Finished I think

 

I have been working on a couple more wee watercolours of ruinous Scottish buildings. One is a couple of cottages built close together out of darkish grey stone (second image above); and the other is a barn built with a brownish stone with a stone roof that is totally covered in an orange lichen (first image above). The wee cottages had quite a bit of stuff stacked against the walls and plants growing in the gutters.

A couple of progress photos follow.

And photos of the penultimate versions of the two watercolours.

The title says I think they are finished; but there are times that one feels that one just has not captured the subjects. But as Fiona say - there are times that you just have to walk away!!!!

"Cabinet of Curiosities"

  

It is hard to know what to call a post assemblage that has many small horizontal surfaces for displaying curiosities picked up here and there. Fiona came up with the thought that we often display our bits and pieces in cabinets so why couldn't a outdoor assemblage be a sort of display cabinet; and so this post got it's name - Cabinet of Curiosities Post.

We have installed a few found bits and pieces as you can see from the opening photo; but we are sure to add and subtract and move more around over time. The origin of this post was in cube cutoffs that remained from other assemblages and The Fishers Post; and a column created from 16 lengths of timber from our roof slate boxes - as you can see in the photos below.

After testing the post on a flagstone out the front I hauled it around the back to tweak it.

Following are some detail photos.

There are now 5 assemblage posts out the front of the cottage - we think that might be enough out front.

Out on a sunny day

 

Last Friday Fiona and I made the most of a fine sunny day by going to Tongue; and walking up to Castle Varrich. The views towards the Kyle of Tongue (above) and the mountains to the south (below) were crisp and gorgeous.

A couple of photos of the walk and the castle follow.

Sitting at Talmine beach having lunch after our walk - the boat wreck is still one of my favourites.

Looking towards the mountains on our drive to Tongue - we love the layers of mountains.

Most days looking to the horizon at the cove are shrouded in cloud, haar and rain; but yesterday the horizon was clear.

The days here have many moods; and one needs to get out a savour each one.

Revived and revisited

Fiona and I gave The Fishers post a clean (see photos above) before the S2 students from Farr High School came to visit and hear about her exhibition Hame.

Last year we did an aluminium etching workshop with two classes (S1 & S2) at the high school; and turned their combined etched aluminium plates into a sculptural memorial post that is now called the The Fishers post. S1 class of course are now S2 and we suspected they might want to check out the post during their visit. As you can see from the photos below, with Tracy their art teacher, we were right. As soon as they got off the bus they made a bee line for the post and spent some time rejoicing in finding their art works on the post.

Following are some images of the cleaning - gently done with a stainless steel scourer, soap, water and cleaning rags. We were removing 12 months of light grey-white corrosion (see last photo) caused by the salt air.

It brought Fiona and I much joy to see the young people expressing pride in their publicly displayed art work. Over the last year some of the students had brought family members to the Annex to show them their work. The following day this year's S1s who visited Fiona's exhibition also visited the post; and some did rubbings of art done by their older siblings. 

International Day of Peace 2024

 

There is no doubt at all that in so many places and so many corners of the globe we need peace. On 21 September once again we pause for peace - on International Day of Peace we can send vibes out that maybe we can give peace a chance.

This afternoon in preparation for tomorrow Fiona and I installed our peace doves and peace weather grams on the fence and in the plum tree beside our cottage in Scotland. Before we left our Maleny home we installed doves and weathergrams - giving peace a chance at our two homes.

In the opening photo and following are a few images of the peace weather grams and peace doves. At the cottage some of the doves and weather grams are installed on barbed wire - we think the barbed wire symbolises war and unjust and illegal imprisionment.

Tomorrow morning Fiona and I will pause by the fence and tree and consciously send vibes of peace to wherever they are needed - may peace have a chance.

Standing stones and moon glimpses

 

On the last evening of our trip to Orkney (Friday), Fiona and I decided to visit the standing stone of Brogan and Stenness. As it turned out it was fine and apart from sheep and the occasional bird we had the sites to ourselves as you can see from the photos above and below.

Last night, or rather early this morning, I managed to glimpse the full moon through a very dew covered back window. It was interesting how the moonlight lite the countryside.