Another little painting of somewhere in Scotland as we drove up to Oban. Oban is a nice little town, very picturesque, even in winter, as it overlooks a bay and beyond lie the inner Hebrides. The port was fairly busy with ferries coming in and out and along the shore were boats on their side sitting in the mud on the low tide. This was all glimpsed as I kept my head down trying not to slip on the icy sidewalks. No one grits or salts there so everyone was mincing along the town, occasionally clutching at walls or lamp posts.

Sadly, oh-so-sadly, the Oban distillery was closed for the holidays. The big wooden door was shut. There is no god.

So, a cold Scottish wind blowing down your neck is pretty much the same as a cold Canadian wind blowing down your neck. Don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise. Scotland was beautiful despite the snow and the cold for the light plays differently when there is a break in the clouds. I think it is because the winter sun is so low on the horizon that shadows are always more dramatic, and really, that is what light is all about.

Had a quick visit to the bird sanctuary today. Although it is a beautiful and sunny day, it is still a bit chilly for painting outside. No doubt days of lingering on the shore are over until summer. Shame.  Anyway, here is a quick sketch of the view from one of the little rocky beaches that overlooks the inlet. The area doesn't look like much but with the fluctuations of the tide exposing and covering the intertidal zone, the habitat is quite important in supporting wildlife, especially waterfowl that come to graze on the fine seaweed that gets exposed.

A bit desolate in winter, I agree, but I did leave out the huge gas plant across the way. Hands too cold to paint in all the fiddly details, I'll save that for another painting...something to do inside where it is warm.