Went to the new Wholefoods store in Giffnock. Being something

of a chocoholic I always check out the chocolate bars. This one

I'd never tried before and it's fabulous. Made in Madagascar.

It's got such a complex taste..neither bitter nor sweet.

Hmmmmm.

Dried fish in a fish market in Kalk Bay outside Cape Town.

Iceland

Someone was asking if I had any paintings of Iceland.

Found three including this wee sketch of lake Myvatn.

Huge midges round there. We'd read about them but

nothing prepares you for the actual thing.

Beautiful place despite midge attack.

Candili

Painting of the house we stayed in during the summer.

It's on the Greek island of Evvia.

Dunlop Village Hall

It's the annual Christmas Exhibition in the village hall here

in Dunlop. Opening night was fun and one of my two pictures

is sold. One left.....

Just found this old photo of me drawing in Tobago.

It's a tough life.

Ormidale House, Argyll

During the last week of March next year I shall be heading a

five day art course at Ormidale House in Argyll. Yesterday I

visited Ormidale and think it's a fabulous place.

Visiting chef Stuart Campbell made us a scrummy lunch.

Stuart will be cooking for the art course and I can't wait!

Details of this course will appear before Christmas.

www.ormidalehouse.com

Mcauley Fine Art

Mcauley Fine Art in The William Street Gallery in Edinburgh

are having a Christmas show with small paintings and sketches.

These two are heading off to Edinburgh tomorrow for the

show. Both sketches from Portugal.

Mcauley Fine Art, The William Street Gallery, 10 William

Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NH.

This is a large painting of a lighthouse in Maine.

It's going to be on a new web site which I'll tell you

about soon. All very exciting...watch this space.

Mansfield Park Gallery

This is one of the small paintings going to the Mansfield Park

Gallery for their Christmas Exhibition which opens the week

after next and runs up until Christmas.

Autumn leaves

Lime Tree Gallery, Suffolk

Another painting in the 5th Anniversary Exhibition.

Refuelling Stop, Maine.

The Lime Tree Gallery

To celebrate their fifth anniversary, The Lime Tree Gallery

in Long Melford, Suffolk are having an Anniversary

Exhibition. I have four paintings in the show including

this one...Fruit Farm, Algarve.

Happy Anniversary Lime Tree.

Drawing with sparklers

Autumn colours

Half a dozen paintings have been picked up for the Edinburgh Art Fair

which opens on the 17th. This little painting of Moiré in Beaujolais

is one of them.

Numbers and letters spotted whilst wandering through central London.

Halloween. Mexican 'Day of the Dead'. Colour everywhere.

Tidal road, Devon

A calm moment

Look at these colours...phew

Lovely day in Salcombe

Early morning in South Devon and two swans are flying

along the estuary.

A wee painting of the Constantia Vineyards near Cape Town.

Brian McLuskey

Another of my favourite young artists is Brian McLuskey

who graduated from Glasgow School of Art about two

years ago. His portraiture is fresh and exciting.

Autumn colours

In those rare moments when the sun shines in the West of Scotland

the garden comes alive.

Claire Paterson

Had a visit from Claire Paterson who was showing me some

of her new work. It's three years since Claire graduated

from Glasgow School of Art winning the Stephen Campbell

Award.

On Friday the sun shone for a few hours and the autumn

flowers loved it.

It's so wet that poppy seeds are germinating inside the

seed heads. I've never seen that before.

Troon

The tide was out when we walked on the beach at Troon.

Lunch at The Wee Hurry. Hmmmmm.