SNOW

Snow - Not the weather to get your kit off!

Saturday, my self appointed day off, dawned bright and crisp and believe it or not, announced itself with a glimmer of sunshine. 

Alas it was not to last. 

Leaving Ullapool was untoward but as I drove higher into the mountains I noticed a strange sort of lacy veil effect in the sky just ahead of me and as I wondered what it might be, my windscreen was suddenly obscured by snow. As a soft southerner, I have barely seen the white stuff in the last six years let alone been expected to drive in it. 
  

I immediately positive took action and slowed down to crawling pace - and was promptly overtaken by a boy on a bicycle! 

Hardy these Scots.
Fearless in the face of blizzards. 

Okay,so  it wasn't exactly a blizzard but still more snow than I have seen for a while and actually very beautiful to look at on the mountains. 

 I drove the 57 miles across country to Inverness and to my surprise the east coast was not only snowless but actually mild enough to walk about town minus a coat!
I did all my shopping including getting in some fine Scottish gin, and in case I get totally snowed in in future, thankfully Tesco had Gluten free everything Christmas. Armed with my Christmas cake and a Christmas pudding I made my way back through the snow to Ullapool.

This week  figure drawing  started very originally with each of us being handed a gold coin (chocolate money)and being told the tale of Charon who according to ancient  in myth and legend, ferries the dead across the River Styx. 
In the studio was Ian, the owner of the Mountain wear store, transformed by a black paper hat and a length of black fabric into the 'fearsome and horrible' Charon. His 'ferry' was set in the middle of the studio and as he paraded and took our coin, we had to paint, draw and sketch him in motion. 

                    

To add to the effect was dramatic lighting and a musical playlist to enhance the experience: Finlandia, The Lark Ascending, the Jackie Du Pre Dvorak Cello Concerto in B and Rachmaninov's Isle of the Dead .  Stirring stuff.
      

On the subject of myth and legend - I spotted this sheep in a field just outside the village. Do you think it could be He of The Golden Fleece?

                                 White is obviously so last year.
   

                                          

On Monday evening we decamped into the only Indian restaurant in the village to celebrate Maksuda's birthday. Fortunately her husband owns it and we had a great meal and good company.






A lovely woman who was very happy to sit in her skin all day appeared the following day as our Life class model. 
Of all the things I have attempted so far on this art school journey, this was the hardest. Also, I know this is heresy but I can't actually see the point. And the idea that this is a standard by which Art courses judge the quality of students work seems odd in the extreme. 

Much happier with the portraiture the day after even though it looks as though I was creating a portrait of Englebert Humperdink. Remember him?

               

Then we were on our own again, asked to come up with three days of observational drawing in preparation for Print week which starts tomorrow.
I have high hopes of print week as all three of our excellent tutors are print artists and want us all to love the medium as much as they do. 




       

                 


       
I have worked so hard on this I definitely deserve to sample that fine Scottish small batch gin that I had been planning to give my sister for Christmas. 

Heigh Ho!