Saturday 29 January 2011

Blue Suilven

It is the summit that I remember most clearly, close cropped green grass, of the kind that you only get on sandstone, above towering cliffs. But to get there there was a seriously long slog through the bog to the most amazing loch ringed with red sand, then the thousand foot of steep climbing and the ridge, which at times I traversed on my knees.

It is a small mountain, less than 2,500 feet, but it isn't a mountain which is easy to forget, and the more I write the more vivid it becomes. I have remembered my first ever view, from the Altnacealgach. I have remembered the view from Canisp and the view from the Devil's Elbow, upon which this painting is based.

Monday 3 January 2011

Minehead

This is my attempt at what must be one of the most photographed and painted views in Somerset [Church Steps, Minehead, in case it's completely unrecognisable!]. I painted it over ten years ago and had almost forgotten it, until I saw it hung in a new house.

It was good to get away after Christmas, and to catch up on some sleep and running and some teaching tasks. I got lost up the Barle, and ran up North Hill, including the zig zags without even wanting to stop. Then on our return Jane got Wii fit and it said that I was a couch potato for it's jogging programme! And that morning I'd run up Wills Neck twice.

We set holidays for the rest of the year and I've managed to commit to three crazy runs over the next six months. The 15 3000ft peaks of Snowdonia, the Exmoor coastal marathon and the Classic Quarter - see http://www.endurancelife.com/ for the latter two.

I finally sorted a few cupboards [which have been on my to do list for the past six months] and cleared all the books on my side of the bed. When I asked Jane which ones she wanted to keep on her side I got the response 'What's wrong with all of them'. Jane was prooved right as I remembered why I had kept a Disney Princess musical book of Kathryn's off her bookshelf and deep under the matress!

It's been a good holiday and I'm just about ready to go back, or certainly to send the children back to school.