Jo's Journal: Colin Woolf - Wildlife Paintings
Welcome to Jo's Journal . . .
This is a new addition to our site - a 'blog' if you like, containing news, views and experiences, our hopes and plans for the future, and a scattering of irrelevant trivia! I'll keep it updated at least on a weekly basis, and if you'd like to respond (jo@wildart.co.uk) I'll be pleased to hear from you!
9th March
A snatched trip up into the glens around Crieff the other day... a bright day made a great excuse for an afternoon out! We were staggered at how much snow has fallen up there... it must have been three feet deep in places, and it's only melting very slowly. We can certainly believe the Scottish ski resorts when they say they'll be open well into May.
We were on the lookout for more mountain hares, and we were finally successful, with good close views of one sitting in the shelter of some rocks. While we were driving along a road towards Aberfeldy, we both glimpsed a vivid orange bird in some pine trees above the road, and had the same split-second thought - crossbill! - at the same time. So we turned the car around and spent a few minutes watching a pair landing on the road in front of us, eating the grit, and then flying back up into the branches above. The male was eye-poppingly bright - surely one of the most flamboyant British birds! These were Scottish crossbills, and therefore different from the species we used to watch in North Wales. I can't seem to find out what the essential differences are, however!
On the way home, as it was getting dark, we noticed a group of black grouse - or more precisely, greyhen - precariously balanced in the tops of silver birch trees, eating the young shoots. Just why these fat puddings feel the urge to fly up into the topmost twigs of slender trees, is something I'd really like to know! They flap around trying to get their balance, as the branches sway and bend with the weight. Then, when you stop and look at them, they stare back, wondering if you can see them, obviously thinking they're the size of a chaffinch.
We did notice how many trees had lost branches or been snapped in half altogether by the weight of snow. It was as if a hurricane had passed through in many places. Young birch trees were bent double with their branches on the ground, under a foot or so of snow. Spring will be late this year in the Highlands, I think.
6th March
A new sketch sheet of mountain hares, in pencil and watercolour, is now in progress on Colin's easel. It's going to be a lovely, smaller-size picture with a central watercolour image and pencil sketches around it. Very desirable! He'll put images in 'Latest Paintings' as soon as there's more to see.
We've still got a fair amount of snow, and the Pentland hills have been pure white for weeks now. At least it's staying light for much longer into the evening - the sun is setting around 6 pm now, and it makes such a difference.
For Leonie, in the Southern Hemisphere, the summer is heading towards autumn. She's now in Kaikoura on the east coast of South Island in New Zealand, and is planning to practise her 'rolling' skills in a kayak before heading up to North Island - and then over to Australia in a couple of weeks.
She had a nasty moment a few days ago when her two travelling companions got lost and spent a lonely night on the sand dunes at Farewell Spit, which is New Zealand's longest sand spit and an important nature reserve. These companions, chosen for the cuteness and not their common sense, are a tiny teddy bear with paws of Harris tweed, and a small orange monkey with magnetic properties and long arms! They had dropped out of her pocket while she was exploring the beach and taking photos, and she was very upset to find they were missing. Miraculously, the wildlife guide who had taken Leonie out there discovered them the next day, and delivered them safely back to her when she returned from kayaking in Abel Tasman. The odds against finding two such well-camouflaged little animals on a 35-km beach were enormous! After a joyful reunion she has now allowed them to write about their adventures on her online TravelPod blog, which you can read here. I like the way entry no. 33 now has a map pin somewhere in the middle of the Tasman Sea, and the 'Where I Stayed' listing says 'Sand Dunes'!
3rd March
We managed a trip up to Glenshee before Verity and Chris went back. Verity had chance to test her new snowboard, and she and Chris tried out their skills on some of the lower slopes. We spotted several white mountain hares and big flocks of red grouse - about 200-strong. Plus, at the risk of sounding like real twitchers, a 'lifer' for me and Colin... a flock of about 20 snow buntings. They were amazingly well camouflaged once they landed on the snow! Apparently they're quite scarce in the UK, breeding only in Scotland's highest mountain areas. I think we were really lucky to see them.
28th February
It's Verity's birthday today... she's 21! That's impossible to believe! She's up here at the moment with Chris, and since we've got about five inches of snow they've re-discovered their childhood and built a snow bunny. They've also been out photographing dilapidated buildings (one of Verity's favourite subjects). With the excuse that they're both keen photographers, they've unearthed boxes of our old photos from the 70s and 80s, many of which would be better left in obscurity. No, I'm not publishing any on here - sorry! No matter how funny they are!
I can't believe how much snow we have, and it's still snowing as I write this. I've given up looking at the weather forecasts. I don't think anyone knows where it's going to snow, or for how long! But today I think Scotland has got the better deal, because the rest of the UK seems to be getting storm force winds and rain. Leonie is missing it all... and sounding a little bit envious, despite the wall-to-wall sunshine she's basking in, out there in New Zealand. The tsunami warnings across the whole of the Pacific had me worried for a while yesterday, but it seems that the wave height was only about a metre. We spoke to Leonie on Skype this morning and she was typically unbothered about the whole thing. She's planning a kayaking trip in Abel Tasman as her next adventure.
We're making good progress on our website - or, rather, Mike is - and we're getting excited about seeing it live. But today is a special day and I've got a special dinner to cook, so more on this next week!
22nd February
We've had some fun re-designing the look of our website over the last day or so. It's now in the expert hands of Mike Gadd, our friend and web designer. (Mike is also pretty good at taxidermy - take a look here!) The site will soon have a totally new image, although we'll be keeping the content pretty much the same. We wanted a cleaner, fresher look to showcase Colin's work, as well as being easy to use. Exciting! Please let us know your thoughts when we get it up and running, and bear with us while we make minor adjustments to specific pages etc.
20th February
I've solved the mystery of the curlew which I thought I heard at the end of January. It's a starling - a very talented one, because he can mimic a curlew very well indeed. He was sitting on a rooftop when I went to the Post Office, making lots of curlew noises and probably having a good laugh at me. Maybe it's all the sultanas I've been feeding them... I always said that's what helped the blackbirds to sing, so perhaps the same goes for starlings! They have certainly got a good appetite. There's a massive flock of them, and they sit in one of the tall trees whistling to one other and doing impressions.
It seems that on 15th February there was a sighting of the Northern Lights over Scotland - as always, I found this out the next morning, by looking at www.spaceweather.com. How is it that I never find out before the event? I've been dreaming for years now of seeing the Northern Lights, but somehow or another I always miss it. When we went to the Isle of Lewis in September '08 there was high activity predicted, and I got up several times during the night to check, but it was too cloudy to see anything. Just my luck - we had a north-facing window, a low horizon, no light pollution, we were about as far north as you can get in the UK... and the weather was bad. One of these days I'll get to see it.
There was a lot of Pink Floyd going on in Colin's studio yesterday... my favourite, from Dark Side of the Moon: "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl; year after year; how I wish - how I wish you were here!" How I love that one! (not!) I'm forced to admit, however, that it's better than Tubular Bells. Almost anything is better than Tubular Bells. Will someone please explain Mike Oldfield to me? Did he use to be a plumber?
Today we have.... let me see....something light and classical, which I can't quite identify.
It's the time of year when we have to start thinking about summer shows - or at least, paying for the stands, which is always painful. Apart from the CLA Game Fair and the Scottish Game Fair, we are still unsure what other shows we'll be attending, but decisions will be made in the next month or so. Keep checking our Show Calendar page for updates.
13th February
We had a trip out to Glenshee yesterday... loads of beautiful snow on the mountains, pure white against the brightest blue sky. We really needed sunglasses! The wind had sculpted the drifts on the mountain sides into lovely patterns, and the shadows were the deepest bluey-mauve. In the sunlight, the surface of the snow glittered like diamonds.... a challenge to photograph! One or two red grouse were mooching around the heather tussocks and popping their heads up occasionally; we heard lots more way off in the distance and saw groups of them flying down in the valleys, then landing with their heads up and calling "go back, go back, go back!"
We were delighted to spot four mountain hares, all in their white winter coats, just sitting quietly and enjoying the sunshine. Herds of red deer were grazing right up on the highest slopes, catching the last of the afternoon sun. It was still bitterly cold, though. Needless to say we took lots of pictures...
9th February
Quite a long day in the car yesterday... down the M6 to Lancashire to deliver a painting, then on to Colwyn Bay in North Wales (it was strange to be back there again!) and back home via the Wirral, delivering and picking up various things on the way. The trip accomplished quite a few tasks all in one day, and although we went through some snow flurries on the motorway the journey wasn't too bad.
Leonie - who, as you know, is travelling around New Zealand - sent us a text at 6 am on Saturday to say that she'd just bungy-jumped off a bridge near Queenstown. This definitely made us wake up and get out of bed! We knew she was intending to do it, but we hadn't known exactly when. She chose the original bungy jump site at Kawarau bridge, a mind-boggling 43-metre drop into the river below. You can see photos - and even a video - on her travel blog, which is http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/leox/1/tpod.htmlIt looks horrendous, but she's so pleased with herself!
She's also been kayaking in Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, and is now heading off for a walk along the Routeburn Track. The scenery looks stunning, and the weather is also perfect (well, compared to British weather, it is!)
Colin's got another woodcock pin-feather painting on the go, which you can watch in progress under 'Latest Paintings'. As I've said before, demand for these unique pictures seems to have really taken off in the last few months, as more and more people discover how beautiful they are - and how much of an investment. A long-term fan of Wagner, Colin has been listening to the Ring Cycle while painting it. I guess it will be interesting to see if the music has any influence on the image!
As for myself... I have just spent four days at a caravan show in Glasgow, which is something I never thought I'd find myself saying! For a while now I've been working freelance as editorial assistant for a Scottish caravanning magazine, and I was asked to help out on their stand. It was fun, and certainly educational... I'm not a caravanner, but having seen the new models that are being launched these days, I can begin to understand the appeal. Caravans have come a long way in the last few years, and their interiors are truly luxurious. Just don't ask me to tow one! :D
30th January
The mallard duckling has now taken to the water! Look under 'Latest Paintings' to see him. He's the cutest fluffy baby! He's now available to buy online under 'Originals for Sale'. Not that I want to see him go! Don't let me start thinking of names for him!
We've made some updates to our links pages because Verity and her boyfriend, Chris Sansom, have both set up new websites to showcase their photography skills. Take a look and keep checking back because their sites are still under construction - lots more images will be added soon. Chris offers a professional photographic service for weddings, portraits and coverage of events such as concerts and so on - give him a call for prices and more information.
It's a beautifully clear and frosty day today, so we're heading out to Loch Leven to see the geese and walk around the shore. Too nice to be inside!
29th January
Having a bit of a 'Bad Technology' day today... is it a coincidence that the initials of that are BT?? No internet this morning, and the phone line is so crackly that Colin struggled to hear the customer service advisor. This was after the usual five-minute wait and the recording that advises you to go to their website (which isn't that easy if you have no internet!) Apparently there are 'ongoing problems' between Blackridge and the exchange. That's just what we need to hear.
Perhaps we'll go for a walk....
The woodcock pin-feather painting that Colin started last week is now finished, and has already been sold. Interest in pin-feather paintings has rocketed over the last couple of months. It's not surprising, because they are beautiful and each one is totally unique, but this last one did cause Colin quite a lot of headaches because bits kept dropping off the feather and in the end it was a challenge to finish the painting. The background worked very well, and the bird - as usual - looks alive. To see the finished image, go to 'Latest Paintings' and scroll down.
A client in Portugal has kindly offered to send Colin a collection of woodcock pin-feathers, and Colin is eagerly waiting to see if the feathers are different in any way from British ones.
We took the chance of an afternoon drive up to our favourite Perthshire glen yesterday, and saw lots of blackcock and greyhen feeding in trees and in the fields by the roadside. As the daylight was fading a couple of woodcock flitted over, and we also spotted a covey of grey partridge, which were a delight to see. They looked really fat and well-fed! The higher parts of the moorland pass were still blocked by snow, so we turned round and came back. It's surprising to see how many lochs are still frozen, which just shows how deep the ice has been. But at least, now that the ground is thawing, there will be places for snipe, woodcock and curlews to feed.
Speaking of which, I'm sure I heard a curlew yesterday. The call was coming from way off in the distance, beyond the woods at the back of the house. It might have been a starling mimicking a curlew, I suppose, but it was a pretty good imitation! It will be good to have them back on the moors and marshes again - they bred there last year so I hope they'll return.
For anyone interested in astronomy, the full moon tonight is the closest - and therefore the biggest - of 2010, meaning that its apparent size is 14% wider than it would normally appear. I hope it's clear so we can get a good look. Also, when the moon is low on the horizon, for some reason that no one really understands, it always appears much bigger to the naked eye than when it's high in the sky. But if you ever receive a 'spam' email warning you that Mars will be as big as the full moon, please don't believe it! There seems to be a recurrent email doing the rounds and it cons a lot of people every time. If Mars was ever that close, just think how much gravitational pull there would be, and what kind of tides we'd have! I must admit the sight would be spectacular though. And in no time at all Virgin Galactic would be offering trips there.
Having said that, Mars is offering good views at the moment. It's very bright and reddish, rising in the east and visible for most of the night. Jupiter can be seen very low in the south-west in the early evening, and if you can get a pair of binoculars - or better still, a telescope - steady on it, you might be able to make out its four largest moons, all lined up beautifully on either side of the disc. It's a magical sight.
For some light relief after the woodcock pin-feather and the barnacle geese, Colin has started a small watercolour of a fluffy mallard duckling. So cute! You can watch this in progress under 'Latest Paintings'. Once it's properly hatched, it will be looking for a good home! : )
Oh and... if you're reading this, it must mean we've got the internet back. Possibly not our sanity...!
19th January
Colin has finished the barnacle geese painting, and I love it. The atmosphere is magical. But no, I can't keep it! He's now started another woodcock pin-feather painting, which can be seen in progress in his 'Latest Paintings' section. Some snipe sketches might be coming up next, inspired by some really good views of them in a frozen field on Islay.
Blue sky after a orange sunrise and a sharp frost this morning. The snow has almost all gone now... it's lingering in dirty piles on the sides of the road, but at least the pavements are clear. We can see our garden for the first time in weeks!
Thankfully the garden birds seem to have survived. The goldfinches have returned to the feeders - I had been worried about them because they disappeared after the snow. Yesterday they were bickering over the last of the seeds, instead of sharing them nicely as you'd expect. And the collared doves are cooing enthusiastically about something. I've noticed in the last couple of days that the sun seems to be setting just a little bit later... small signs, but very welcome!
11th January
Verity and Chris made it up here on Friday, and we all had a day at Glencoe ski centre on Saturday. It wasn't the bright day we'd been promised, but the cloud broke to give blue sky in places, and the shafts of sunlight on the pure white summits made a breathtaking sight. We were amazed at how deep the snow was - over our knees in many places. Verity and Chris spent most of their time snowboarding down 'red' runs (the second most difficult!) and they had a brilliant time. This was Verity's first experience of real, fresh powder snow on a mountain, and she says it's now spoiled her for anything else!
I'm attaching a few photos from the day... stunning! But oh, it was cold!
Finally the snow has started to thaw here, and the temperature has risen above freezing today for the first time in weeks. I'm glad for the birds' sake, if nothing else. The snow seems to choose the early hours of the morning to slide off the roof, making a massive rumbling that wakes us up.
We're starting to receive firm bookings for our Art Weekend in March, which is exciting. Meanwhile, some more barnacle geese have materialised on Colin's painting and it's looking good. He'll keep the 'Latest Paintings' section updated with its progress.
8th January
Colin's painting of barnacle geese on Islay is looking wonderful... the only trouble is, he's got about 75 geese to paint, all feeding and facing pretty much the same way (as they do)! He's noticed that they all seem to fold their wings left over right, and he wonders if this is a habit that all birds have... or is it just barnacle geese? More research needed, I think is the answer! Colin will put a pic of the painting 'in progress' up on the website as soon as possible under 'Latest Paintings' and on the home page. If, when you've seen the image, you're at all interested in buying it - and I can assure you that it's truly beautiful - please get in touch, because I'm already bonding with it and I've got to face the fact that we can't possibly keep it! It's also a wonderful reminder of snowfall on Islay, quite an usual occurrence and one we're so lucky to have witnessed.
Verity and Chris are on their way up, hoping to head for the slopes at Glencoe for some mountain snowboarding... they can't wait! And if the weather holds out as promised, they should have bright sunshine and fairly mild winds. The view from the top of Glencoe should be superb.
Meanwhile Leonie is now in Christchurch, NZ, having made her way there via Kaikoura, where she went whale-watching and saw four sperm whales and a pod of dusky dolphins. We are so jealous!
We've had no more snow but a bitterly hard frost, and the icicles will be reaching our window cills if it carries on. The blackbird that came to feed on the currants I put out this morning had frost on its wings and tail. It must be so hard, especially for small birds, to survive in this weather. We've glimpsed a couple of snipe in the young plantation above the house... they must be finding it difficult to feed too, with the ground frozen so hard. A group of bullfinches were feeding on the tips of young larch trees when we walked up there the other day - the males looked stunning against the white snow, and they were all talking to each other softly with their lovely liquid calls.
5th January
The snow is showing no sign of going away - in fact, another inch or so has fallen overnight. A glowing orange sunrise, followed by another still morning with brilliant sunshine and clear blue sky. The UK isn't used to this! The icicles on our gutter are reaching unbelievable lengths - every house has thick fringes of them. It's like a scene from some fairy tale. Except that I need to go to the supermarket and I have a feeling that the journey won't be quite as magical as I'd like!
Colin is just about to start a painting inspired by our Christmas on Islay... a fairly long (landscape) painting of barnacle geese feeding in a frozen field, with snowflakes softly falling. Best if I don't look at it too much, as I'll get too attached and then I'll want to keep it...
Meanwhile we've sorted out the prices and details of our forthcoming Art Weekend at Loch Lomond in March, and we're about to send out leaflets and booking forms to everyone who's expressed an interest. So if you're starting the New Year with a resolution to discover your artistic talents, why not come along? It promises to be a very productive - and fun! - weekend. Give us a ring now, and we'll tell you more.
1st January 2010
Happy New Year!
We've just been for a walk up the hill at the back of our house... the snow is two or three feet deep in drifts, crunchy on top and powdery underneath. Great fun! The Pentland hills are pure white, and you can see for miles. There was no one else around, apart from a couple of rather hung-over guys walking their reluctant dogs... I love the stillness that settles on the countryside after snow. OK, I disturbed the silence by jumping in some of it, but it's not often you get to do that! Colin waded into drifts up to his waist, trying to get close-up shots of ice crystals. It's a long time since we've seen this much snow. Not much wildlife about, but there were lots of fox tracks.
We were woken up the other morning by the sound of a massive snow sheet falling off the roof. We've now got some mini-mountains in the back garden, and they are going to take ages to go! There are icicles hanging from our gutters, and I don't think they'll be thawing for a while yet. Some people are still having difficulties getting their cars up our road... the Council haven't gritted it, so it's still quite deep in compacted snow.
Leonie has just completed the Queen Charlotte Track in South Island, New Zealand - three nights camping en route, with stunning views of the Marlborough Sounds. She's back in Picton now, looking forward to a comfy bed. Temperatures over there are about 24 degrees C, and she's very tanned! Her next stop is Kaikoura, for some whale-watching. She's compiling a sketchbook as she goes, and from what we've seen, it looks amazing.
Verity and Chris are hoping to head back up here for some snowboarding shortly - the slopes at Glenshee and Glencoe are open, which are the ones closest to us. I think the Scottish ski resorts will have a good year in 2010!
28th December
We have just spent a wonderful Christmas on Islay. It snowed the day after we arrived there, and then the weather turned clear and icy... perfect for photography. There was snow on the beaches, right down to the water line, and the sand was frozen - even the sea was frozen in places. We've never seen that before, and we're pretty sure it's an unusual phenomenon on Islay, which doesn't usually get these conditions. There was ice on every surface, which made walking extremely hazardous, but the sunrises and sunsets were fantastic. At night, we were standing outside watching the millions of stars, freezing to death but very happy! Our cottage was right on the shore, overlooking the bay at Port Ellen, and we could hear the sound of the waves from inside the house. All in all, it was a good Christmas. I'll try to choose some photos from the thousands that we took. This will be a difficult job!
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We arrived back in Blackridge last night to find six inches of snow - it was quite interesting getting up the road to our house! We woke up this morning to a perfectly white, still landscape and a cloudless sky. All you can hear is the sound of people trying to clear their drives! The weight of snow has brought down some of our gutters, and we can't even see the plants in the garden.
Thank you to everyone who sent us Christmas cards, which we really appreciate. Colin and I send you our very kindest wishes for the New Year.
14th December
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