Drone and Painting Lessons 2nd Feb

Vince’s alarm went off for him to get up and go droning (Balmaqueen), but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. When I woke up in my own good time I toddled downstairs to find a “Love Note”. Vince has never been big on giving cards - I think I have two in 5 years, so to get a written message, even if just on a folded sheet of foolscap paper was something I’ll treasure.

I tidied up and checked my phone - a missed call on WhatsApp rom my Dad so I gave him a ring back and spoke to him and my Mum, in Darwin, for a while. Then I picked up the computer to start catching up on my blogs and photos when I heard the car coming down the drive.

Despite his thick jacket, Vince was freezing cold as I gave him a big morning hug - time for a cuppa and some Spurtle Porridge and Love Heart Crumpets (this is not a soppy lovey-dovey Blog - thats the only shape you can get in the Co Op at the moment.)

After breakfast we got ready to go out shooting photos at Score Bay but when we got there the rain came in and we decided there wasn’t much point so just went back home.

We had some lunch - Pea and Ham Soup with bread before getting ready again to go out to see Ian and Gill, and their black and white Springer Spaniel, Rum, at Lana Mara, Skeabost, about and hour away. Ian Williams is a Writer and Artist, and his wife of over 25 years, Gill, is a Photographer and Artist. They were both in police force long ago. Ian had agreed to give me an introduction to water paints and whilst I was doing that, Vince would introduce Gill to flying his drone, as she had just purchased one of her own but had never flown.

We received a warm welcome from Ian and Rum, and were invited into the house for a cuppa and homemade fruit scones Ian had cooked. The view from their lounge was even more impressive than the one from the studio. We talked about my lack of Otter spotting the other day, and Ian thought he saw something, he reached for the readily placed binoculars, looked, then handed them to me, but whatever it was had dived down and wasn’t coming up.

Gill soon joined us, and during our visit we also met Barkly, who is a mixed breed (maybe collie and terrier), and a gentle, elegant lady of some 17 years. She is their friend's dog they are dog sitting until Wed.

Our refreshments finished we headed off in our opposite directions, Ian and I into his Studio and Vince and Gill out into the back garden which is really the lake bank.

My session with Ian was more a therapeutic art time than an actual lesson. He told me about the importance of choosing good paper stock (his is handmade) and then showed me how to prepare the paper for application, how to mix the colour with water to get the consistency you want, and then how to apply it to the paper, the bleeding effect of the paint on the wet paper and how you can turn in to coax any drips, and basically how the whole thing is very organic, individual and creates its own structure! Fascinating!

In between we talked about events in our lives that had been traumatic and our strategies for coping and solving the problems of the world through Art. He offered me a new drink he had created whilst in Lapland last week - a shot of Triple Distilled Vodka, with Blackcurrent Cordial and warm water - delicious! I shared with him that the message I got was also for him, that he needed to share his knowledge and passion with others and I told him about the “Carbernet and Canvas” session my daughter sent me a photograph of recently that she went to with her Mother’s Group. He will ponder it and maybe talk to the local hotel about a suitable space.

A young couple arrived to collect a plaster batt for her pottery wheel that Ian had made for her as he was making one for himself. They own a restaurant in Portree, (the Scorrybreac I think), and surprised him with a gift card for a meal for he and Gill. Ian is so generous with is time and talents.

Ian’s generosity didn’t stop there - not only would he not take any money for my session, but he send me off with a basic watercolour kit, of paints, brushes and a postcard pad of paper the directions to “Go, Play and Create”.

Vince told me Gill was a natural, she had operated remote underwater submarines in her time in the police force so command of the controls came easily to her. He had flown his Phantom 4 Pro to demonstrate, then the rain came in so they went back inside and covered some theory. As the weather cleared they went back outside and it was Gill’s turn to drone. Remote Pilot Extraordinaire!

We all met back inside and enjoyed some more of Ian’s Lapland drinks and nibbles of fruit and nuts, whilst we shared our varied adventures of the day. They showed us some of their Lapland photos and confirmed we did capture an Aurora the other night - YEAH! Their photographs were just amazing and Gill gave Vince some advice on an Aurora App she uses and how to interpret things. So all round it was a Win/Win/Win/Win! Each of us giving and receiving something in return. Just as life should be.

We left with an invitation of coming for a meal before we go, and dropping in for a cuppa anytime we are passing their way - so kind.

We left at 4.30pm as it was getting dark and we didn’t want to monopolise any more of their time. When we got home I had a play with my new paints and Vince processed some drone footage to email to Gill and Ian.

We had the left over steak and vegetable pie from last night, with the addition of some Baked Beans (Ian’s worthy suggestion as he does all their cooking). The meal ending with Vince licking his plate!!!! He said he was sad to see the last of it go - so obviously I’m going to have to make another pie when it’s my week to cook.

Vince was exhausted from his day, and had only a few hours sleep (due to the Aurora last night and getting up at 6 this morning) poor thing. So he went to bed at 8.30pm. I did a bit more photo processing to upload and publish my blog from the day before (I’m usually a day behind - ‘cause it has to have happened first - obviously!) Then it was lights out and upstairs to bed for the land of nod!