My Sunday Photo... Yoga In The Park

Oh how I would love to say that this photo was taken of me doing a little yoga in the park... 

but alas it isn't me... but it's my daughter!

Pretty good isn't she? 

I love this photo for so many reasons... yes the light, composition and subject are all good, 

but it's the fact that when I first saw it I thought 'Oh she looks like my daughter' not realising initially that it was my daughter.

I know she's been enjoying taking up yoga, but I hadn't a clue that she had become so good. 

Now she's encouraging me to have a go... so if I become this good... you never know I might well post a photo of me one day! (ha)

As it's Sunday, I'm linking up with Photoalife once more and Wordless (on Tuesday at image-in-ing)

If you'd like to see other great photographer's work then please click on the links above. 

Have a wonderful stress free Sunday everyone.

Namaste

Feline and Folly

Well would you believe it... it's Friday once again. 

I was away last week, so I'm trying desperately to catch up. 

But I did promise myself that I would have something to bring to the Paint Party Friday link this week. 

I know what on earth was I thinking?... 

Talk about taking it to the wire, but I did managed to grab 25 minutes last evening.

I came up with this little chap.

I have no idea why or for what reason.

I think I took him by surprise because he looks as surprised as I was at the outcome!

I think his expression kind of sums up my week really! 

I have wanted to use my watercolour pencils for some time now, so it was a good exercise. 

The trouble is now I don't know whether to add water or not. 

Another thing that we have managed to do since returning home is to add lights into the garden. 

It's something that I have wanted to do since we bought this house.

Finally, we have a lit up the old ruined barn.

What do you think?

I know some people think it's a little spooky, but I love it.

I would love to add another light to shine into a rather large tree, but apparently my new retiree thinks that's too big a job. 

We shall have to see ;D

I will be linking up as usual with Kristin and Eva over at Paint Party Friday 

Thanks ladies for hosting such an inspiring linky.

Plus this week is the first of Alexandra's Sunday Sketches from the UK. 
Alexandra has moved over from the US to England for a temporary period and she wanted her link to Sunday Sketches to reflect that it is being hosted from England.
Please tap on the logo in my side bar to nip across to see lots of Alexandra's brilliant illustration work, but also lots of other artists work too.
Have fun!

My Sunday Photo... Jedburgh Abbey

My Sunday photo is Jedburgh Abbey, in the Scottish Borders, just 10 miles north of the border with England at Carter Bar.

Jedburgh Abbey is a ruined Augustinian abbey which was founded in the 12th century.

I'm still away at the moment hence today's brief post, but I'm linking up with Photoalife once more.

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend and I hope to see you again soon.

Spotting in Edinburgh... PPF

I'm away right now, so today's link to PPF will have to be very brief...

I know when I normally say that I can still natter on, but today I really mean it. 

My post today is still art related, but with a difference. 

We've stopped off in Edinburgh to visit our daughter... who is an Artist/Lawyer. (so there's a link)

Edinburgh was basking in glorious sunshine yesterday... and HEAT! 

I know that will come as a surprise to many. 

The city is also heating up for the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (another art related item)

(The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world's largest arts festival, which in 2015, spanned 25 days and featured 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues)

On to my tenuous link... whilst walking to dinner last night, we came across a film crew currently shooting the Trainspotting 2 movie. 

It's not something that you see everyday, so we lingered a little... it might have had something to do with the fact that Ewan McGregor might just appear on location. 

We waited...and waited... far longer than my hubby's rumbling tum wanted, just in case Ewan made an appearance, but alas, apparently we had just missed him. 

There's nothing worse than people bragging that they've seen someone that you would like to meet, but that they've left already and you've missed out!

But then look who I 'spotted'... see what I did there?

Danny Boyle... Looking at me! 

Just in case you don't know...Danny Boyle is a British film director, producer, screenwriter and theatre director, known for his work on films including Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine, 127 Hours, and Steve Jobs

Maybe he thought I should be written into the film or perhaps for another yet to be written. 

I'm all ears Danny... just email me the details!

So that's my quick dash for you this morning.

I hope you'll enjoy this post and I promise that I'll try to actually complete some artwork soon.

Just before I go I'd like to link up with  Mersad over at Through my lens over in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has lots of great photographers link up, so if you'd like to see more then please just click on the link above.

Have a fabulous day and I hope to see you soon.

Wordless Wednesday... Cute

Who needs words when you look like this....

I'm linking today to Wordless (on Tuesday at image-in-ing) 

and

 

Thanks for visiting my place... have a great day

My Sunday Sunset Photo and a little Pokemon

I know you have seen many of my sunset photographs from this particular spot but sometimes I just have to capture them. 

Each one seems so special and I want to make sure that I appreciate them. 

What a perfect way to end a day. 

As usual I'm linking up once more with Photoalife 

Why not pop over and see lots of other great photography.

Just before I go I thought I'd share Muffin's latest Instagram photo with you. 

Who needs Pokémon when you have a Pooch!

Yes I know the ball has seen better days, but she's had it since Day 1 and loves it.
She has other newer balls and lots of toys, but 'Wilson' has had too many adventures with her to just be discarded. 

(Don't worry I check it regularly to see that it's still safe)

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by my place. 

Hope to see you again soon.

Melbourne Laneways Graffiti... PPF

Something a little different for you this week.

Once again, it's unfortunately not my own work... it's been that kind of week once again. 

The weather has been reasonably good, so I've been busy outdoors. 

Although having said that I have managed to do some art, but I can't show it here, as the person who it is intended for might see it before the grand unveiling. 

Anyway... on to today's exhibit. 

It's travelling back in time to our days in Melbourne and this canvas shows one of the many Melbourne Laneways. 

This one is completely full of graffiti.

Graffiti is often a controversial subject because some visualise it as pure vandalism, whilst others a form of modern art. 

Here in the Lanes it seem right. 

I personally hate to see peoples names scrolled on railway bridges or randomly painted on the side of a beautiful buildings etc... but here in these lanes provision has been made and it makes quite a spectacular sight. 

I'm afraid that I can't give the photographer credit for this work as I can't quite work out the signature. Maybe you can?

Al fresco eateries, one-off shops and cosy little bars all nestle side-by-side in Laneways threading throughout the city.

If you'd like to see more type 'Melbourne Laneways' into your search engine under Images and you will be able to see these popular areas. (or click here)

I've borrowed this canvas from my son's bedroom and I apologise for the quality of the photo. 

It's difficult to get the image to look like the original. 

The canvas texture shows through. 

I purchased the print at the Melbourne St.Kilda Sunday market and my son immediately requested it when he saw it. I think he may have dabbled himself in the past.

I will be linking up as usual with Kristin and Eva over at Paint Party Friday link up. 

Thanks ladies for hosting such an inspiring linky.

Enjoy your Friday and thanks for stopping by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would just like to add my thanks to Alexandra over at bluechairdiary blog for picking my design for  her Sunday Sketches competition. Alexandra is moving over from the US to England for a temporary period and wanted her link to Sunday Sketches to reflect that it is being hosted from England.
Please tap on the logo in my side bar to nip across to see lots of Alexandra's brilliant illustration work, but also lots of other artists too.
Have fun!

Over The Rainbow

Sometimes I have to admit that I do not want to watch Muffy in the garden in the evening, doing her 'biz', especially if I'm watching something interesting, or I'm too comfy lounging on the sofa. 

But at times you can be rewarded for doing the right thing.

This is exactly what happened last night. 

Reluctantly, I dragged myself into the garden. 

It was quite late, but summer evenings here in the North of Scotland can be pretty spectacular... staying light until nearly midnight. 

Once we stepped out into the garden... I had to rush back in to grab my camera.

I would normally take photographs of the sunsets facing the fields at the rear of our property, but this view just grabbed my attention.    

What made it more dramatic was the dark rain clouds and the appearance of a beautiful rainbow.

Very often after a rainy day here, the clouds can part and we are rewarded with a glorious sunset. 

It's too late in the day to make the most of it... so we just have to look and appreciate it. 

In my case, I snap hundreds of photo's. 

I just can't resist!

I don't normally show the house, but the light and rainbow was too good and I wanted to share it with you.

I hope you can enjoy a spectacular sunset or a beautiful rainbow soon.

Thank you for popping over to my place. 

Have a great week... enjoy!
(I'm linking up today with Our World Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday and Mersad over at Through my lens
Why not take a peek... they'd love to see you over there)

Pretty Pink Peony... My Sunday Photo

Even when the day brings mist and drizzle (mizzle) there is always something to brighten the day.

I couldn't resist capturing the raindrops clinging to the peony petals.

It's such a pity that you can't smell their beautiful fragrance too, heightened by the still damp air.

I'm linking up once more with Photoalife and Mersad over at Through my lens

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by my place. 

Sniffs, Snuffles and Sunday Sketches

I'm so late joining the PPF link today... but I've got a slight dilemma at the moment... have I caught a cold or am I suffering with hay fever for the first time in my life? 

Both my hubby and son suffer with allergies and the pollen count must be really high around here at the moment, because they're having quite a time of it. 

I'm not so sure my symptoms are hay fever, even though my hubby thinks it might be... I'm coughing, spluttering, snivelling and sniffing like a true professional sufferer, but I think it's a cold. 

This is one of the reasons why I am late today... it's difficult to get your act together when you are constantly sneezing, sniffing and generally sinking amongst mountains of tissues.

I suppose it doesn't help that I keep bringing flowers into the house to make floral arrangements.

After working in my garden, I like nothing better than to fill a vase with all that's on display at that time. There's always something to bring in to appreciate.

I'm so happy that I've managed to do some artwork even with all the disruptions during this past week and I have to admit I really enjoyed creating and painting the design. 

I read that Alexandra MacVean over at Bluechairdiary.blogspot.co.uk is running a competition for a new Sunday Sketches logo over at her place.

Here's my entry above...
Alexandra is moving to the UK for six months and wanted a suitable logo to reflect her move there.
She also wanted to incorporate a tree in some way as the original feature for Sunday Sketches has a tree included in it. 

It's been a very sporty week with the Euro Football Championship on the go... along with the Tour de France cycling, plus Wimbledon too. 

Obviously my newly retired hubby is in his element and wants to keep up to scratch on all the developments... which means I can sneak in some great fun time creating art! 

I'm beginning to be a real sports fan after all ;D

I used the under painting technique that Tracey Fletcher King taught in her Delicious Paint Class. 

I'm a huge fan and can't imagine painting anything without under painting now.

So here's the final illustration as it might appear on the link... what do you think?

Maybe take a trip over to Alexandra's place to see Sunday Sketches and other entries.

In the meantime... thanks for popping by and I wish you a wonderful weekend ahead. 

Have fun and enjoy!

RSPB Fowlsheugh Bird Sanctuary

Since our return to Bonnie Scotland, I have wanted to revisit the RSPB Fowlsheugh Bird Santuary and last week I actually managed to do just that. 

It's only a short drive from Aberdeen so we are very lucky. 

The spectacular cliffs at Fowlsheugh are packed with approximately 130,000 breeding seabirds at this time of year, from Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and my personal favourite... the Puffin. It's possible also to see grey seals, dolphins and minke whales too, if you are lucky. 

But before we start our visit, perhaps I should warn you that this post contains a lot of photographs and if you have vertigo, then maybe this post isn't for you.

So watch your step and let's head to the edge of the cliffs....

The weather was a mixed bag on the day... we got both wet and sunburnt!

(Just a typical summer day in Aberdeenshire)

I'm always surprised by three things when visiting the santuary.

Firstly, that there are no railings, fencing or any restrictions on the clifftops. 

Secondly, the smell can be quite pungent shall we say and thirdly the noise is incredible.

But the views are spectacular.

Breath-taking in fact.

Yes, once I got into photographic mode, I had to be reminded not to step too near the edge.

I tend to get a compelling feeling that I'm being pulled if I get too near the edge, especially whilst looking down to the sea crashing onto the cliffs.

Obviously the birds don't suffer this... looking at the tiny ledge they call home.

Did you spot them? 

In the photo above it shows the closest that I could get to the baby birds.

It was a very precarious perch... I mean me... not the bird!

I was amazed to see flowers growing... they must be hardy to survive here.

You might think that you are just looking at the cliff face, but let me tell you that that cliff is teaming with life. How they perch on to the rock face is beyond me.

Here's a closer look at just how many birds are nesting here. 

The mind boggles as to how they find the right nest when they return from a visit out to sea.

It appears that no perch is beyond their reach.

As we passed other visitors we asked if they had been successful in seeing any Puffins. 

It was on my wish list to see these incredible birds, especially as they have been placed on the endangered list. 

One chap in full camouflage gear carrying enough camera equipment to sink a battle ship, said that he'd seen only few, as numbers were down this year. 

I began to think I'd be unsuccessful in my quest yet again.

Well the view certainly made up for any disappointment.

But with the aid of rather strong binoculars and my very own Twitcher 

(that's a bird watcher for those who may not have heard of this term before) 

we found two pairs of Puffins! 

They were situated on the grass bank near that cave (shown in above photo)

We watched as one parent returned numerous times to the nest with their bill full of sand eels. 

Fantastic!

Unfortunately, I still haven't purchased that zoom lens, so I haven't managed to get a photo for you, but I can't tell you how happy I was and I may even have done a little happy dance, if I hadn't been so near the edge of the cliff.
I'm linking today to Wordless (on Tuesday at image-in-ing) and Mersad ~ Photography Through My Lens

If you'd like to read more about the RSPB Bird Sanctuary then click Here

Scotland does have amazing scenery and I hope to show you more soon.

Thank you for spending some time with me.

Have a great day and hopefully I'll see you again soon.