SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO
I came face to face with this old boy in the Queen’s Drive woods. I felt honoured and it was a very special moment, but too close for comfort…14 points on his horns! His ears dropped and he did a little shuffle as we eyed each other. after what felt like forever, I decided to pass him with just one close line of trees separating us on my path home…my heart!! I painted him on an aluminium panel not long after. The title is taken from lyrics by The Clash (Should I stay or should I go now? If I go, there will be trouble and if I stay it will be double). He's been added to my shop here
FUNERAL FLOWERS
My sweet girl makes small graves for birds she finds sometimes. Gently laying flowers she picked especially at the head of the corpse and collects carefully selected twigs and special stones. Sad, but mostly curious, she ensures the tiny soul who had been a little too slow to escape the cat has a beautiful place to rest in peace for a while.
FINDING FEATHERS, HOARDING HORNS, BORROWING BONES
We like to collect small treasures on family walks – pretty rocks, and wildflowers to press. That kind of thing. We love to be in nature. We like to find feathers and try to identify who may have lost them. The kids will pick up sticks to poke in the mud or turn into magic wands. To find a cast roe deer horn or stag antler in the woods is a huge prize. There’s a natural curiosity about death and one of us is a keen bone collector.
A solo exhibition of my works is being shown at St. Margaret's, Braemar in the Cairngorms National Park. the show focuses on the landscape in which we play, highlighting the importance of connecting with nature during the coronavirus pandemic and weaving together a collection of nearly 40 works and experiences.
WHERE’S ALLAN?
Much loved mannequin with a bad fake tan and dodgy ponytail who gave us all a good laugh when he appeared during the January covid pandemic lockdown…even more so when kidnapped weeks later, last seen being bundled into a beige car by three men. The story made the headlines and Zoe Ball appealed for his return on her breakfast show. Gaffer taped and tied to the fence on the A93 Glenshee Road he was there to help slow traffic coming into the village and save the red squirrels crossing the road. You can find two prints of Allan in my shop here and here
IN A DREAM
One of the most beautiful, surreal experiences I’ve ever had, and very lucky to have shared it with my family on a hot sunny day while out walking in Craig Leek. We happened to walk into a huge swarm of Red Admiral butterflies during mating season, and we kept on walking through them dancing in the air for about 10 minutes or so until they weren’t there - as suddenly as they had appeared. As though there was a clear start and finish line. My girl was a bit younger then and said she thought she must be in a dream, as did we all.
SMOKE ON THE HILLS
Built-in the early 17th Century, Braemar Castle tells an interesting story. For the last 10 years, the castle has been owned and run by the local community.
I love painting interesting and beautiful architecture. On this particular day, we were enjoying a long walk by the river. There was smoke in the hills providing the most mystical, gothic backdrop to the castle. An eerie sight - which is just my kind of thing. A limited edition of 10 prints is in the shop here
LOUIS WAIN
I came across this sweet print of a wonderful painting by the outsider artist Louis Wain hung in one of our local pubs, just before our second lockdown on Boxing day. Louis Wain is one of my favourite artists and I love this one of a cat playing the bagpipes. Where we live the pipes are a familiar sound throughout the year and especially at Hogmanay. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year . . . good health and happiness to all in 2021!
POSSIBILITIES . . .
When I was a girl, I loved reading fairy stories and being transported into those other safer and far more interesting worlds of imagination. When your young and your whole life still lies ahead the imagined possibilities are endless and exciting. It only starts to get a bit boring when you grow up.
I’ve always loved the fox since reading those books way back when and felt so sorry for the way they were portrayed in the stories read. I dreamt of looking for adventure - us two outsiders together.