ARTWORK

I received another commision this week, for a painting of the motor boat "Laerling", which was used mainly as a diving support boat, and taking visitors for trips to the island bird sanctuary of Noss, until the operators retired about ten years ago, at which point she was sold to Danish owners. She was a fine-looking vessel, about 40 feet long, with sleek and curvy lines.

Otherwise, progress has been slow this week. I now have 5 paintings on the "stocks", at various stages of incompletion, and this is a bad time of year for getting paint-work done. We only have about 6 hours of usable daylight, assuming it isn't overcast, in the depths of a Shetland winter, and I don't use artificial light, as it distorts colour. I need a good week of uninterrupted effort to make the amount of headway I'd like, and it's not going to start tomorrow. I'm off to Whiteness, to see that everything is ready for my mother's homecoming from Wastview care centre, and to make a meal for her when she arrives. Normal service will be resumed on Tuesday.

The weather has been quiet for most of this week - fine and frosty for most of the time, after a blustery start.