Spring Fling Again

 Yesterday we headed south again...this time starting in Lauriston at the gallery run by photographer Phil McMenemy..his work is great, always has a good display of other artists' work in the gallery...and it's great craic, coffee and cake!

Onwards to Kirkcudbright, a place stuffed with artists from the Glasgow Boys to the present day! A makers market ( mainly food) was on the green, but despite being busy with that and guided tours it felt nice and relaxed there. 

1600s style punishment!! Still on the wall....

Castle built 1575, mainly as a show of money and influence...which after a couple of generations the money ran out and the roof fell in!

There are many studios and galleries in town but this time we just went to one...Laura Boswell who does linocut printing and Japanese woodblock printing.

This is the entrance to her home and gallery

And what else I found I will put on the next post....

PS...it wasn't my birthday the day before, that's in June...but Pirate got inspired!

Then we went on to Newton Stewart and had a nice flattish ride out on the national cycle route 73...just about ten miles total, turning and retracing before it started going up any hills! A good end to a nice day.

We parked by the river...and to think that a few years ago we had torrential rain...that car park was a couple of foot deep in water and a footbridge got washed away where I took the photo...

Spring Fling!

 Day out yesterday....saw friends at Southerness and took plants...

Started our Spring Fling visiting Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch at Corsock

Took some plants as a gift....and Hannah gave me a bowl! ...Then Pirate bought me a birthday present....and they are in use this morning..

We had yet another spectacular sunset last night

And the seagulls were jumping around on our roof last night...and first thing this morning!!....sunset is about 11 and sunrise about 4 am.....

And this is Pirate's first view of the morning....

we did our civic duty

We voted..and its a beautiful day, so hopefully it will be a good turnout...whoever gets voted for

 he has his eye on you....

no rain expected until Sunday...when we'll be helping at a bike race...and then heavy showers on Monday...I thinkit will be day out on saturday to Spring Fling!

Spring Fling

Lunch with friends in Castle Douglas, rode our bikes to see Hannah and Doug Fitch and family and their pots,and other artists at their location in Spring Fling.  Then onto Kircudbright for more art.
A total of twenty windy,enjoyable miles.

Then more by car today,catching up with friends in Barnbarroch pottery, and a few things in Dumfries.

It has been hot this weekend, in the mid 20s Centigrade, but also windy.  It has made for tiring riding and driving.

Back home again and there is too much to do...everything is still disorganized after wedding and friends and family staying.

There is SO much needing to be done...house,garden,gardening for other people, riding our bikes and thinking of entering events in a months time...and I haven't done any work of my own yet, let alone started to mend the kiln.

I think we're doing too much, yet its difficult to pull back on anything. At least we are trying to limit our garden work to those we enjoy doing and pay well.
But it is still taking time....

Spring Fling break in Kirkcudbright

We had two days going round Spring Fling this year, starting with Hannah and Dougs' workshop at Lochdougan House.   It was good to see four studios open there, one painter,one painter/printmaker and a fused glass artist.
On via Christine Hester Smith at Barnbarroch (and good coffee and flapjacks!) where Wendy Kershaw was the visiting clay artist again.
I bought The Pirate an early birthday present....a Badger, Badger coffee mug.....

We stopped in Kirkcudbright for a late lunch by the Harbour...and ended up staying there overnight, rather than driving home and returning.
It is a fascinating wee town with much history, including being known as an Artists' Town. Many have settled here, visited, been inspired by it over the past 120 years and more.
I was fascinated by all the doorways and ginnels.

There are still fishing boats working from here, mainly scallop dredgers, but only about half a dozen.

New Beginnings

We had a day to recover from our travels before we were off again...meeting the Pirate's younger daughter and her new (to us!) man . 
They came to stay for a weekend before going to the Nederlands to do on the ground research for their new life together and joint project...it sounds good and we're wishing them success.

We had a cultural weekend as fortunately their visit co-incided with the Spring Fling in Dumfries and Galloway.

We practiced before they came....by going to a photographic gallery opening in Lauriston. A lovely village, but without a shop atall.

After collecting them from Glasgow Airport, The Pirate suggested something new to us all..The Burrell Collection in Pollockshaws...marvelous!!

 A marvellous building from natural materials.They've been having some leak problems...but not surprising,the rain they've been having in Glasgow!!

 dutch brushwork...

 on this painting.....

 slip!!!....they have a Toft plate there too,  "The Pelican in her Piety"....

 Beautiful....

 This looks very much like the handles and shape I like making.....but with one difference...

 It is considerably older!!....

 He enjoyed himself....

 and so did they!

The next day we headed South, away from the rain....first stop Hannah and Doug to say hello and see the kiln in action. 
Then another first for us all,a visit to Kirkcudbright.

Couldn't resist snapping that one....we found a good cafe and saw a print shop and workshop.

Onwards and upwards,along new roads to me,to Newton Stewart and then to Wigton....Scotland's Booktown.

 Thinking of Dan Finnegan....just needs a bird each side of the door....

We can recommend the Old Bank Bookshop...most welcoming and helpful, and not just because they sold us a book on printing!!

Being a booktown has brought some hope to the town, but it still leaves a few very thin months in the year.

We were sad to wave them off to the plane on the Monday morning...but it had been a happy weekend.