I have been pretty busy this time over here in Orkney. Even while helping in the studio/shop during the busy season of visitors, I was able to be a part of the 2026 special dig at the Ness of Brodgar. I was holding onto my canvas and paint brushes during the popular BBC Time Team visit and excavation at the Ness of Brodgar site. The weather in July continued to be mostly wet and windy so 3 to 4 layers were the common dress for me. I was not the only one so impressed how everyone involved in the You Tube series are active and dedicated to working on and off camera. What a team!
I also had an exhibition of the balletic, athletic, and aesthetic archaeologist paintings that I created during the final season at the Ness of Brodgar in 2024. Hugely successful, I managed to get the windows of the gallery to look like a dig on the window shelf below. Thanks to the help of Susan, my former gallery partner of Ginkgo Gallery it all worked out
so well!
I am now getting ready to teach the ORKNEY WOODCUT, at the Woodstock School of Art, New York. I will be bringing some natural pigment watercolours to try out alongside making the baren for the unique monoprint technique. The Catskill mountains in October should be beautiful with the changing colours of autumn leaves.
Albany, New York had a major exhibition of the work from Blanche Lazzell, who is one of the key figures of the Provincetown print. The Orkney Woodcut is a variation of the Provincetown print.
If you are in the nearby New York area in early October, have a think and maybe you will consider joining me in Woodstock, shortly!
The Orkney print studio, Soulisquoy Print Studio members had a 40th year anniversary exhibition in the Pier Arts Centre and I included a whiteline print. All five, unique versions were sold! If you want to join me in New York and discover the thrill of "prainting" there is still space in my upcoming workshop.
Meanwhile, this painting will be heading down south to its new home. It is one of my "getting under the surface" works which attempts to illustrate painting archaeology. This is a part of my "tondo" series of 100 cm diameter circle canvases. Each of the archaeology paintings has a purposeful tear which reveals a surface of actual marks found at the Ness of Brodgar. It is going to Kent, UK to a pair of Ness archaeology devotees!
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