or, working to a deadline. Not something I experience too often these days, other than when I have a commission, but having said I would produce a pen & ink drawing of the Kirk that is what I am now doing!
The Exhibition at St Mary's Parish Church in Haddington takes place from Friday 12th May through until Sunday 14th. I was delighted to be invited to exhibit at this show along with some very well known names. It will feature glass, ceramics, jewellery and prints as well as paintings and is a good chance to see the beautiful church itself. it was looking particularly fine yesterday when I went to take a few photos with lots of blossom on show. Proceeds from the sale of works will go to the St Mary's lighting project.

'Yet it was not consumed' - the burning bush. This stone carving and window is on a wall of the Baptist Church at the end of Forth Street, a fine building now in need of some repair. The burning bush has long been used as an emblem of the Church of Scotland (only officially since 1958). After a bit of research, I found this information on the St Andrew Blackadder Church website - "... 1843, when the Free Church of Scotland seceded from the Church of Scotland over the issue of the appointment of parish ministers by the system of Patronage. Shortly after that, a subscription was raised and a new building constructed at the junction of Forth Street and Shore Street (now Victoria Road). The new church was named Blackadder Church after John Blackadder and is now used by the North Berwick Baptist Church."

What a marathon masonry drawing session that was! Thanks to Pat for the title of this work (whether that is tea-time or gin o'clock has not been established)

Working away at this view of St Andrew Blackadder Church, a fine looking building on North Berwick High Street, I decided that I needed some more photos to be able to draw the masonry work - having forgotten that the frontage is currently scaffolded. Hey ho. I'll have to rummage through all my old photos, I'm sure that I have some from a while ago. Otherwise Google streetview may be my friend!

For some unknown reason I had put this painting aside since November. Finished today, big pink rocks and ropes and all.

SInce Barry B has headed to waters new I haven't painted a yellow boat, but LH20 is a cracking colour, especially against the pinky/red/brown tones of the harbour wall. It always strikes me just how large some of the blocks of stone are, and how heavy they must be. Would have been fascinating to have seen the harbour's construction.

Never having been quite happy with the colour of the sail (which in reality is a rusty red) I have toned it down from the rather Barbie-esque tones it started out in, and also reduced the grey in the harbour wall blocks. Light fading with snowy showers today so won't be able to start anything new.

Another boat in the harbour which I haven't painted before. The one in the background has fought me all the way and I'm still not entirely happy with it, nor with the pink that the sail has turned out, although I feel I could happily blame that on the Stygian gloom we have experienced weather-wise the last few days. A bit of adjustment needed! I do like painting floats though :)

I really like the roughly cut hefty stone blocks of the harbour wall. Law stone, from the old quarry in the side of our prominent local landmark, is a reddish coloured phonolytic (it rings when you hit it!) trachite (an igneous volcanic rock) that was used for many of the old buildings around the town. I don't know if this is what was used for the harbour construction or whether it was cut much closer in the vicinity of the harbour - better speak to a geologist!