This has been quite a summer due to lockdown and all the restrictions linked to the Covid 19 pandemic. Staycations in Scotland were recommended to support the local economy and prevent the spread of the virus.

Having completed my trip to Oban, I then got ready for Staycation number 2 in Arran. Having never been to Arran I did not know what to expect. What a pleasant surprise.

It was Scotland in miniature... it had everything, coastal walks on pebble beaches, great expanses of unspoiled sandy beaches, seals, rock pools, castles, mountains, glens, waterfalls, caves and standing stones. We even went crab fishing and had a Segway adventure.

There was so much scenic inspiration for painting ... lots of photos as a result. The odd thing was the ‘new normal’ situation with face masks.

You cannot go anywhere without one nowadays. Hopefully, these precautions mean that we will avoid a second lockdown.

I still have a further staycation to go ... Ballater at the end of October.

On return, I picked up a sample face mask from the printers, with one of my pen and ink drawings on it ... the bumble bee with pollen.

Something different!

I need to make some decisions soon, as SDX in Leith is moving to the centre of Edinburgh. We had to remove all our stock and will need to restock for opening in October.

The original shop catered for tourists from the cruise ships coming into Ocean Terminal, so merchandise was key. The new location may attract a different clientele, so difficult decisions to be made re what to stock. Original watercolours may potentially be more likely to sell than merchandise.

I also have my new pointillism range to consider... decisions, decisions ... I hope to sell on the SDX online shop too, so will monitor the response to that too.

People’s shopping habits have definitely been impacted by the pandemic, with more online sales likely than before. I will watch on with interest.