Finding Inspiration
It all starts with daily checking of the weather forecast, hoping for the best conditions at the end of the week, And as the week progresses preparations are made - lenses cleaned and batteries charged and a check to see there is enough free space on the memory card. Boots are waterproofed, rolls are baked for the much needed lunch stop and the route is finally planned. But regardless of the weather conditions, the day of the outing is hardly ever changed. The walkers will accept what they get and only be grateful to be out on the hills. And so the journey begins with high expectations for a great day out and loads of creative inspiration.
Over the course of the day I will take a lot of photos, some because the scenery is so stunning, some for reference of particular plants or lichen, some because of good fortune with wildlife, once or twice to help with retracing steps if necessary and occasionally just for the excuse to stop for a breather if the going is arduous.
Often while walking part of my brain is creating and designing. The atmosphere and the things I see that day combined with a beautiful landscape are very inspirational for my silk painting.
A recent outing in the Glenshee hills saw me return home with a load of fairly awful photos, but a great idea for a scarf.
, The painting was completed over several days. It's a nervy process as usual, as any mistake, a brush too loaded, a stroke in the wrong place or an accidental spill would spoil the design and possibly waste the silk.
At one point when my confidence in my progress was slipping I gazed out the window and saw a red admiral! Each time the sun came out that week a shadow would flicker and the red admiral would either land on the window sill or flutter back an forth between the flowers. I imagined it was taking a break from it's long migration and letting me see it up close for the details. The butterflies on the hill had been flying into the wind and yet they were still too fast to capture well with my camera skills. That wee visitor to my window was very encouraging as I finished the painting.
And so almost before the dyes are dry the next adventure is being planned. I hope it will be as awesome as the day I walked into a butterfly migration!
This scarf will now go through its process of washing, posing for photographs, deciding on a name and writing it's description and it will be in the shop very soon.