Fishing, Arctic Terns

Today's the day .......................... for the High Arctic

Went to a lovely exhibition at the Strathearn Gallery in Crieff, Perthshire today of paintings by Claire Harkness RSW.

The paintings - all watercolours - came about after a recent trip to Greenland and the Svalbard Archipelago.  They were particularly of interest to Will, who has also visited these magical places - and as you will know also chooses to paint in watercolour.  As Claire Harkness writes:
'.............. the starkness of the Arctic -its waters, life and land - sit well with watercolour. From almost negligible layers, glazes can be built up like overlapping stained glass.  A tilted board can gather like storm clouds across a sky.  Bold sweeps of intense colour can convey vast oceans while leaving empty space leaves room for a bird to soar ........' 

I particularly liked this deceptively simple painting of two arctic terns fishing.  I was watching terns yesterday doing just that and the painting captured perfectly the sense of their grace and agility in the air.  You can see other paintings from the exhibition catalogue here ........................