ARTY BUSINESS

On a week when the wind has blown strongly and steadily from the south-east, and the rain has seemed incessant, progress at the easel has been slow. The light has been bad enough to preclude painting on several days, although, during the brighter intervals which did occur, I managed to put the finishing touches to the "St. Ninian" picture, on the topic of which I based the previous post. I've also been doing a little work on a painting of the Danish tall ships "Georg Stage" and "Danmark", which I hope to have finished by Christmas, if conditions allow.

I've booked a few stalls at the Toll Clock shopping centre here in Lerwick, in hopes to pick up some trade in the run-up to Christmas, although I was too late to book the most lucrative Saturday slots. I've got Thursdays 3rd, 10th and 17th December, which have one thing going for them, in that I will be there for the late-night shoppers. I've ordered more prints from tay-CAD, the local graphics firm, to extend my stock range, so I should have plenty to offer those who turn up on what will be three long days for me. My sister Mary has offered to help out in the evenings, in return for my help with her son's house in Sandwick. This is a very agreeable arrangement, as far as I'm concerned.

Speaking of Mary, she is on her way north tonight, by Northlink ferry, with my Musa Art Cafe exhibition in the back of the Volvo estate, which has been giving her no end of grief on the mainland. After its service in an Aberdeen garage last Monday, the computerised transmission system caused it to stall on a busy roundabout near Hermiston Gate in Edinburgh. She got it going again there, but it subsequently broke down on the way out of the city, and this time she was an AA job. They tracked down someone who knew something about Volvos, and she managed to get to Aberdeen without further incident. I can foresee an imminent divorce between her and Swedish car manufacturers, however.

After seven days when I have been grateful that the human body is waterproof and reasonably wind-resistant, I hope for conditions more conducive to work during the incoming week. I must remember to attend the flu fair, to get my annual jag, at the Clickimin Centre on Tuesday. Otherwise, I intend to spend a lot of time at the drawing board. I hope your week is pleasant and productive too.