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.

One swallow doesn't make a Summer

On Tuesday I saw my first house martins at Acharacle  and today I saw a swallow.I was almost as excited as when I heard my first cuckoo  2 weeks ago.
 The leaves are starting to appear on some trees but the oaks are still bare. I sketched the trees above today; they are broken and battered but full of life, green with mosses and lichens, studded with bracket fungus  and with ferns growing in the crooks of the branches.

Today is election day.
.I'm not a fan of politics or politicians but for once there is more choice and the result is not a foregone conclusion.Perhaps if no party gets a clear majority they will have to co-operate with each other. Maybe they will even have to achieve a consensus. All will be revealed tomorrow!