Green & Blue

Our week began with a warm stroll through a local forest and it was blissful to be immersed in green. Living by the coast in Aberdeen, a city made of sparkling silver granite, we lack deep green. The woods create a different healing sensation from the blues and lightness of the sea.

In summer even when the sun isn’t shining our light here is fierce. A bleached bright searing silvery-ness that even the shadows cower from. Aberdeen hangs on the edge of the North Sea, clasped to a rugged coast backed by mountains. Summer is a cool affair chilled by winds that carry whispers of the Arctic. But on those wind-free days that occasionally happen then the humid, rich loam scented air is carried from the land and hills.

One of the joys of summer is cloud spotting. It has been a guilty pleasure of ours this last week to sit in our local park, sunning ourselves, enjoying a chilled rosé and lying back to cloud gaze. The big skies and wild winds here lead to cloud shapes changing rapidly. They form and reform against blinding blues, white and then sudden storm grey. My favourites are the quick scudding little clouds rushing through as if on some important errand. Perhaps they are late for dinner?

Available on my website

I usually work in oil paints. I love the versatility and the challenges, I don’t think you ever master them! But I pulled out my box of watercolours this week. It was lovely to rediscover some of my old favourites!

Some of this palette is handmade from locally gathered pigments. One of the blacks is from sea coal gathered at our local beach, Fitte. Footdee or ‘Fitte’ as it is known locally is a little fishing village tucked at the end of our harbour. Aberdeen harbour is made up of oil-rig supply boats and other shipping related to the oil industry. So this little gem of a village is a real delight now home to artists and creatives. I made this walking map of it a few years ago.

I hope you have a weekend full of adventures!

with love

E x