Random fragments from the iphone to end off this trip to the cottage. The photo above is of burnt bushes on the hillside above the cottage - moody moonlight and through a misty window pane; and the last photo is of the cottage at dawn.
Hopefully there will be a next time next year.
I had no goal regarding the number of postcard sized watercolours I would do at the cottage - I just wanted to continue to be inspired by the buildings and to enjoy capturing some of their individuality. As you can see I have completed 8 watercolours - roughly one for each week.
Images of the individual watercolours follow - from last to first.
I'm hoping some of these will make their way into the small exhibition I'm having in Deckled Edge Press Studio Gallery at the end of November.
I have made as many stones with inlaid solid silver that I can on this trip. All stones except the cross for Graham are in the opening photo. Following are some process photos including shiny stones where I have added a coat of oil to bring out the colour. I wipe the excess oil off and the stone tends to retain the deepened colour.
The two pairs of stones following are going to new homes.
The four below will go into our studio gallery shop when we reach our Maleny home.
I am pleased with what I have achieved.
The moonlight was so clear and bright one morning that we were casting the strongest moon shadows.
Such beauty simply makes one's spirit sing.
A few progress images follow.
The watercolour below of the Syre church is one of my first of the corrugated iron buildings.
Over the last week I have completed three projects: some cupped stones for friends; a cupped stone for installation at our front door; and replacing the Armadale stone cottage in the Stone Cottages artwork that was exhibited in my Betrayal and Loss exhibition SNM 2023.
Cup carvings in stones is an ancient form of decoration-art and was used by the Picts in the Highlands. Nobody really knows the meaning or purpose of creating the cups; but to me it is a conscious act by folk many years ago. Carving these stones seems to me to be a way of making a connection with artisans of the past.
Three of the four finished stones for friends I carved cup marks into can be seen in the opening photo; and the original stones and the fourth stone can be seen below.
During earlier visits I had carved two stones for our front door wee stone installation - I managed to carve a third stone (pink) to make up a trio - see photo below.
The original Armadale Cove stone cottage that was part of the Stone Cottages artwork made its way to our deck in Maleny. I wanted to recreate the set by carving another cottage out of an Armadale Cove stone. As you can see below this has been done; and the installation of 5 is set in a gravelled corner out the back of the cottage. The cottage photo was taken in the rough before finessing it.
I am pleased to say I have achieved my stone carving goals for this trip.