The Waverley
We all know it’s summer on the west coast when the PS Waverley appears on our shores. I made this small painting soon after seeing her at Greenock in June.
The last of the sea going paddle steamers she was launched in 1946 and sails regularly from Glasgow and other towns on the firth of Clyde throughout the summer months. The Waverley is named after Sir Walter Scott’s famous Waverley novels and has, on occasion, provided a period setting for tv and film.
Waverley Excursions – The world’s last Seagoing paddle steamer.
Ardnamurchan
26th June 23
Acharacle Beach
I’m working in watercolours on the Beach at Acharacle today looking over towards Muck, Eigg and Rum. The Cuillin mountain range on Rum and the distinct profile of An Sgurr, the highest hill on Eigg are very visible but Muck is looking a bit lost in the distance. It’s been a muddy walk down to the beach in the rain but now the sun is out, the colours on the sea are shimmering – and best of all my paper is dry!
29th June 23
Ardnamurchan lighthouse
I visit the most westerly point on the British mainland today. I’m a ships engineer’s daughter so I’m happy to be standing amongst the colourful machinery in the maintenance room at Ardnamurchan light house. Standing 36 metres high and 55 metres above sea level, the lighthouse was designed and built by Alan Skerryvore and Dub Stevenson in 1849.
It plays a vital role in navigation through an area of many islands, strong tidal streams and of course very poor weather conditions. Today the strong summer breeze is manageable and I can do a few small drawings in my sketch book.
I don’t think I’d like to be working here in the winter!
www.ardnamurchanlighthouse.com
1st July 23
Mingary Castle is minutes from the Kilchoan ferry terminal and we couldn’t resist stopping in for a visit and a lavish last breakfast. The castle was restored in 2016 and boasts a 360 view of the peninsula from the original battlements .
The food is completely delicious and the service outstanding- A must do if you get to our most westerly and wildest point.
Ardnamurchan we will see you again very soon !
Mallorca summer holiday
July 23
Ooft its hot hot hot! Paul and I are staying at Llenaire hotel as a special 60th birthday treat. We’re lucky to be spending a few precious days eating, relaxing and enjoying time with family and friends here. This small boutique hotel is a favourite place of ours to enjoy a meal or a drink when we are in Pollenca. The estate sits on a hilltop so catches that all important breeze! It has spectacular views towards the coast and I could spend hours drawing and daydreaming here on the shaded terrace with a coffee-sheer bliss!
If you find yourself on the sleepy back roads from port de pollenca to pollenca don’t miss out on coffee and cake on the LLenaire terrace-cyclists are very welcome !
www.llenaire.com
Pollenca
July 2023
As a birthday treat our son organised a private tour around the Dionis Bennassar museum in Pollenca’s old town. The artist was born in pollenca in 1904 and died in Palma in 1967. I really like his work and I’m particularly drawn to his underwater paintings which he did using a mirror held below the water -very clever! They are painted so joyfully with rich purple and orange hues to stimulate the senses.
The museum is set in the 17th C building that was the Bennassar family home and houses a fabulous collection of the artists’ drawings and colourful oil paintings. Our museum guide is a local named Elise. She is a delight and a font of information on the artist; his subjects and painting techniques. Elise also gives us a wonderful insight into what life was like in Pollenca in the first half of the 20thC and we learn a bit of gossip about what the locals really thought of the young women tourists sporting bathing costumes when they started to arrive on their beaches.
The museum is a real treat and a must see if you are in Pollenca.
17th July
On our 2nd last day of the holiday Paul and i are invited by friends to the home and studio of the mallorcan born artist Joan Bennassar (no relation to Dionis). At 73yrs old he is a bundle of youthful energy and his pollenca house, studio and garden- an artists’ dream!
Joan showed us around his figurative sculptural installations. They fill his beautiful garden and you can’t help but wonder at the scale and number of works. They are huge and all made out of concrete. Joan paints too and his large scale paintings fill the walls and floors of an industrial sized studio. This is the biggest artist studio I’ve been in! His paintings remind me of a link between past and present: there are echos of Picasso at every turn from Joan’s use of colour and rounded forms to the use of quick linear gestures.
A very generous host to the end, we have been given quite a lot of wine and now on leaving we are gifted with 2 beautiful signed books – he even draws caricatures of us both on the inside pages!
