Mainly haar droplets

 

We had a couple of days of very thick haar - a cold sea fog that blanketed quite a lot of our area. One of the positive outcomes of the haar was the small droplets of water deposited on plants, webs and veggies. A few of my favourites from a morning walk are shared here - including the photo of wool caught in a gorse bush and crusted with haar droplets..

A couple of other things that caught my eye included an almost perfect dandelion seed head; a beautiful butterfly on the cotoneaster bush outside the cottage kitchen; and twin lambs born at the northern end of the village.

I am so grateful that so much simple beauty is available free to bring hope and uplift one's spirit.

Wee cottages and birds for Pop-Up Art Show

 

Fiona and I are still finishing bits and pieces for our upcoming art show in the Armadale Village Hall on 17-18 May. 

I'm still working on some wee cottage forms and a couple of comfort birds.  The opening photo shows the work bench in the Workshop aka garden shed. I have decided to paint the birch cottages rather than burn them - better for indoors? 

In the photo below you can see both mine and Fiona's cottages in different stages of completion.

Below is a pile of rusty bit cut ready for windows and doors on my cottages.

Following are a few photos of cottages in different stages of completion.

I'm up to sanding the two birds - not sure I will have time to make any more.

Funny how it all gets to be busy a week or two out from opening day!!!!

Last two watercolours for the Pop-Up Art Show

 

As per the opening image Fiona and I are holding a two day Pop-up Art Show on Sat 17 & Sun 18 May in the Armadale Village Hall. On show and sale will be my postcard size watercolours; and Fiona's solid silver pebble inspired earrings and pendants. We will have some other bits and pieces including Fiona's cards, her collages etc; and my leaf inspired pieces and metal boats and books.

On Thursday I worked on two watercolours based on images of building in Melvich - see workstation image below.

Images of the finished pieces follow.

We are now full on doing the promotion and inventory paperwork!!!!!  

Welcomed home by blossoms

 

Our trip to Norway was beautiful; but it is also grand to be back at the cottage and in the highlands. Be cause we are in the spring-summer time we are being uplifted by the blossoms in the yard - fruit blossoms and blossoms for the bees.

Above and below are a few of the flowers that welcomed us home including the wee flowers on the holly bush - immediately below.

The daffodils are all but done but you can see they are being replaced by other beauty.

Cottage prototypes - his and hers

 

I grabbed a small amount of time to progress one style of the wee cottages I am making. 

The process-progress has revealed that there is likely to be at least two styles of cottage - mine more literal with rust metal doors and windows and grey roofs (see above) and Fiona's which are likely to be minimalist white (similar to those below). 

Of course there will be the burnt series as well.

Below is an image of cut and painted forms.

Following is another photo of my literal style.

Over the next couple of weeks Fiona and I will make a bunch of each of the styles!!!!

The beauty of droplets and a couple of bumble bees

 

We had light overnight rain that coated blossoms and leaves in beautiful clear droplets. I have always been captivated by crystal like droplets and often try to capture the beauty on the iPhone.

This post is a celebration of the beauty of droplets.

Whilst taking droplet photos a bumble bee was having a fine time collecting nectar from the rosemary flowers.

It brings me joy to find droplets in clear light so they can be celebrated.

Cottages and salvaged timber

 

In keeping with my wee cottage earring theme I/we have decided it would be fun to make some small timber cottages out of salvaged timber. You can see from the opening and following photo I have cut some from a block of birch. Fiona and I have discussed the possibility of charring these.

Following are forms cut from salvaged and worn timber. We have discussed the possibility of applying and sanding back some paint on these.

When we were at Loch Fine we found a piece timber from a boat that was on the shore. We think the timber is red cedar. I have used part of the timber to make a quirky cheese board. 

And talking of cottages - the northern wall of the cottage has been sealed with a coat of micro seal paint. The paint also covers a very poor harling job done in the past.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will be able to share photos of completed small cottages.