Sketching and Painting Holidays
The pastel blue sky and perfect reflections of Lochinver in the glassy bay outside my window this morning were deceptive. I certainly needed my polo-neck sweater and duvet jacket on my walk. A thin layer of frost covers everything and, as the sun has already reached its zenith, it’s unlikely to thaw this afternoon. It … Read more
Hands up…. who’s ready for a sketching holiday somewhere warm and toasty?Somewhere you don’t have to rush to the window as soon as you wake up in order to decide what clothes to put on, and in how many layers? Somewhere you’ve never been, or a favourite haunt you’ve always wanted to paint…. if you … Read more
Meet the locals What’s the most important part of a painting holiday?The wonderful subject matter, the tuition and advice, learning a new medium or honing your skills?The chatting and laughing, friendship, inspiration and encouragement from your companions?The weather, scenery and relaxation? The food, the fabrics and immersion in a different culture – and the chance … Read more
Let’s face it, the last couple of years have been a bit of a nightmare for everyone. There will not be many corners of the world left untouched by Covid 19, and whether you have been unlucky enough to fall ill yourself or have lost a loved one; suffered financially, mentally or emotionally, it’s almost … Read more
The disappointing drizzle which, although obscuring the mountaintops, had begun to fill the rather paltry waterfalls after a long, dry spell, began to clear as we pulled into the beach car park for our first glimpse of the long crescent of white sand. Watching the still-glowering sky, we decided to leave our packed lunches in … Read more
What to do when you were hoping to paint the landscape on location but it’s blowing a hoolie, raining horizontally and the mountains are having a duvet day, as we say here on the West Coast?Perhaps you have an injury or disability which prevents you from walking far, or you just don’t fancy sitting on … Read more
With the popularity of ‘staycations’ this year, it’s inevitable that Assynt is busier than I have ever known it, as news of its beauty, tranquility and warm welcome reach previously uninitiated ears.In fact I’d go as far as to say it’s pretty inundated, and not always in a good way. You may have seen reports … Read more
For some time now, I’ve been hung up on trees. Not literally, I hasten to add… but when you’ve spent a good few years living somewhere trees are scarce, you really do appreciate having them around. They’re just huge, overgrown weeds really, aren’t they, yet nearly everyone feels some kind of affinity with them, conscious … Read more
When is a holiday not a holiday? When it is work, I suppose, although it’s difficult to know where one ends and the other begins. All travel is good travel as far as I’m concerned, and I truly love what I do! I am so lucky to spend my time in some of the world’s … Read more
It was during the blissful, if hardworking, season employed as art tutor for a mountain holidays company that I fully discovered my love of watercolour, and at the same time, realised what a completely perfect setting I found myself in, surrounded each day by views that even the most brush-shy would long to paint, and … Read more
