30 March 2011

On Its Way To A New Home



"A Moment In Time"
Oil On Gallery Wrapped Canvas 100cm x 100cm
SOLD

Had an enquiry this morning...After being seen at a recent exhibition this painting has now been personally collected and has a new home tonight...A nice end to the day...

29 March 2011

I like Glasgow


The Duke Of Wellington with his now famous hat outside the Goma in Queen Street...always brings a smile to me face while walking to the station...more


17 March 2011

Walking The Dog


A better day weatherwise today...captured this image of Greenan Castle during my exercise with the hound... 

15 March 2011

Last Night And This Morning


                    This Morning                                      Last Evening


A dramatic change in weather here today...although an extremely minor thing in comparison to things happening further afar...

13 March 2011

Abstract Painting... "Close To The Edge".....Free UK Shipping...

A small abstract painting on a deep box canvas entitled "Close To The Edge" sides are painted..9.5in x 7in x1.3in approx....some impasto...gloss varnished...comes unframed...hang it any way round...Free UK Shipping...
click here to view






11 March 2011

The West Highland Line....Off To Mallaig...Hogwarts And All...continued...

After a 5 minute stop at Fort William and a change of Scotrail staff we were soon heading back down the track in the direction which we had come..is this normal I thought..the adjacent track sidings were occupied by several Caledonian Sleeper carriages coupled to a diesel locomotive which had made their way up leaving London Euston around 9.15pm the night before arriving in the morning at about 10 a.m...As we accelarated the wheels on the train shreaked and shrilled as we were redirected by the points towards Mallaig relieving my directional concern..We soon arrived at Banavie with Ben Nevis still visible through the glass...


The train left Banavie very slowly which seemed strange at the time but the reason for this was soon understood as we went over the girder bridge spanning the Caledonian Canal linking Inverness with Fort William...Looking in a northly direction crossing the bridge "Neptunes Staircase" a series of stepped canal locks came into view...

Neptune's Staircase

The journey continued towards Mallaig...with views coming all the time...one this side of the train then one on the other...there are some awesome landscapes in this part of the world...




After a few stops including the bizarrely named Loch Eil Outward Bound we approached the curved 100 feet high Glenfinnan Viaduct...21 arches of concrete splendour built between 1897 and 1901 by engineer Sir Robert McAlpine...close by at the head of Loch Sheil stands a monument to Bonnie Prince Charlie commemorating where he landed to commence the rebellion of the Jacobites in1745...This location has been used many times in the film industry most notably in the first two films of the Harry Potter series where it was used together with the Jacobite Steam Train which was then called the "Hogwarts Express "...

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Past Glenfinnan station the west highland line and the A830 run side by side interchanging positions on several ocassions then you come to Loch Eilt...the line runs along the southern shore for what seems an age...circular small islands with tall trees are dotted repeatedly through the loch...

Loch Eilt

Loch Eilt

Its not long before we arrive and depart Lochallort station...the next station is Beasdale which is a request stop...Soon the track runs next to the coastal Loch Nan Ceall and arrives at the village of Arisaig...this stations claim to fame is that is the most westerly station on the UK mainland...

Arisaig Station

Arisaig looking out to Loch Nan Ceal

One thing I love about Scotland is the changing light...the weather on the journey up had been changeable... rain in Glasgow...blue skies appearing over Rannoch Moor and now back near the sea in Arisaig grey blue skies.We were just one stop away from journeys end at Mallaig....Turning inland once again we soon came to  the village of Morar with renowned for its pale white sands...

 Morar

8 minutes after leaving Morar the train arrived at our destination Mallaig...the 2 carriages slowly rolled into the terminus at 13.36...quietness suddenly became apparent as the diesel engines of the train were silenced...the guard on the train told us via the trains public address system that the same train would leave Mallaig for the journey back to Glasgow at 16.05 leaving some some 2hrs 29mins to explore Mallaig...


First impressions leaving the station were as expected out of the tourist season...Jaffy's Seafood Shop was closed for refurbishment so no big prawns to take back...the tourist information centre the same...walking into the harbour area wondering around it soon became apparent how quiet it was...I often think yeah I could live in places like this but this made me wonder especially out of season...

Mallaig

Over on the slipway fishing boats were undergoing maintenance having their hulls painted...


Strolling back towards the main road fancying a brew we came across a sign directing people to a table fair at the Mallaig & Morar Community Centre...On investigation the fair unfortunately was packing up but we managed to get a cup of tea and free homemade sandwiches and cakes...fantastic hospitality...Talking to the local lady who offered us tea she told of how the local fishing industry had shrunk to just a few boats operating out of Mallaig as the fish stocks had declined...Much like the Scotrail ticket office staff in Ayr station she thought it was crazy to come to Mallaig and back in a day...

Crossing the road and entering the car park after leaving the centre the view across to the islands of Eigg and Rhum was something special...

Eigg & Rhum Islands

After exploring the beach area for a while the thought of the return journey came to mind...having consumed most of the liquid refreshment on the journey up it was time to restock at the local supermarket...armed with a couple of bottles of red wine and some snacks it was time to head back to the station...next to the station is the Mallaig Heritage Centre which housed some abstract artworks of the late american artist Jon Shueler who lived in Mallaig for some years...His work is also in several public collections in Scotland...

Time soon passed and people were starting to embark the return train...we left Mallaig and headed back towards Fort William...with the light changing once again as daylight started to fade in preparation for the evening and night...the reflections in Loch Eilt and Ben Nevis looking sinister as we approached Fort William again...

Loch Eilt

Ben Nevis in the evening reflected in Loch Eil

Not long after departing Fort William the light faded to darkness...the red wine tasted great as did the nibbles and tiredness from the day set in...

The Kyle Of Localsh Line beckons next and soon...but thats an early morning start 5.12 am train...ouch...



7 March 2011

The West Highland Line....Off To Mallaig...Hogwarts And All...

Last friday I pondered whether to get a change of scenery from Ayrshire over the weekend and decided to go on the train north further up the west coast of Scotland...Undecided on whether to go on the West Highlands line or the Kyle Of Lochalsh line I finally made up my mind to experience the former as the train left later in the morning from Ayr to Glasgow allowing precious extra sleep time in bed...

As an immigrant from England I'm noticing more benefits living this side of the border during my time here...the soon to be abolished £3 prescription charges being one and as an ageing baby boomer Scotrail's current over 55 ticket offer which entitles you to return travel anywhere in Scotland and to Carlisle for some reason for an amazing £18...this can be upgraded to first class where applicable for an additional fiver...plus the return journey is valid for up to a month from the outward travel date...

Anyway enough advertising for Scotrail...after a short stroll between Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street station and a caffiene fix from Costas I  boarded the rear 2 of 4 coaches bound for Mallaig as the front  2 were bound for Oban which were to go their separate way at Crianlarich...

Various characters including walkers,cyclists and daytrippers like myself boarded the train armed with rucksacks containing different contents...Marks and Spencers had obviously done well the previous day as their food products appeared for consumption by passengers on the tabled seating within our carriage...

Just after 8.20a.m.the diesel engines on the train roared into life and we pulled out of the station on a murky morning bound for the western highlands...Passing through Glasgow's suburbs we were soon parallel with the main A82 road to Fort William and beyond..the Erskine Bridge spanning the River Clyde disappeared quickly from view...a few stops after Dumbarton and Helensburgh the track became a single line...

The tone of engines changed as we climbed inclines...up to Garelochhead past the Faslane submarine base and onward...After Arrochar and Tarbet the train ran along side Loch Lomond as we made our way to Crianlarich for a 10 minute stop while the coaches to Oban were unattached and then departed...

Before I continue I must apologise for the quality of the images shown as photography from a moving train with reflections,marked windows,confused autofocus system and human error has its limitations...saying that I'm pleased to have some useable reference material for future paintings...

Approaching the horseshoe curve before Upper Tyndrum

I like some of you I'm sure have experienced the road journey along the A82 which touches the edge of Rannoch Moor but the train goes deep into this wild wilderness favoured by photographers artists alike...Dark brown peat bogs contrasted by silver grey rocks...burns with their fast flowing ice cold water...Due to the peat bogs on the moor the single track line is built on a foundation of tree roots,brushwood and alot of compacted ash and earth...

 Rannoch Moor


To Be Continued




Next stop after Rannoch is Corrour some 1350 feet above sea level...The adjacent station building is a scottish youth hostel but the price of staying here and associated costs from what I can gather online doesn't reflect my memories and experience of the youth hostelling movement albeit those were many moons ago...this is a very isolated place and was used in the making of the film Trainspotting I'm informed...

Corrour Station and Hostel


As the train pulled out of Corrour it was noticeable that the surrounding landscape was slowly changing...an increase in height was confirmed by the presence of the white stuff  lying on top of hills as we got deeper into the western highlands...


Loch Treig

By now we were high up above Loch Treig running parallel below on the left..orange flashes broke the awesome view...these flashes from rail engineers jackets maintaining the track...this made me think about the logistics of the maintenance in such an isolated area...the murky smirred weather was being challenged ocassionally by hints of blue sky between the darkened clouds...

The never ending Loch Treig and surrounding landscape was imaginary like viewing a model railway scene except here was I part of it...eventually we came to the end of the loch and later rounded the bend arriving at Tulloch station...

The railway track had come close to the A86 road and ran parallel...Some days later after this journey I looked on Google maps to see exactly where this west highland line had taken me..I was amazed to find how indirect it actually was and where I had been...

So on leaving Tulloch we headed down towards Fort William past Roy Bridge and Spean Bridge where I remembered the commando monument stands close to the A86 road from a road journey to the Applecross Peninsula several years ago...

Then suddenly glimpses of the cloud covered Ben Nevis mountain range came into view between the tree lined track..


Small at first then with more miles passing Ben Nevis stood majestic in size and ruggedness as we neared Fort William...



Click here  to continue