Back in Lochcarron

Back up north for a week or so.  Nice to be here, especially now that the days are a little longer.  Weather is somewhat snowy and cold, so most of today was spent doing some DIY in the cottage.  However, I did venture out for a sketch early afternoon, wandering down by the shore in Lochcarron. 
Weather conditions were great - the sleet moving in up the loch, and glimpses of sun breaking out through the clouds.  But cold for sketching.
I love the washing lines on the shore - I always think there's a good picture in there if I could just think of an interesting composition....but maybe they just make good phtos.  Anyway, they are a good subject for a sketch.

Seaweed Lines (sketch)  copyright Aileen Grant

It was so atmospheric: so lovely to be here.  I walked down by the natural harbour.  Noticed that the cottage -Reraig - was being re-roofed in RED corrugated iron sheets.  BRILLIANT!  I didn't know you could still get corrugated iron, but in red - amazing.  It means that this cottage has retained its lovely red roof - a beacon of colour!  Look at it here.....

I was going to do a sketch here, but I could see a big black cloud approaching from the west, so I thought I would head back to Hawthorndene.  But the cloud passed over, and the sun came streaming out, so I did manage another sketch - a quick one in charcoal which I finished off indoors.

Another Slumbay Sketch copyright Aileen Grant

I think for once in this sketch I've managed to capture that distinctive shape of Slumbay.  And I quite like the way the treatment of the shore has turned out.  But then, charcoal is such a joy to work with because of the range of effects you can get.

And now it's snowing, and lying. Quite a snowfall. Looking out of the window I can see the lights across the water where the guys are working to try and fix the Strome Road.  I can't believe that they are working 24/7 .... it's a race against time to fix it. Are they really working now in the dark in this blizzard?  They deserve a bankers bonus!