PAINTING LATEST

I hope you like the painting of Lerwick's Hay's Dock (above). I used my own photographic archive for reference to get the details, of the place, as they were before the recent North Ness and Shetland Museum developments changed the appearance of this area of town completely. It's as it was around 15 years ago, with locally-owned pleasure craft and workboats drawn up on the beach, at their moorings, or alongside the "arm" of the dock.

I received fresh supplies of oil paint from Jackson's last week, but I am having trouble getting hold of the kind of fine-point oil/acrylic brushes that I use to get best results in my detail. I have done more work on the big seascape project - it sits on my easel in the back bedroom, which now has temporary status as a side-studio, as there isn't enough space for it in my main workroom (which also doubles as a living-room, dining room and office). I'm going to have to paint masts, sails and rigging soon, which involves fine lines, so I have been casting my supply net wider for the tools to do the job.

Talking of tools, my efforts at clearing moss and other clinging vegetation from the concreted paths outside my mother's house at Whiteness on Monday, using a Dutch hoe as the most effective weapon, left me with a badly blistered right hand palm. I'd carried on working with the injury a bit longer than I should have, so I've been carrying the handicap of a bandaged weeping sore for most of the week. It's on the mend now, fortunately, as I'm very right-handed!

From an northern archipelago about to embark on a week of serious yippee-yahooing, I wish you all the best for your midsummer festivities. I'll be back, possibly with a slight hangover, next week. Enjoy!