Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Ben Nevis from Banavie
I haven't written this blog for over three weeks , mainly due to the rush to get things done before Christmas- making cards and sending presents.I have done very little sketching but I have been panting. Above is a picture I painted as a present showing Ben Nevis from Banavie with the reflection of the mountain in the Caledonian canal.
We did do some running over Christmas although the weather wasn't good - strong winds and cold driving rain. All the same it was a very enjoyable few days; it is a shame it goes so fast. Tomorrow I'm back at work with a long stint on call over the New Year.

Sunday, 4 December 2016

Recent Paintings

Here's a picture of the canal near Beeleigh painted from a photo I took when I was in Essex a few weeks ago . I have painted this tree several times but mostly in the summer with the sun shining  through the translucent green leaves with cool deep reflections in the water. This time it was a surprisingly sunny late November day. Most of the trees had lost their leaves but not the oaks which were still resplendent in their golden crowns.
This is another picture I painted this weekend. It's of the east shore of Loch Lomond a few miles north of Balmaha from a photo I took when I did a 3 day West Highland Way this summer. Both these paintings are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Last week purchased a pair of vibram five fingers. I have been tempted by these weird looking running shoes( they are like gloves for feet with separate toe pockets) since I first read Born to Run about six years ago However I was put off by the price (£100 or more) and  my fear that they are a bit gimmicky. However I spotted apair for £67 on Amazon and took the plunge So far I have been very impressed . They are very comfortable and have a more protective sole and better grip than many of the other minimalist shoes I have tried.