dead pine tree

an army of twig experiments

These are the begginings of some experiments with wood - carving, painting, rubbing-back and burning. I'm intending to make a large neckpiece with them.

the dark woods......

everything has cracks in it, thats how the light gets in

....or the tale of Leonard Cohen and the suicidal whale.

A few highlights from my week in Sydney...

Highlight Numer 1.....

It was a drab and windy evening in the old mining town of Dominion as we drove past the hole where the old high school had sunk into an old mine shaft and the social club the locals named the'blood pit'. We were headed to No.26 mine.

As we neared the coast we turned up a dirt road where dozens of other cars and a couple of small ponies had gathered at the roads end, near the wire enclosed grave of a miner. After walking over churned and muddy ground we reached the edge of the land and there it was.

Poor dead wrinkly whale.

As the sun set behind the power station and the crowds dispersed I felt a warm feeling inside watching a father place his two toddlers on the decaying beasts back for a photo opportunity.

It was a special moment in Sydney Mines and a rather appropriate prelude to going to watch Leonard Cohen in Glace Bay, which was fantastic and Highlight Number 2.

Nine men standing on beached sperm whale at Leith Harbour, South Georgia 1913


Highlight Number 3....

The Tom Fun Orchestra played Rollies Wharf


It rained all week in Sydney and was about 5'C...the only thing for it was to stay up late and dance. Teaching on only 3 hours sleep was an interesting experience but all the classes in the Centre for Craft and Design seem to have gone well.

eagle eagle eagle

I had a wee walk this morning before I go to Sydney later today for this weeks workshops and finally got a few better shots of the Eagles.

Its pretty grey here today so there is not too much colour in these images but the wind has changes direction from the North and it is warmer now.

jumping deer

Dalbrae workshops

Things are really getting moving now in the school. I’ve taught six workshops in the past week - it feels great to be more productive and I’m really enjoying getting to know the kids.


I’ve been teaching two kinds of workshop……





…..one where I get the pupils to do a drawing of an object in a continuous line without taking their pen off the page….then translating their line drawing into wire and building-up a 3D model.

we mangaed to get hold of a stuffed Bald-Headed Eagle...

...Fox cubs and a mink....

This project helps them to think about construction of form and working from the inside out - it’s a quick introduction to wire-work too.

The other project is a sheet metal project where they create a badge and/or pendant piece using the techniques of saw piercing and some soldering.

The students got through 144 saw blades in three days but I think they were pretty happy with what they came away with.

using hammer marks for texture

some examples of their finished pieces





Pengiun, Cape Breton and Horse

I think the ‘bling’ might have gone to their heads…..

Yes,…..it definitely did.

On Sunday I’m holding a public workshop in the Inverness craft centre and next week I’m in Sydney for 3 school workshops and a public workshop so they’re keeping me busy and the time is flying.

mabou........from the sublime to the ridiculous

The guardian of the shopping trollies in Mabou shop entrance.......




..........and a local mailbox

a walk in the woods

These are some photies of my regular walk near my shack. It is part of the old trans-Canada railway track which is now a walking trail.

These photos were taken last week when the weather was warm....There is a brisk north wind now and there was heavy snow (in Scottish terms) over the weekend on my drive back from Sydney.



Down-town Mabou from the old railway line. This is part of the inlet so is tidal and salty.

I've seen this wee fox a couple of times - if my camera shutter hadn't made a noise it would have been on my lap.

I see this pretty lady in the same spot almost every time...perched above the water which are black with young fish guddling about as the pools fill and empty with the tide. I wonder if she is the same bird I see being mobbed by crows from my kitchen window while I'm doing the dishes.

Her nest! not seen much action in it yet....This photograph doesn't really do justice to the size of it - I could easily fit inside.

Fingers crossed, things seem to be getting sorted with the timetable and workshops in school so the next few blogs might be more school based.

sky, silhouette, reflection

After three days of clear skies and sunshine, clouds are starting to form and rain is on its way......

A lonely pigeon on the bridge

living trees and dead wood

As I'm waiting for my space in the school to be cleaned out and equipment to arrive I'm making the most of the lovely weather and getting out to collect bits and bobs and take lots of photo's of the woodland nearby.

All around the inlet dead wood is washed up by the tide, small branches to huge trunks are left to dry and bleach in the spring sunshine - they look so skeletal.

what remains of a beaver dam

I would love to see a beaver but this is as close as i've got so far. I think they can be real pests for the locals though...I was told that someone lost a whole garden of fruit trees to them. Its really amazing to see the lines of gnawed off stumps they leave behind...they are like wee machines.

colour is starting to appear at the tips of the branches

Baby fish swim in the shade of the trees.




I think the berries are cranberries left over from winter but I'm not sure.

Well, I'm off to Sydney tommorow for the big medical...I'm getting a lift half-way from someone in Mabou and then meeting another car to go the other hour to Sydney.

Fingers crossed I don't have a terribly incurable disease…I have spent the past week poking around beaver holes.