 It's been a while. I hope this finds you well and enjoying some summery weather, wherever you may be. Here in the highlands, the heather is in full bloom, the sheep have been shorn and they've been cutting and baling silage in the glen this week. The campsites are still busy - the Scottish schools are back, but not those from further afield, so there are plenty of visitors around. We've had a busy time at the cafe and are looking forward to winding down a wee bit in the coming months. We're taking a week's break in mid-September, but before that happens, there's this to look forward to - Art Week 2025 Organised by the wonderful team at An Talla Solais in Ullapool, this is the second year it has happened and we're delighted to be part of it this time, with a joint exhibition of our work. Most open studios and exhibitions are in and around Ullapool, however there are several other participants in Gairloch and surrounding areas, which will be well worth visiting! An Talla Solais Members' ShowI have again submitted work to the annual Members’ Show. which opens on Saturday 30th August and runs until 23rd October. Throughout Art Week, the exhibition will be open 10am - 5pm. Outwith these dates, it will be open Wed - Sun 10am -1.30pm and then 2pm - 5pm. An Talla Solais is located on Market Street in Ullapool, next door to the village hall.  'Distant Isles #9', one of the paintings submitted to the An Talla Solais Members' Show New poetry collectionI recently self-published a second collection of poetry, my first having come out last year. This one contains twenty pieces relating to mortality. Over the years, many people I have known have died and I find writing poems helps me to come to terms with the loss of them. They range from words of gratitude to my parents, to raging despair over how others deal with death, to regret over things not said or done. 2026 calendarsI suddenly realised we are nearly into September, so have been gathering my thoughts about a calendar for next year. Sadly, the company I used to rely on for the postcard-style calendars seems to have disappeared into the ether. So, I have been searching for an alternative. It looks like next year’s offering will be a desktop calendar - I’ve ordered some samples and will be posting updates on social media when they arrive. Decisions have been made about images, however. I’m often happiest with work I produce in my (many) sketchbooks, so have drawn (ha!) on them as a source of material for next year’s calendar. Below are a few of the final selection. Taking a breakLast but not least, we’re taking a break at the cafe in September -
will be closed from Monday 15th - Thursday 25th Reopening on Friday 26th September. Thereafter we’ll be open again Thursday - Sunday 9am - 4pm until further notice. In the meantime, and for those not in the area, many items are available to purchase from my online shop. As always, many thanks for your interest in my work, it’s greatly appreciated. all the best Jennifer x
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 Time to go home (nearly) This is the last week of the art portfolio course with Bridge House Art in Ullapool. All ten of us on the course are busy finishing off artworks, cropping and curating in readiness for the end of course exhibition, which opens with a Private View this Saturday, 24th February. Thereafter it is open daily 10am till 4pm, from Sunday 25th February until Sunday 3rd March. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to develop my art practice. Learning how to work in a real studio setting has been a wonderful experience; it has stretched me in ways I could not have imagined. Being able to set aside the time to focus on being creative has been fantastic. Our tutors, Eleanor White and Kittie Jones, are excellent at keeping us on track, with a finely balanced mixture of firmness, good humour and huge helpings of support and encouragement. I'm very much looking forward to being home again. I'll be hanging some of my new work in the cafe gallery after I've had a wee break to recover.  I've really enjoyed experimenting with acrylic paint and printmaking during the second term of the course. Below are a few examples of some of this new work. A selection of my small acrylic/mixed media works and print assemblies will be on show at the exhibition. Bridge Cottage Art Cafe
The cafe and gallery continue to go from strength to strength, in the capable hands of Ailsa and Iain. We're getting wonderful feedback from locals and visitors alike, which is very welcome and keeps them going when things get hectic! We'll be taking a break in March, so will be closed from Thursday 14th March until Sunday 17th March inclusive. The cafe will reopen on Friday 22nd March, with our new spring opening hours : Friday - Tuesday, 10am - 4pm. Looking forward to seeing you there sometime soon! all the best Jennifer  I have wanted to attend Feis Rois for a long time. When I first took up my fiddle again, about twenty years ago, my two children were quite small and I didn't feel I could escape for a whole long weekend to myself. Goodness knows why - I must have been a bit mad. The years passed, I wondered about going but never got organised. Then, around New Year time this year, an old school friend got in touch. She picked up her fiddle again last year; hers had collected more dust than mine, although perhaps that has made her even more determined to play again. "Let's go to the Feis!" she said. I didn't need to be asked twice. We were best friends right through school, from Primary 6 to sixth year. Competing in class, spurring each other on to study hard and, oh yes, sitting beside each other in the second violins in the school orchestra.  So, on Friday 4th May we travelled to Ullapool (by road, not ferry, contrary to appearances from the photo above), booked into our lovely B&B with views out over the sea towards the Summer Isles, and headed to the High School to register for the Feis. To describe the Feis, I am borrowing some words from their website - "a weekend bursting with music, song and dance and a stellar team of tutors to inspire participants of all levels". And that is exactly what it was, and more. Although I've been playing fiddle and, more recently, mandolin on and off for twenty years, I chose to attend a beginners' harp class. I went to this every morning. It was wonderful. There were only six of us in the class; all keen to learn and loving every minute of the new experience. Rachel Newton was our tutor - she was so patient, kind and full of laughter. And a great teacher! "Thumbs up, fingers down" became our mantra. The time flew by; we learnt a tune by ear, and the beginnings of a second one. Several of the class asked where they might acquire a clarsach so they could carry on....  Afternoons were spent doing group work under the expert tutoring of Lauren MacColl, along with Mairearad Green and Signy Jakobsdottir. I played my fiddle. We had a chance to play some of the music from The Seer, a new composition by Lauren, commissioned by Feis Rois. I learnt a lot, including the fact that a tenor horn sounds great in traditional music, 3 x 4 = 12 (I did know that, but this involved drumsticks and chair backs) and that an accordion can make a sound like waves on the shore.  It wasn't all about the music. Mostly it was, to be fair. But sustenance was required. Coffee breaks in the morning were a highlight, with volunteers serving endless cheerful mugs of tea and coffee, and fabulous, substantial homebakes seeing us through until lunchtime. The whole weekend was marvellous; there was a concert with The Shee and The Seer on the Saturday evening and a tutors' concert the following one. There were sessions in the pubs all through the town, which went on into the small hours. Tunes were shared, songs sung and I left feeling replenished, refreshed and inspired. The icing on the cake for me, however, was succeeding in encouraging (not single-handedly, I admit) a reluctant joiner-in to do so. The look of glee on his face after just one workshop was a joy to behold. That, for me, is what playing music together should be all about. A fun and enjoyable experience, shared with others.
I'm looking forward to next year already! |
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