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.

In Zion, the campsites are located right in the park, on the floor of the canyon itself and the view all around you is one of magnificent cliffs that soar straight up for thousands of feet.

Fortunately the canyon floor is not a narrow one so the campsites are quite sunny and cheerful with the Virgin River that cut the canyon (and still cuts it) running through the length of the park. There are many black poplars that grow throughout the canyon floor, irrigated by drainage ditches and pump systems, providing shade. It is a busy campground but worth it to be in the heart of the matter. A fantastic backdrop to our campsite in Zion is the picture I painted here of "The Watchman". This is a huge chunk of sandstone, the highest elevation point being 4419 feet. At sunset it would catch the golden rays and look very majestic.

To get a quick idea of what Zion National Park is like, check out this link which has a good representation of views you would see in any area of the park.

This was actually painted in the early part of the month, when the moon was actually full. I believe now it is on the wax again and I thought I saw a half moon through the cloud haze tonight. I learned a neat reminder for remembering if the moon is waning or waxing. You must say to yourself, "Dog comes, cat goes." If the moon has a "D" shape it is getting bigger like a big dog. If the moon shape looks like a "C", then it is waning, like a cat running away.

It sounds weird but it works. If you go here and look at the phases, you will see how it the letter shape, grows and diminishes as the belly of the moon grows and diminishes.

I am off to the Moab desert for two weeks camping. First time ever for me, so it will be quite a treat! Take care y'all and catch up with you later.