The Isle of Skye

I have been visiting an island again - The Isle of Skye. I was hoping for fine weather so that I could get good views of the Black Cuillin mountains. That was probably too much to expect for an island which is noted for being wet, but most days were only showery so I did get glimpses of the peaks. In fact the clouds added to the sense of mystery and drama.

Sgurr nan Gillean
Watercolour, 10 x 14 inches

On the first day the Cuillins were completely hidden, but the hills of Trotternish looked more promising. One of the most accessible features is The Old Man of Storr. Reaching it involves a steep climb up from the road, but in no time at all you are in very dramatic scenery. The main interest is the rock pinnacle of the Old Man, but I was much more struck by the towering cliffs below the peak of The Storr. The fact that their tops were in the clouds made them seem even more impressive. A path at their foot leads behind the Old Man to a corrie, known as The Sanctuary, but there has been a large rockfall and the path is now dangerous.

Entering The Sanctuary
Watercolour, 14 x 10 inches

The Old Man of Storr
Watercolour, 10 x 7 inches

I didn't want to spend the time painting on the spot, so these watercolours were done at home from sketches and photographs.

Orkney Fisherman's Hut

I have recently returned from a trip to the Orkney Isles. Having been looking across the sea to them for two years, it was nice to see what they were like at last. I had imagined that the Orkney Mainland would be very flat, but I was surprised to find that it is actually more hilly than most of Caithness. The coastline is wonderful, with dramatic cliffs, white sands, turquoise seas and paintable views in all directions.
The painting below is of one of the fishermen's huts, which seem to be quite common on the island, built by farmers who also spent part of their time fishing.

For the sake of convenience I took a block of watercolour paper with me. It was 'Arches' paper, which I haven't used for a while, and I found that it was really nice to work on. There seemed to be more 'tooth' which gave me more control of the brush-strokes. I think I will be using this paper much more in future and I might also experiment with other similar papers.

Orkney Fisherman's Hut
Watercolour, 10 x 14 inches