A 2nd trip to the Cooperative for vittles, & canned food contributions for concerts. Checker required a second take - covered with soot & fake blood on head, face, & white lab coat....hilarious.....local contest for shops in Halloween decor brought out some characters!

Barber shop all decked out as Sweeney Todd!

My 1st day of festival - opening concert last nite had been sold out weeks ago, so missed that. Today, a workshop in performance with entertaining entertainer Ewan Sutherland....only 2 of us attended, & a couple locals dropped in...lots of good info & humour...an experience in itself! Talk by local character Lawrence Oliphant & associates on weaponry & dress in Scotland in earlier times, including how to fold & put on a full kilt for both men & women... interesting concept, lying down to get dressed!

31st - Open mike @ Theatre...handbell ringers fae Dunkeld....tone of the bells was beautiful...from the states - less expensive than british-made. Amazing unison performance, ethereal sounds. Full audience. Bodhran workshop w/Mark Maguire of Deaf Shepherd - the intensity & sincerity of his passion for the instrument & sharing with us....kept wanting to tell us more...we practiced on serving trays w/sticks & brushes - lots of us. Had the rhythm going ok, but felt like I was trying to keep time with a snake! Non-stop open mike all afternoon - a great experience! Evening concert: Crooked Still - pretty Alison Kraus-y but very good. Banjo gumbi. Guy next to me didn't particularly care for the singing-along with Dougie - plugged his ear on my side...me or the singer behind us that he didn't like?! Wee samples of Dougie's whiskey on offer - nice touch. A good deal of old material tonite - Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Dillon - great stuff, w/full complement of backup. A REAL treat.

1 Nov - All Saints Day

Could the breakfasts get any better?? Colin may be at home on a golf course, but aye, he knows his stuff in the kitchen too! Wonder what happens if a near-veggie eats bacon & eggs 12 days running?! (hopefully nothing) Big bus full of Dougie nuts loaded at Theatre for a tuneful tour of Perthshire...Ewan & Dougie play a wee tune to start off...rather dreich day, but interesting chat - my seatmate is Ian fae Birmingham, singer/guitarist. We stop at Laurence Oliphant's holdings, which include a shut-up castle on the grounds and several beautiful heavy horses on the hillside above, probably Clydes. The grounds of the steading is immaculate & someone is preparing to ride on a tall, stately black with a long tail. Oh, to break off from the group & explore! Lawrence's ancestor Lady Nairn wrote loads of music & tunes - had to disguise herself to her publisher as work wasn't accepted from females....Boden of Boden, maybe?...Charley is Me Darlin', Wha'd Be King But Charley...very common Jacobite tunes...many are credited to other authors - the usual. Quite a dramatic presentation & presence at the Theatre on the weekend, which continues here - speaking on the bus, answering questions, sharing anecdotes - my thanks for the sharing in his efforts to preserve Scottish culture was me with "We don't reenact the Scottish way of life - we live it." Straight from himself. Earlier on, his children took issue with his choice of dress & hairstyle, & wouldn't be seen with him in public.....ha!

The pastoral beauty of this rich, agri-focused area....great fields of carrots, blackberries, a variety of crops. Carrots are held in the ground, covered thickly to prevent freezing, & pulled all winter at Tesco's requirements. Ancient beech hedge going down to the river. Approaching town of Blairgowrie, built along River Ericht - now the big buildings where all the people go of a Sunday are St. Tesco's, St. Home Base....Ewan's perceptive banter is brilliant! Lunch stop is at a park near the river - rather chill & windy, making the hot tea & delicious sandwiches (venison & red jelly on a beautiful bun for me - low fat, no less!) even more appealing! There were salmon sandwiches also, odd crisps, a lovely tart apple, & a big dense sinker of a sweet made with pineapple....enough for a couple meals!!

Return trip thru the Sma' Glen....quite barren & wild area, steep hillsides....saw not 1 but 5 kites, most likely parents & young....amazing. Talk about the clearances....SAD SAD SAD. Unthinkable persecution. Several big isolated hotels now available for purchase....on down towards Aberfeldy on interesting, windy road thru farmland....Aberdeen singer sharing hilarious tune about bus driving....wild driving on wild roads in the dark & wet....meeting big white schoolbuses on curves...fellow passengers being concerned about safety...driver must have nerves of steel...conversely, maybe all nerves have been removed....on into Theatre after safe return to listen to Chloe Hall Trio - wonderful, upbeat stuff w/great takes on life. Aussies. Tall, skinny.

Ontae another bus to Blair Atholl for Fred Morrison Trio evening concert....have visited the castle previously to view antiques exhibition....decidedly more dramatic at nite - inside & out. The performance was in great hall - incredibly spooky atmosphere with all the wall decor.....armour linings & helmets & scads of deer skulls, antlers still intact, making patterns & shadows in the light...very SUPERnatural (pun).... The music is outstanding...pipes, guitar, bodhran....ethereal at times.....the effect of the surroundings & music gets into the very soul. Morrison is from S. Uist....hilarious, good-natured character, soft speech & dry sense of humour. Wandered a bit at intermission - huge slabs of larch on tearoom walls, also ancient needlework....in main hall, Niel Gow & a couple dukes of Atholl overseeing things on their luminous canvases, and a huge Landseer, 'Death of a Stag,' I think - need to look up info on it. Fantastic day it's been!

2 Nov

Another tasty brekky (breakfast) - I'm going to miss this. And a beautiful clear, crisp morning. Off to catch bus to Dunkeld, & stumble upon couple fae New Hamp. Lovely characters! Bus driver recognizes me by now & inquires re: adventures. Had a bit of walk near cathedral, riverside. My sketch of mini-castle is the entrance-way to an estate with walled gardens....later find out it's connected to Blair Atholl. S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G day. Peeked at roofless section of cathedral....HIGH arches - Wolf of Badenoch said buried there...on to the Taybank - formerly Macleans', new ownership, buckets lining floor - could use some TLC on roof & elsewhere.

Master musician Pete Clark is our guide for the Niel Gow walk - generous with information & a passionate speaker about music & conservation....made for a fascinating tour. Walk went across bridge, along the Tay....water ouzels, buzzards....conservation-crazy local made an interesting addition to the company....tallest tree in Britain.....native plants vs. foreign additions.....beautiful forest walk, especially in Autumn. Big falls, large 3-d plaque in Gaelic....viewing of Niel Gow's cottage - Niel Gow's oak....he was retained by the duke for pound5/year. Amazing. Walked to his gigs. Tale about cutting the tree without the duke's permission & talking his way 'round it. Must've been a great laugh at the time. Down to the Birnam Oak - back to the pub, scrummy carrot & tomato soup & bread. The Americans always get fries, cheese & beer...aarrgghh! Loads of Dougie memorabilia, & Pete plays a good bit for us...lovely tunes. Hitch ride back to Pitlochry, wee stop in Scottish Deli before leaving...mmm! Back to B&B for wee toes-up...hike up to Theatre for shuttle bus back to Dunkeld cathedral & tonite's Eamon Coyne/Kris Drever concert along w/Dougie & others - moving performances by all. Cathedral packed....amazing! The acoustics in these structures! Synchronicity daily on this incredible trip: Ann, seated next me, holds ticket # next mine! A couple seated in pew before us overheard us chat, & know my good friends in Auchenblae!! Was brilliant listening to blether around us....Expected to be quite cold, but heaters in alternate rows at our feet made it comfortable....one visitor accidentally melted her anorak's zipper (smell permeated the cathedral) & had to buy a new waterproof souvenir of her trip next day!

Back in the Saddle.....Sort Of......Frogs at Hastings!

2010-12-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

    I'll never understand how a person can live most of their life in one place, and find they're drawn, pulled and pushed towards another thousands of miles away......yup, it's reality for me, and has been for years.....I'm sitting in my studio in Coeur d'Alene, going through the motions of a frenetic daily routine, but countless times a day the brain strays to Scottish shores and subjects.....c-r-a-z-y. The uplifting experience of Perthshire Amber, Dougie and Jenny Maclean's wonderful celebration of Dougie's music and so much more has definitely left it's mark....may I never recover!!! Working on learning some of Dougie's haunting fiddle tunes will definitely be a part of this winter's regular activity.

The Toadage! series of bullfrog posters is up on display in the Coeur 'd Alene Hastings coffee shop, along with a selection of my mum's paintings. Posters are available for purchase either flat on cardboard or rolled in a tube for $15 each. An extensive selection of cards and mini-giclee's of my Scottish paintings can also be found in the card section next the coffee shop. My sincere thanks to Simone and Kathryn for giving them a try!

Post Created Nov 12, 2010 2:32:15 PM

2010-11-12T14:32:00.001-08:00

It's the final evening of another wonderful visit to Ross-shire's storied Black Isle. Stunning views south and west across Beauly Firth from where I stay. Oh to have enough time to do a couple big canvases of this dramatic area on site one day. For now, am deeply grateful to have landed, however temporarily, in this magical place.

Post Created Nov 9, 2010 1:31:55 PM

2010-11-09T13:31:00.001-08:00

It's two days since Perthshire Amber came to a close,and the heed's still in a warm fuzzy fog from all the music, wonderful surroundings and connection with good souls. An experience of deep value to me personally, and I hope to my fellow participants in Butterstone Studios Musical Assault Course!

It's over the sea once again for this wandering creative. Heartfelt thanks to my supportive family and friends!!

2010-10-26T10:05:00.001-07:00

Highland Games.....and So Much More

2010-09-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

Late summer weekends in the open air speaking with others of Scottish/Celtic affinity and interest..... listening to pipe tunes and the clack of dancing shoes....playing a few tunes myself during quiet moments in my booth....and exposure first hand to brilliant Celtic bands such as Wicked Tinkers.....such a gift!! It's a given I'd prefer to be in Scotland proper, but the ever-constricting rope of family responsibility that keeps me US-side loosed just enough to allow participation in Highland Games in Spokane, WA, Hamilton, MT and Kelso, WA. Uplifting experiences, all!

Having turned away from the summer art show circuit after 9/ll, it's a bit surprising to find myself once again on the road a with a pickup full of gear and carefully wrapped paintings a decade later! It was fun then, but it's absolute heaven now....getting to spend extended time discussing the specific things I love best, the landscape and culture of Scotland and the Celtic countries, and encouraging that interest in others. Not to mention meeting fascinating people from all walks of life and levels of awareness...simply awesome!

Late Summer Highland Games

2010-09-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Another page has turned on the calendar and my favourite time of year is upon us. In an ideal world, I'd be spending waking hours exploring (personally) uncharted territory in Scotland. Such as things are, participating in the Spokane Highland Games, Spokane, WA, and Bitterroot Valley ScottishIrishFestival , Hamilton, MT have been incredibly rewarding, uplifting experiences and excellent excuses to spend time outdoors and a welcome break from routine demands and labours. I cannot thank the organizers of such events enough for all the time and energy they put in to bring these valuable celebrations of culture together! Luckily, I will also have a vendor booth at the Kelso Highland Games in Kelso, WA this coming weekend, 11 and 12 Sept., so one more good chance to enjoy one of Scotland's great traditions, the Games, as Autumn advances.

Hardback Cafe Opening!

2010-08-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

So much activity this month! I will be at the Coeur d'Alene Hastings Hardback Cafe Saturday, Aug. 21 from 4-7 to chat with passers-by about my current exhibition there.....hope to see some of you CDA locals! The exhibition runs through 31 August.

Celtic Challenge - the Cross

2010-06-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Simplify....that's what this painter strives towards - simplify the scene before me and distill it to it's most meaningful parts......so heck, let's get rid of one of the most important buildings in Scotland - it's blocking the view! (I mean no disrespect - I look forward to painting the Abbey and surrounds!)

This is a wee study of the high cross, also known as a Celtic Christian cross, to be found standing outside Iona Abbey. Interesting to learn that if it was lacking the connecting circle, it would be a Christian cross. At any rate, it's a good exercise in perspective, texture and dimension, and represents to me the incredible strength of character it took to survive in the beautiful, yet austere lands of our ancestors, whatever their belief systems.

6"x4" oil on gallery wrap canvas (covers all sides - no need for a frame!)

Highland Pastorale

2010-06-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

4" x 6" oil on gallery wrap canvas
This is a wee landscape of the lovely fields & firth outside Muir of Ord on the Black Isle....I love the dramatic skies and scudding clouds above the peaceful scenery! This view looks south across Beauly Firth to the hills west of Inverness.

Out Standing in Their Places

2010-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Standing Stones at Callanish on the Isle of Lewis, are a fascinating and mysterious link to our Celtic past. These huge rough monoliths could still be approached and touched in '05....I was amused to round one of the larger stones near the visitors' center to discover a camper's pop-up tent erected within a meter of it! Add to that an inquisitive ewe nosing about the mushroom-like object and it's contents with intense concentration......!

This wee painting is of the series of stones set along the ridge of a low rise, a bit of a walk from the main configuration. I am deeply grateful to the locals who put up with all of us sassenachs who troop through their lands and lives in search of various and sundry goals and experiences.

4"x6" oil on gallery wrap canvas (painting extends to all sides so no need of a frame!)

Necropolis Crosses, Glasgow

2010-06-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

11" x 19.75" oil on masonite $175 unframed, $325 framed
The Necropolis is an extraordinary cemetery in the heart of Glasgow. I can't resist adding this description by John Strang, Chamberlain at the Merchants' House, written in 1831, titled “Necropolis Glasguensis", or “Thoughts on Death and Moral Stimulus:"

"The Fir Park appears admirably adapted for a Pere la Chaise, which would harmonise beautifully with the adjacent scenery, and constitute a solemn and appropriate appendage to the venerable structure (the Cathedral) in front of which, while it will afford a much wanted accommodation to the higher classes, would at the same time convert an unproductive property into a general and lucrative source of profit, to a charitable institution" it was to be "respectful to the dead, safe and sanitary to the living, dedicated to the Genius of Memory and to extend religious and moral feeling".

It seems the powers that be have accomplished all that, and more. It's a fascinating excursion into art, history, geography, geneology, and beyond.....well worth a visit! On my first exploration with my then 18-year old son Sawyer, two local characters strolling back down from the upper reaches stopped and gave us detailed instructions to find the grave of an important personage of Glasgow, William Miller, whom we MUST visit: the author of the Scottish nursery rhyme "Wee Willie Winkie!!" ....such is a normal day in Scotland for me....!!

Iona

2010-06-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate this weekend to hear an uplifting talk by Coeur d'Alene's Unity minister Deirdre, sharing insights gleaned from a retreat at Iona, a wee isle off of Mull, famous for being the site of St. Columba's establishment of Christianity in Scotland. Her infectious enthusiasm and lovely photos had my eyes watering as images of my own visits paraded through my mind's eye. Not a place to be easily forgotten. I hope to return and wander at length, at a slower pace than the scheduled tour allows....maybe get in a few sketches! On a visit in '05, I landed not at the ferry landing, but at the pristine white beach a bit south...in the wee dinghy of the sailboat "Dutch Courage," with a group of friends on a sailing holiday. A singular experience in itself, arrival on an anniversary of Scottish Labour Party Leader John Smith's passing made it even more so. Trenchcoats on legs were everywhere.....we were eyed suspiciously and our group carefully watched during our entire stay....a number of political figures one normally sees on BBC News were there to pay their respects, and it was quite an experience to stand in the same line for tea and cakes in the local tearoom!

This is a partial view of the remnant stone walls of the Nunnery on Iona, their austere and often violent past softened by the flourishing multicoloured plantings. Literally dripping with history, this tiny Hebridean island has been the scene for many important events in Scottish and Celtic culture, and has been for centuries the final resting place of many clan chieftains and Scottish dignitaries.
oil on masonite, 9 7/8" x 5 7/8" $165 unframed, $285 framed

Observations

2010-05-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

The first half of the year is past, and the majority of my art-focused time has been spent at the COMPUTER, rather than the easel. Time for a re-think, re-focus, and re-MOVAL of fingers from the keyboard! Four half-finished paintings are now two, and the first completed work is a lone gull contemplating harbour life.....and possibly me simultaneously....I know how obnoxious gulls can be...aggressive, noisy, smelly, etc., but still a living thing full of grace and abilities, and definitely occupying a necessary niche in the world.
"The Observer," 16"x12" oil on canvas/masonite panel, $288 unframed.

Accessing Scottish Blogs

2010-02-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ran across a fanTASTIC site for Scotophiles this week.....Scottish Roundup.......a site dedicated to "the best of Scottish blogging each week".......it's all there in rather random order - politics, culture, travel, philosophy, pub wisdom.....you name it - dead brilliant!!

Glasgow Real

2010-02-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

The infamous Glasgow Reel, or Tam Lin's as it's often called (should be called Fiddler's Paralyzed Bow Arm from my perspective!), is stuck in my heed after last nite's crackin' session at O'Shay's with members of CDA's Deep Roots and Turning Tide....and the playing of a member of the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers put me right back in Scotland...mentally, at least! Havn't yet taken the time to sit in on any sessions in Glasgow - there's just so much to DO in this busy city!! Multiple stays in the West End have been in an entertaining multi-storey hostel up a hill just off Great Western Road. In the heart of student quarters, it's not always been the quietest of lodgings, but clean and pleasant. A simple overnite stay at a hostel is seldom dull.....even the best-run and most secure ones: the first time at this particular one (and my son's first hostelling experience) we shared a room with two young affluent American women whom we learned considered 'lifting' jewellry for later return and cash back a lark. I recall spending an extended period of time discussing the pros and cons of foreign jails and the concept of 'consequences,' both immediate and extended, with the young lasses, with at least temporary constructive results.....all in a day's experience in the world of travel, never mind doing my bit to attempt to maintain positive Scottish-American relations!

Here is a watercolour I did reflecting the view from the hostel room's window.....the warm tones of the sandstone building blocks, some relatively clean, some rimed with soot....all appealing to me, and an interesting puzzle of lines, shapes and shadows to assemble as I worked it up! The original is currently available, as well as a giclee, image approx. 14"x18," along with mini-giclees and blank cards. Any of these can be ordered by clicking here.

Yet Another Book Title.....

2010-02-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

If I had the time, I'd sit down and write a book - not on the things that fascinate, or even amuse myself and others about Scotland....it would be titled "101 Reasons Why NOT to Attempt Living with Your Elderly Parents." And there would be a definite lack of humour in it. That said, I return to things more rewarding.....

.....Like choosing and preparing a baker's dozen Scottish photos from the Painting Scotland archives for hanging in daughter Jessica and partner Jon's pizza shop, Young Guns Pizza of Libby, Montana..... Scottish decor and pizza....hmmm....shouldn't take too much of a stretch of the imagination when you stop and think of what an incredible conglomerate of foreign cultures one finds in at least the big 3 seaport cities!

.....Like completing the framing of 'Gateway to the Cuillins' and 'Memento Mori' today....

.....Like visioneering the next chunk of time spent in Scotland (I think an absolute minimum of four months....a good deal of it spent doing a "sketching crawl" if you will, of some of the hot (and not so hot!) wee spots on the west coast....). Sketching being a relative term here. The perennially moist atmosphere of Scotland leads one to leave the pencils and paper in a drawer, and utilize oils and canvas...at least the oils are less likely to run, and the canvas can be air-dried and responds better to flattening beneath heavy weights far better than does even quality sketch paper! I do not yet know what the long-term effects of seabird guano are to an oil sketch, tho....have had two instances so far of trying to extricate samples of just such mixed media additions to my fresh, wet, earnest creative efforts....I'm sure the remainder that had to be incorporated into the paintings gave them extra preservation qualities yet to be explored by museum archivists.

Wholesale Catalogue Now Online

2010-01-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

Finally.....the 2010 Fine Art Reproductions Catalogue is available for online use. If you have a resale license and would like to check it out, please contact me for the password. This is a new thing for me, and there is always room for improvement, so I welcome your comments!

Cathedral Square Revisited

2010-01-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

An unexpected treat came my way yesterday in the form of an entertaining slide show & energizing cuppa & conversation at Bella Rose, my favourite local caffeine source......friends Dorothy & Geoff, recently returned from a brisk winter's visit to Glasgow kindly shared pictures of the adventure. An odd trance-like state set in for the day, with image after image of my own collection of purely Glaswegian experiences & perceptions arising thru the mists (aye, maybe it was the yoga class directly after!). At any rate, a couple of Geoff's excellent shots of St. Mungo's, or Glasgow Cathedral reminded me of a brilliant afternoon spent exploring the massive edifice & surrounds (for a 360 degree view of the interior, click St. Mungo's....for history & info, click Glasgow Cathedral). The atmosphere in these huge 'chambers of spirit' does my head in. The sheer drama they create, both inside & out, by their existence upon the earth, rising hundreds of feet in the air & having been conceived, designed & constructed with such simple tools & equipment.....& the human factor of effort, labour, & struggle.....I am in eternal awe. The painting you see here is a wee record of my visit - one of the small stained glass windows from the outside....being chosen as subject in contrast to everything else being so overwhelmingly BIG!

Flying -Sailing - Moving in the Mind

2010-01-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

" 8 Sept '09 Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
Just emerged from viewing "" The Art of Flying," mid-15th century bird paintings at the airport's mini-Rijksmuseum. Inspirational enough to penetrate the fog of jet lag & sleep deprivation. Beautiful large canvases of fowl of all kinds, some domestic, some wild, including a big work sporting colourful members of the parrot family from every continent amicably sharing the viewer's space........Pastries, heavy luggage, fish & cheese delicacies, the latest interesting paperbacks, & the Holland bulbs…..love this place! Jeremy Clarkson & Bill Bryson’s latest books…..”

…..found an unfinished scribble this morning, bringing with it a flood of cheering images and impressions from Amsterdam airport….good thoughts on a January morning! Unseasonally balmy for January in Idaho, it is….sharp, freezing breaths give way to merely mild, cool air during a fast walk, bringing calm sailing to mind.

A recently completed commission for Inverness yacht

‘Moonfleet’s’owner was painted to celebrate not only the grace and beauty of the big craft, but her dramatic Highland backdrop of Scotland’s famous Loch Ness and the ruin of Urqhart Castle on Strone Point. About two miles distant from Drumnadrochit, the castle has been standing in some form since at least the early 1200’s, and has seen an active and often bloody history. I can just imagine floating craft coming upon the castle from this same angle, centuries ago!

Growing A Web Presence

2010-01-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Oy, I'd much rather be in front of the easel, paints mixed and ready for applying to the nearest surface, than in front of the laptop, papers spread in disarray, searching my brain for words. Nae bother - it's all creativity, in one form or another, so an end to the wingeing (temporarily!!).

Joanie Gagnon San Chirico, a dynamic, highly productive mixed-media east coast artist has developed a great site which will be going public tomorrow: ProfessionalFineArtNetwork.com . Organized to help facilitate connections between fine art professionals and those who utilize their services (mainly in the public art sector) it's a good-looking, well-organized site which I'm proud to have representing my work.

Scottish notes of interest:
The beautiful watercolours of Joseph Turner have come to light in their annual unveiling at the Royal Scottish Academy Building in Edinburgh. Gifted to the National Galleries by their collector, Henry Vaughan, it was stipulated in his bequest that these delicate watercolours should only be shown in January when natural daylight is at its weakest, so they will not fade. This limited exposure has resulted in the works retaining their natural brilliance and luminous colours. Aye, reason enough for a visit to Edinburgh, midwinter or no!

Homage....to Fromage!

2010-01-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

Cheese.....one of the essential basic food groups, surely! The heady smells and interesting stacks of edible geometric shapes in various colours make the wee cheese shop on Edinburgh's Victoria Street one of my favourite places to stop, just sniffing and gazing in fascination at the mouthwatering varieties of curdled milk! This painting is in homage to one of life's best treats - a flavourful slice of cheese!
Oil on gallery wrap canvas 12"x12" $400

2010-01-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Aye, tomorrow begins Celtic Connections in Glasgow, and I'm here in Idaho!! Must be poor timing on my part.....a short weekend's attendance in '06 has made one of my many goals to spend at the very least a week at this world-class folk music festival, held in a variety of venues around the city over a period of 3 weeks. May it be an outstanding success, and rewarding experience for all involved! Since I'm not on the road at present, what better way to honor the spirit of the festival than to put some renewed energy into getting the best out of that lovely old fiddle of mine? Normally playing on my own, it was a great surprise a couple weeks ago to show up at a jam in Garwood and immediately be instructed to sit down & play, as fellow celtic musician Carlos Alden (Celtic Nots) was among the group of high-caliber pickers and grinners: Elwin & Shirley Schutt, Marcus Smith, Darrell Hawkins, Mike & Martha Stone, Geoff & Nancy, Dian Newell & John Sylte (Dead Fiddlers Society). The endorphins flowing from being around good musicians and music must be on par or exceed those one gets from running!

Dark Nights & Glowing Sunsets

2010-01-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

Winters in the northern hemisphere....to some, unbearably long & boring. To me, an excellent opportunity to dig into favourite things during the long hours of darkness: learning new tunes & polishing up old ones...attempting to make at least a tiny dent in household & studio tasks, watching a little telly, laying out new paintings....the list seems endless. But opportunities turn into burdens when unbroken by a bit of fun, so I'm thankful for musician friends who drag me out of the studio occasionally for sessions. Plain old enthusiasm for life & living always returns after participating in a good lively evening of music & craic.

Back in the studio, the first landscape for 2010 is a sunset over the Beauly Firth & surrounds. Atmospheric conditions make Highland sunsets real stunners. Attempting to imitate the beauty and depth of colour and distance was a humbling experience, but true to form I HAD to give this wintry scene a shot! You are looking across a frozen tilled grain field of Redcastle Estate on the southern shore of the Black Isle. I suppose living in regions thick with conifer forests most of my life helps me appreciate the hardwood trees of the UK....their interesting sillhouettes, most stark in winter, and I love the long rows of them, planted who-knows-how-long-ago along thoroughfares and property lines, now grown to huge, stately landmarks, many with distinct histories of their own.
Oil on canvas, 24" x 36" $600 framed

Hogmanay.....

2010-01-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

The New Year has come & I'd be fibbing if I said I was prepared....my normal mad 'cleanup & clearout" to start the new year right just didn't take place....PRIORITIES!!! Who wants to clean when there's family & friends, music to play, paintings to create, & an overwhelming amount of details to face off in the printing/marketing operation of this painter's studio?! Maybe I'll do a 15-minute pickup today, just to see if I can get a glimpse of the actual worktable surface.....!

New off the easel: Memento Mori Oil on Canvas 20"x13"
A favourite image I've aimed to paint for several years, this is my interpretation of a headstone in an Edinburgh churchyard. A fine art form I know little of is stonecarving. Such expressive manipulation of such a cold, hard, difficult medium. Burial works are examples I find particularly striking, communicating cultural values & info to those willing to observe. This headstone is an excellent example of the practice of indicating the occupation of the deceased with tools of their trade. Stone itself can represent so many things...solidity, security, harshness, & relative permanence. Primarily singular in colour on it's own, a stoncarving's years of exposure add the beautiful touches of a variety of hues through weathering and plant life, bringing character & personality to the work. An educational chat with a retired stonemason in Auchenblae has raised my appreciation for the stamina & dedication of those who take up this demanding trade.
Framed $950

Art in the Flowers

2009-10-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Life in the art world: sometimes dull, sometimes desperate. Often challenging & experienceful! Through an amazing series of miracles & a dedicated friend and fellow-artist, I flew to Scotland, exhibiting work Sept. 9-21st as part of Aberdeenshire's Northeast Open Studios event with Ian Logan at Flowers by Booth, a lovely venue in the upscale Deeside village of Cults. Such an adventure, on all levels! The exhibition space was brilliant. Our hosts Isla, Richard & Donna were unbeatable for making us feel welcome & at ease, & the visitors to the shop, whether to purchase flowers or view our exhibition, were interesting & entertaining. Definitely a great way to experience local culture, first-hand! I especially enjoy the looks on local residents' faces as they listen to me describe my work & try to connect the American accent with the Scottish artwork on the walls...! The support & encouragement we received from appreciative visitors was remarkable. I am asked regularly "why in the world I keep coming back to Scotland"....for me, there's just no question: great people, wonderful support for artists & musicians, & the fruit scones are wonderful!

R & R in Scotland!!

2009-09-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Last week brought an opportunity to reconnect with friends and favourite spots on the Black Isle (really a penninsula) across the Moray Firth from Inverness. A morning walk down to the Firth & back in the rain reminded me of all the paintings I want to do of this beautiful area! It's been amazingly warm & balmy for this time of year, & blackberries are still plentiful, but not very tasty when picked from a spot lacking in sun. It's lovely to find things appear to have changed very little here - the gold of harvested grain fields is still just as lovely against the many hues of blues & greens of sky & foliage. The old stone remains of Redcastle, once a Mackenzie stronghold, still stands, altho I notice a large new crack near the NE corner. The tide is in on the Firth, & the numerous waterbirds seem to have disappeared into thin air, where we watched a group of oystercatchers in their afternoon search for sustenance on the seaweed-covered mudflats. Note to self: carve out a good-sized chunk of time to paint here daily.

2009-07-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Whooee! An entire day to paint today…….what better way to celebrate Independence Day & personal freedom than spend one’s waking hours engaged in best-loved activities?? Put the finishing touches on “Poppies in the Garden,” a garden painting of a spot on the lovely country Novar Estate north of Dingwall in Ross-shire. The beautiful reds in the poppies, although in the shade, make a striking contrast to the cool shadows of the graceful old house and greens of the garden beyond. The main building is well worth a painting or two itself—hmmm, next trip, perhaps!

Sharing the Magic

2009-06-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Have just returned from a rewarding experience participating in Hayden Lake library's summer arts program today.....

Amy Wilkerson, herself a Scot with a sincere interest in encouraging interest in Scottish culture, organizes informative & entertaining programmes & Celtic music concerts in the area whenever possible. Today's presentation was Amy reciting an old Scots story along the lines of Rumplestiltskin (there's one in every culture, is there not?!) & sharing a bit of info about the country & culture, while I played a few tunes & shared from my photo collection. Great to see how many parents took the time to bring their children & participate, & it's always fun to see the reactions of listeners to live music & storytelling!

Artwalk Antics

2009-06-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Nearly missed Artwalk in Coeur d'Alene this month, due to it's long-standing 2nd Friday evening status.....would've felt a bit silly, as I was privileged to be invited guest artist at Cheryl Burchell Art & Design! An enjoyable evening with great people in a lovely setting, and it's always fun seeing the look of incredulity on faces when I explain what I do. Well worth a stop if you're in downtown Coeur d'Alene this summer!

On with the Games. . . .

2009-04-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

March & April were, technically speaking, DISASTERS. Losing one's domain & having to change that & contact info after all the hard work of networking is a bit daunting, but could be worse, always. A complete change of focus was in order. What better than an action-packed Highland Games weekend in the desert 10 miles outside Las Vegas?! An excellent, well-run event - outstanding music, enthusiastic, friendly people....nothing short of brilliant! Enjoyed every minute of it, & came away with renewed inspiration & energy.

Inspired Sorting

2009-02-22T17:56:00.001-08:00

Just finished listening to 'The News Quiz,' a hilarious news satire show from the BBC. I'm so grateful for the benefit of sharp minds and quick wits of others for inspiration and a dash of insightful humour to brighten the day! The point of overwhelm is easy to reach in this busy, production-oriented life. I've been escaping lately by spending time reviewing and organizing photos – ditto with my fiddle music – wonder what's up with the sudden inspiration to reach beyond the normal level of 'it's here somewhere' handle on things?? Usually when I start getting things really organized, it's a signal that a trip is in the offing. Hmmm…….

At least the painting procedure hasn't followed suit…..I've currently three in progress, a large formal garden in Ross-shire, the ancient Plough Inn on the Black Isle, and a wee colour sketch of Plockton on the West Coast…..it's no fun unless there's several different scenes and sets of challenges to solve simultaneously……!!! The red sailboat just outside of North Kessock on the Black Isle was a joy to paint, recalling pleasant hours I've spent, both with my friends and on my own, on the twisty, scene-at-every-step road that hugs the Firth between North Kessock and Milton, two tiny 'bedroom communities' of Inverness, across the impressive span of the Kessock Bridge.

To the Sea, To the Sea

2009-02-04T15:42:00.001-08:00

It's a dreich February day in North Idaho, and the fog was thick before noon. Lovely to observe, actually, with frost-covered tree branches looming out of the mist like the bowsprits of sailboats. My current residence is very pleasant, with wild turkeys and deer constantly parading the grounds and foraging beneath tall pines (and in my mother's flower beds). Still, there's an intangible something about being near salt water. Being away from it just feels as if there's something lacking! This could be attributed to one's background….who's to say….. All I know is, I'd be packed in an hour if the chance appeared to be seaside for a few days – even in winter!

Walking beaches during wild winter storms on the Pacific Coast was a highlight of my childhood Februarys: the drama of thundering seas pounding against land; storm-tossed 'flotsam and jetsam' being pushed up the beach with torpedo-like speed and force; and the fascinating piles of ocean detritus left on the beach to dig through in search of 'treasures.' I am deeply grateful to my parents for providing me with such opportunities. It is little wonder that Scottish marine subjects make up a large part of my work.

"Stonehaven Solitude" is one of several paintings based on the NE coast's lovely Stonehaven town harbour. I could spend several months harbourside and still find more subjects to paint! The water's beautiful colours under clear conditions, the myriad of 'artistic' boats, the entertaining comings-and-goings of both locals and tourists…..it's the 'bee's knees' for a painter!! This lovely wooden sailboat is a great subject – I wanted to emphasize the snug peace of the harbor in quiet times, thus the rather restful colours, water calm enough to hold cast reflections, and solid, stable, vertical lines of the pier's construction. I wonder where the boat has been, and what interesting trips it will log in the coming year? The imagination kicks in……..

Loch Duich - Did Robert Burns Stay There Too??

2009-01-25T18:22:00.000-08:00

An additional bright spot in this very gray, frosty winter week: my recent painting “Loch Duich from Kintail Hotel” (discussed in an earlier post) ,was voted by members in attendance at the monthly Coeur d’Alene Art Association meeting to hang for a month in a strategic spot at North Idaho College. Not being an enthusiastic “joiner” of anything, I bit the bullet, becoming a member over a year ago to have an activity to share with my 87-year-old mother, who (I’m jealous!) paints a minimum of 30 hours a week! Joining has benefitted us both in many unexpected ways, and I for one actually look forward to attending meetings!

Another ‘meeting,’ Scots oriented of course, that should be experienced at least once in one’s lifetime, is the Burns Supper, held (normally) on or around January 25, Rabbie Burns’ birthday, 250 years ago. Here in Idaho though, we do get a bit creative. The Scottish contingent in Kellogg 40 miles away held it’s Burns Supper in May a couple years ago – a hilarious event offering haggis and pepperoni pizza, scratchy recorded Burns poetry in an accent so thick no one understood and soon gave off trying, and some rather individualistic attendees, shall we say, who ate, drank, and interrupted the poor organizer endlessly. A priceless experience.

Having limited knowledge of one R. Burns, except for a fascinating visit to the Writer’s Museum in Lady Stair's Close off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and observing of a good number of “Rabbie Burns Slept Here” brass plaques” scattered throughout the north of Scotland on my own wanderings, it must be said that I’m heartily intrigued. His life and works have been elevated to such a degree, while he exhibited such human frailties. All in a time when church reigned supreme and would hardly condone his activities and behavior. An entire country which chooses to honour a fascinating albeit dubious character such as Burns…..well…..just one more reason why I love Scotland!

Bringing Back the Bears

2009-01-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

My dad, who’s 82, scans the morning newspaper and keeps me up to date on issues relating to wildlife – always a fascination for him. He excitedly lays out articles for me to read and discuss over breakfast. (And people wonder why I’m the way I am – raised on fur-trapping techniques & classical music!!) Earlier this week it was an article about a record-breaking bull elk, bagged somewhere in Utah. Impressive. Appeared as though the trophy rack it had carried so proudly could’ve gored 4 people at once, effortlessly. Note to self as I went over the details with dad: “Another thing I REALLY enjoy about Scotland – minimal wild beast encounters when exploring outdoors.”

Living in north and north central Idaho is a great privilege – I deeply value wild land and resources and the importance in preservation and maintenance of same. We need to protect every square inch we’ve got left worldwide. And the world would be a terribly dull place indeed without the myriad fascinating forms of life that inhabit our planet. But…. what a glorious treat to go wandering in remote Scottish hinterlands knowing there’s scarce chance of becoming dinner for a hungry wild carnivore larger than you, or accidentally disturbing a family moment in the local elk herd (been there, did that one, healed up nicely, thank you!).

Returning from several lovely days on the coast last autumn, imagine my amazement at discovering a wee sign posted on the A832 partway between Kinlochewe and Dingwall in Wester Ross advising caution when exploring – a pair of bears has been introduced in the area! There goes the stress-free hillwalking! Joking aside, I applaud intelligent efforts at the difficult and highly charged issue of reestablishing some level of balance in ecology in wildlands. I wish it and others like it success. There is nothing like the thrill of experiencing the presence of our truly magnificent fellow tenants on the planet, firsthand. I wasn’t able to locate additional information on the bear project, but do expect to find a newspaper article all about it neatly laid out for early morning discussion in the near future.....

Experiencing Skye

2009-01-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

A slow day in the studio, but time to think happens when one isn’t so rushed…..to realize that the painting I’m working on just might be done! This 30”x40” landscape is a stretch for me – I’m much more comfortable on water! The land of Gaelic myth and legend where time seems often to be frozen in space has countless Highland faces: here it’s Sligachan, a place of raw windswept beauty on the Isle of Skye in the Cuillin, Skye’s famous mountain range. Only three months ago I was out slogging around in the squishy heather, dodging intermittent freezing rain-torrents (NOT showers!) literally soaking up the scenery while my intrepid partner-in-paint Ian attempted to “capture the moment” on his watercolour pad. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! The colours…..the incredible aura of the place….who wouldn’t be inspired to cook up all kinds of fantastic tales on experiencing such grandeur…..? One feels the wisdom of all time standing in such places. Perhaps I’ll never be able to summon the words to adequately express what I felt out there, or create an entertaining story…..but the painting of the experience has allowed me to return with every bit of attention that went into this painting.....what a gift!

Paintings in Transition

2009-01-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

At last a break in this year’s extreme winter weather in Idaho. Time for sore snow-shovelling muscles to relax and brain muscles to pull together and refocus. Three paintings are in various stages of completion at the moment….the brushes are looking rested-up and ready for another go at pushing paint……has anyone read about the Bridgewater Collection in Edinburgh’s National Gallery? Twenty seven works in all, by Titian, Rembrandt, Poussin and Raphael to be dispersed and sold. Hopefully whatever happens they will remain within public access. My personal favourite is the National Portrait Gallery in the New Town, but there are many fabulous works in the National Galleries, and those in the Bridgewater Collection are breathtaking. It boggles the mind to consider the hurdles a painter must have had to overcome in order to create in past centuries. No sitting down and ordering supplies from your favourite art materials shop with a plastic card over a mobile phone!! Makes me feel a major wimp thinking of how frustrated I get when challenges such as part-time jobs, family duties and weak winter light get in my way! Back to the easel tomorrow morning, NO winging (that’s whining for you fellow north Americans!!).

Woolgathering on Kerrera

2008-12-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

The Inner Hebridean isle of Kerrera is the setting for this high key 'off-the-brushed path' painting. Visited in '04, it's off my endless 'to paint' list at last! Accessible only by boat, the peace of the place struck me the minute we stepped off the dock. Waiting to be ferried from the landing to Ardentrive Farm Hostel on the island's north end allowed a wee recconnoiter of the area and an entertaining chat with a visiting sailor, his sailboat 'Dark Island' brought north for the summer. It was obvious not many souls frequented the island, and as my son observed, it was clear he was tiring of conversing with his dog!!

The incongruity of these two hairy locals catching some shade made us laugh, and I'm glad to have had a chance to work them up in paint, recalling the fun of that day.

Relaxation in Ironwork

2008-12-20T18:51:00.001-08:00

To unbend (or is that unwind....?) from all the detail, this spike from an ironwork fence in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis said “Paint me….(hmmm, is the odourless thinner I use really lower in toxins…..? ” The simple grace of the metalwork is accentuated by the weathering of numerous layers of paint – each leaves it’s own colour impression on the texture of the worked metal…..an absolutely gorgeous mix of colours……! I had to fight the temptation for realism all the way, consciously working to be loose with both the brush and paint. A very pleasant challenge bringing back a summer Sunday (one travels not on Sundays in the Hebrides) exploring Stornoway’s streets and harbor, enjoying at once the salt air and smell of lovely gardens full of flowers in the sun.

Pennan's Off the Easel!

2008-12-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

It’s 10 days till Christmas, the time of year when we traditionally run ourselves ragged pursuing cultural dictates of overspending, overindulging, overextending. Years of buying into the ‘program’ have taught me well: when holidays rear their demanding heads, do what feels best: paint, play music & socialize! Everything will still be there in January, right where I left it!

The very early spring scene of Pennan, ‘High Shore’ is completed, although rather more realistic than I’d like. The stark white exteriors of Scottish buildings are a challenge to render ‘artistic!’ Practice…..squinting…..more practice…..

Bow & Brush Bridges to Scotland

2008-12-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

A fine evening spent sitting in with local Celtic band Turning Tide has topped off a good day. It’s amazing how the music can both energize and soothe me simultaneously. I sorely miss the outstanding sessions and my friends in Stonehaven and Aberdeen, but Mel, Mo, Char and Dave are a deeply appreciated support in Coeur d’Alene and it’s a privilege to play with them. Music has been a great stabilizer in my life, providing focus, solace and entertainment for a lonely, isolated child. It’s been literally a lifesaving outlet ever since I began attempting to master an instrument. Although playing has been an integral part of life for many years, I’d not realized what a tangible barometer of my own mental well-being it is……and when a part of my daily schedule, the painting creativity is in turn stimulated like none other ... creativity fueling creativity.....interesting.....long may it continue!

The Brig O’ Dee is today’s contemplation on winter in Aberdeen - overcast, the air clear and cold, trees bare of leaves, and the grass ever-green and thriving. The history of the Bridge is long and colourful – I’ve walked it many times on foot alongside the present- day thundering traffic through all kinds of weather. Images of being wiped off the narrow walkway by an overextended vehicular appendage still loom large in memory. Not to mention the near-out-of-body experiences halfway across when a mini cooper full of young loons swoops by as they yell at the top of their lungs to make you jump, and then laugh hysterically, all eyes glued on you to see if you take leave of your senses completely and jump into the river.....
Possibly the 21st century equivalent to an early Scots peasant minding his/her own business just trying to cross in or out of the city in a peaceful manner amid carts and carriages! I left out the distracting metal framework of the cars and lorries to focus on the lovely colours of the ancient bridgework. A graceful scene, this,on solid ground, out of reach of the busy motorway, any time of year.

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Coffee in the Fog

2008-12-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

The ‘dark days of Decembre’ are certainly here in North Idaho. Thick fog today….. reminds me of the Haar creeping silently in from offshore along Scotland’s coastline. No hint of sea sounds or smells up here though, on the hill just above Coeur d’alene proper, just a couple ghostly deer munching on the front lawn, and the parade of big bronze-feathered wild turkeys making their daily tour round of the neighborhood.

A good day for many things; for yours truly a chance to dig into the paints and muck about in the grays of an Aberdonian winter day, study over the details of operating a big Epson printer who has come to take up residence in my studio area, practice fiddle, and partake of a favourite indulgence, a cup of strong, black cafetiere-brewed coffee. Cafetieres are wonderful inventions, simple, lightweight, easy to clean, requiring only hot water & good quality grounds to produce a superior sensory experience (half the joy of good coffee is the smell, you know!). I am amazingly fortunate in visiting a nation of tea drinkers that my friends all include cafetieres ― usually in at least two sizes ― in their kitchen paraphernalia. This particular tool for brewing the perfect cup lives at a must-visit charismatic establishment, John Briggs’ Persian Carpet Shop on Allardice Street in Stonehaven. The sea view out the window was tempting, but the bright colours of the oilcloth table cover and produce won out!

Painting Experience

2008-12-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of paint is being able to create a "masterpiece" on any size substrate. I like to vary canvas sizes & dimensions with each painting - makes for challenges in the framing department, but who wants to think that far ahead???! This is a 'wee shottie' at Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich in the Highlands - the absolute power one wields in being able to shrink a monstrous, stately heap o'stane (stone) to a mere 4"x5" canvas!

Making one's way across the castle's stone bridge bent double to stay upright in gale force winds tips the scales in the power department. A light smattering of visitors crazy enough to attempt the bridge made for a pleasant, uncrowded opportunity to explore and contemplate life in the Highlands through the centuries. The steady buffetting of the October winds against and around metres-thick stone provided background sound adding immeasurably to the experience. How can all this be conveyed in a tiny scrap of canvas and a few gobs of paint? It can't, as far as I know, but through this and every other attempt, I learn to appreciate more and more the creative efforts of myself and others.

Words & Weathers in the Highlands

2008-11-30T18:26:00.000-08:00

Weather. I believe it to be one of the hottest topics for conversation since the world began. In our family, speaking of the weather is equivalent to asking after your health, & saying ‘I’m glad to see you,’ all in one go. I imagine this far-reaching method of indirect communication must originate from life in a harsh environment, where every syllable counted, the excess lost to the wind. Wind brings variety in weather, and there was no shortage on both counts on Skye and surrounds in October! “Loch Duich from Kintail Hotel” sums it up for me – incredibly wild, changeable skies, full of colour and mesmerizing cloud formations, above autumn land and waterscapes to make a painter sigh with pleasure (that or go mad attempting to discern where to begin !). We enjoyed this view from the warmth of the hotel bar, sipping strong coffees and chuckling over the informative announcement by the barkeep that the “truffles & coffee” advertised on the entryway slate were not served till teatime, as the pigs had not yet returned from a successful rootle in the hinterlands that day…! I’ll never again look at a chocolate truffle quite the same way!

City Fathers, or is That 'Mithers?'

2008-11-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

Leave it to a painter (me) to title a painting of two old familiars in Aberdeen’s town centre “City Fathers”……I’ve just learned that the Kirk of St Nicholas is termed the “Mither Kirk” of the city………oy! Havn’t found anything on the incredibly twisted & gnarled ancient tree in the kirkyard as of this writing to give it feminine tendencies – if anyone does, well…..aye, I might want to know!! Ah well…..both fascinate me, and the strong contrast of the living thing, dark with damp bark and contorted in it’s complex growing pattern and the stark stone structure reaching up with gothic fingers to a blustery sky were an inspiration and challenge to paint. I didn’t manage to take time out to visit them this trip, as a variety of interesting things vied for my attention, including one of the Belmont Theatre’s offerings,“Stone of Destiny,” An entertaining way to absorb a bit of 20th Century Scots history!

Blogging, Guilt & Touring Scotland

2008-11-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

For those of us born with an excessive sense of responsibility in life, I've concluded blogs were created as a special kind of torture! Yet something else to compete with precious time for living a creative life.....ah well, think more cohesively, type faster, & get on with it!!

Just returned from 20 action-packed days in the north of Scotland, it's been a great 'shot in the arm' for inspiration & good spirits. I'm now ready to dig in & finish that big Pennan harbourscape that's been getting the best of me, and pursue my pet project: market & exhibit my work in Scotland in a series of 3 exhibitions to help support TMSA, the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland in their work preserving and nurturing Scottish musical culture. More on that shortly.

The trip held many wonderful things for me, & a major highlight was a week of adventure exploring the Black Isle and out to the coast to Plockton, & around Skye with my entertaining companion, fellow painter & musician Ian Logan of Cults. Not nearly enough actual creating was accomplished as it WAS October with it's turbulent weather, but the breathtaking scenery, entertaining local citizenry, & interesting places made up in spades for lack of painting production! I did manage a few quick doodles here & there, & Ian actually got full drawings laid out for later watercolour paintings.

It was impossible to re-connect with all I'd hoped to see & speak with, in an effort to catch up with their interesting, busy lives since last I've been by...frustrating, yet deeply rewarding in what was accomplished. Already have a list going for a return trip.....blog or no blog.....!

New Venue in CDA

2008-08-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

August, the month that should be renamed ACTIVITY, is drawing to a close. Just finished is a commisson for Keith Shannon of Harrison Dock Builders, translating
an idea of floathomes along the St. Joe river into an actual full-colour painting complete with flower-pots and moored watercraft gracing the structures. Hope it communicates his idea with clarity – dealing with intangibles such as ‘ideas’………the term dicey comes to mind!

I am thrilled to announce that my work is now available in Coeur d’Alene through All Things Irish, a lovely specialty shop offering an extensive selection of Irish goods and gifts right downtown at 315 E Sherman. Ilene and Craig have expanded to include a Scottish section also, and a number of my original works are displayed, in addition to my Fine Art cards and ‘boutique’ sized limited edition reproductions.
Established nearly ten years ago, All Things Irish has received awards for ‘best gift shop’ several years running from an Inland Empire survey. The ambiance and the staff make browsing among the displays a great experience in itself, and well worth taking the time for an uplifting visit to the Celtic countries, right here in Coeur d’Alene!

Art on the Street 2009

2008-08-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

The morning after…….is there such a thing as ‘hangover’ from an arts & crafts fair? Always feel a bit odd the 1st day after a show, maybe from the high concentration of good connections, laughs & fun all infused in a 3-day period! Art on the Street has grown incredibly & the opportunity to participate was a great gift for me. Still one of the best ways to gamble I’ve ever come across, erecting, filling and manning a booth is quite an undertaking, but rewarding just the same, in so many ways. Friends I don’t normally see stop in for quick hugs & updates, fellow artists drop by with good wishes & personal insights on the fairs & biz, customers & browsers chat & give their uplifting reactions to my work…..it’s all just FUN! The yearly piping school at North Idaho College had just concluded, & Spokane’s annual Highland Games took place on Saturday, so a sprinkling of Celtophiles, pipers and Scots enthusiasts added to the already enjoyable mix of visitors and conversations. All in all, a GREAT fair, and a lovely weekend!

Summer Art Fair

2008-08-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

It’s art fair time in Coeur d’Alene…..and THIS year the weather’s going to be perfect – I can feel it in my bones! A double-booth at Art on the Street and a heavy summer thunderstorm several years ago made me resolve NEVER to do an outdoor show again….never is obviously too long a time! I’ll be showing originals, cards & limited editions in a booth in front of Bella Rose (between 2nd&3rd on Sherman) this coming weekend, & there will be NO sign of inclement weather!!

I do anticipate a bit of heat, but standing among paintings containing chill salt water & gray Scottish skies will help to offset that melting feeling one gets at summer art fairs! ‘Dunnottar Castle from the Sea’ will hang within easy glance to provide ‘cool’ at a moment’s notice! Dunnottar is, so far, my favourite castle. A bit over a mile south of Stonehaven on the NE coast, it is most fun to approach by the footpath from town, walking alongside fields of waving grain (absolutely gorgeous just before harvest time) and on the edge of long, rough cliffs dropping down to the beach below. It’s a goal to paint plein air here, but it’s going to have to be on a chilly day – the stench from seabird guano on hot days is frightful!

Access to the castle is by steep cliffside stairs dropping to near-beach level. Once through the ticket gate, it’s an amazing world of stonework, human history and survival.
I could spend days wandering the grounds, learning of life as it must have been, for those who had, and for those who had aught. I’ve been fortunate to view the castle from the water side, sailing & mackerel fishing – makes quite an impression as to inaccessibility even today! More on Dunnottar Castle: Dunnottar

Calling Scotland........

2008-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

I painted the Pennan callbox today! A small thing, I know, but to many of us, Scots or no, it’s a callbox of some significance!

Pennan was a sleepy village and well kept Scottish secret until writer Bill Forsyth wrote and directed 1983 film Local Hero starring Burt Lancaster, Fulton Mackay, Denis Lawson, Peter Reigert, Rikki Fulton, Jenny Seagrove and Jennifer Black. Lovely theme music is by one of my fav’s, Mark Knopfler (remember Princess Bride?) Local Hero told the story of an oil tycoon with a penchant for astronomy who sends a representative to Pennan to buy up property for an oil refinery. The usual ‘big money talks’ scenario doesn’t work with ALL the locals, specifically a curmudgeonly character living on the beach, & plans, minds & hearts are altered as the spell of the village & it’s stunning surroundings does it’s work. The ’08 Glasgow Film Festival held a special screening marking Local Hero’s 25th anniversary.

Details of Pennan lent much character to the film, particularly the traditional red BT call box which Mac the rep used each night to phone oil baron Happer with his report. The Pennan Inn, one of the smallest bars in Scotland, was also a highlight! There was no workable phone box before the film was shot. Pennan’s first box was a movable prop placed to appear nearer the pier! Visitors, movie buffs and locals campaigned successfully to BT to install a genuine functional red call box. It is the most called box in Scotland. BT have traced these back to tourists phoning a relative and asking them to ring back! Now a listed building, the box sports paint specially designed for oil rigs, providing protection for metal work from the harsh North Sea and winds.

That said, maybe I can get on with the painting – a 4’ landscape of the village – a bit of a challenge for one who revels in myopic studies of rust…hmmm…..wonder what the callbox would look like if they hadn’t used that industrial strength paint…….???

Studying Rust

2008-07-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

Rusty metalwork is to me like candy to a toddler – just can’t get enough! The COLOURS!! Especially near salt water – it seems to add a particularly kaleidoscopic quality to the array of colour found in rust & decaying metal. I’d like to do an entire series on rusted objects, which, hmm, seems to surreptitiously be materializing…..rusted boat hulls & parts, rusty locks, eroded doorknockers….! Technorati Profile

This ‘gorgeous’ padlock & hasp secures a yellow-painted door on the High Street in Montrose, a seacoast town full of history and interesting wee shops. The light is often diffused & softened in Scotland, no matter the time of day, so strong contrasts of darks & lights using shadow is not as much of an issue as in clearer atmospheres. This offers the enjoyable challenge of speaking through subtlety, creating depth with an emphasis on value & warm/cool colour contrasts. Fun!

Reunion Painter-Style

2008-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Funny how you put hours into a painting, focusing, observing, unfocusing, choosing colours, losing patience, beginning again – hoping to sell the finished product, hoping it doesn’t sell because you LIKE it, then actually MISSING it once it’s out of the studio! Was in my fav of CDA’s coffeeshops yesterday, Bella Rose between 2nd & Sherman, who kindly host a large wall of my work, and looking at the paintings was like getting reacquainted with old friends!! Think I’m losing the plot!

Celtic Music Festival Blues

2008-07-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

It’s Folk Festival time in Stonehaven next weekend – I imagine most of the usual charismatic suspects plus a whole lot of new faces will be attending, with wee sessions going on ‘roon’ the toon’ and harbourside…. the eyes water as I think of the fun I’ve had trying to keep up with hard-driving tunes and jam-packed time schedules, so as not to miss a performance or chance to sit in on a ‘crackin’ session!’ Am very thankful for help staying focused on the positive in a wee monthly gig downtown at Art Spirit entertaining Artwalk attendees – a brilliant opportunity for exposure for my work and to share some of my favourite tunes.

Music-oriented as I am, I’ve done a small series of paintings celebrating Celtic music, my long-suffering fiddle being the subject! It’s a Sanctus Serafini copy, ca. 1823 (I know, by rights I should’ve painted a fiddle made by a Scots luthier, but had none handy here in Idaho!) By appearance it’s either been well-loved, or had rather a hard life depending on one’s viewpoint, having undergone some extensive reparations. Plays a fine tune, though, depending on the player(!), & is a treasured companion.

The images are meant to go beyond the music, to invite the viewer into a more intimate aspect of a musician’s experience, the sheer pleasure of the beauty and form of our instruments. Thus, you see the fiddle depicted in multiple perspectives and angles one wouldn’t normally see unless working with the instrument personally. I created the series in a more anal phase of my painting career, trying to get every dot of paint just in the right spot. The dark backgrounds suggest our murky past – for the most part undefined and undiscernable, yet full of everything (all colours combined makes murk!) that makes Celtic culture what it is today. Celtic knotwork, composed of several colours (cultures) and populated with many, many ‘wee blobs’ (people) is placed behind each fiddle image to represent a flexible, yet extremely strong grounding in the music and heritage of the Celtic countries.

Hieland Coos, or Just Plain Great Hairy Beasties

2008-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

They’ve got to be related to wooly mammoths somewhere down the line. And the Irish strain of them at that, masses of red hair & all. I’ve rather enjoyed the company of cattle, having had the opportunity to work at length around them in my college days. Peaceful creatures for the most part – pleasant, plodding munchers turning vegetable matter into animal protein. I find Highlanders even more appealing with their thick coats, all but reminding one of teddy bears sporting horns for play. And the long shaggy fringe hiding their big, glossy dark eyes – well, aye – I know it’s got to have evolved to help fend off midgies, but it just adds to their overall fuzziness, & makes you just want to hop the fence & give a good scratch behind their ears & make friends!

This painting was inspired by a pair of great bullocks lazing on Nover Estate north of Dingwall in summer. The closer animal struck me as rather statuesque reclining in the lush grass, appearing to have taken great care to distribute his bulk evenly for balance and appearance’s sake to the benefit of passers-by (although it was on the quiet lane of a large estate). The more distant fellow reminded me of a lump. Melted butter, but red-brown. Caramelized. But a lump. Must’ve been hot out there in the sun with all that hair. I enjoyed the challenge of describing the ‘lump’ & the ‘statue,’ adjusting colours and values just enough to give the impression of a hot summer day and the Highlanders taking their ease.

Not Just Any Cat

2008-07-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

Still drying is a wee painting of Sam, one of my favourite cat pals in Scotland, formerly of a busy, kindly family who takes in stray cats and painters (!) in the tiny community of Tore on the Black Isle, Ross-shire. I’ve heard this spring he’s no more to be seen sleuthing around the big Farm House on Redcastle Estate. Living a charmed rural life of freedom and independence, he was a charmer himself, sticking like GLUE when he decided yours was the lucky lap he was going to occupy for a good cuddle! I chose to paint him in one of his most favoured spots, a kitchen chair on the Aga side of the big pine trestle table, ostensibly snoozing in the warmth, but on closer inspection keeping a weather eye out for all activity that had to do with food!

Although I’ve limited experience painting animals, it was a joy to watch him come life as the painting took shape. The placemat, which I’ve discovered to be as necessary on a Scottish table as cutlery, posed maybe more of a challenge than Sam’s fur, but I’m quite satisfied with the overall result, and the making the painting of my wee furry friend has helped to reinforce all the enjoyment I had of his companionship

Reasoning Through.......

2008-06-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Curious indeed is the stuff that makes humans tick. A lovely summer’s eve a week past the solstice in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: Most of a week has been spent reconnecting with paint & canvas after a long dry spell, & writing for the black hole of descriptive sentences called Marketing Tools. I am so fortunate in all that I consider: great friends & family, pleasant surroundings, excellent health, absorbing interests, safe & healthy food. What more could one ask? That’s EASY……to return to Scotland! Understanding of this draw of a distant land & culture has become a non-issue – it’s of no matter why, just when!

My focus on painting Scottish subject matter exclusively began during a 2-month trip to explore and collect material for paintings in 2003. My passion for the subject matter and for painting has only deepened since. It is my sincere hope to encourage others in appreciation & learning about Scottish culture through my paintings and music.

Affirmation in the World of Celtic

2008-05-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

Who says an artist gets to create in their chosen medium?? Today it's been research in front of the computer screen rather than the easel, but rewarding all the same. Affirmation of one's own ideas & values is a welcome find for proposal crafting & solidifying of concepts. A site of particular note to me is Saorsa Media, a fascinating compendium of information & resources in support of preserving & encouraging Highland Scots culture & Gaelic.