Over the past week I have enjoyed a fabulous staycation in the Isle of Lewis, with visits to Harris, Skye, North Uist, South Uist, Benbecula and Eriskay thrown in. What a wonderful advert for Scotland.

There were so many stunning, deserted beaches, with pristine sand and crystal-clear water. We had many miles of rollercoaster hills, blind summits, single track roads and passing places but the journeys were definitely rewarded with the scenic treasures at their end points. Thank goodness for automatic cars.

Not surprisingly, there were many photographs taken over the course of the week but perhaps my favourite was not the most picturesque. As we drove through North Uist, a traditional blackhouse came in to view and I couldn’t believe it.

I had painted that very building from a photograph a few years ago. Having now taken my very own photographs I think I may just have to do a pointillism version to join my two previous watercolour paintings.

I am on a three month ‘Write That Book‘ masterclass at the moment so quieter on the art front . Hopefully I will get my memoir finalised and I can sign up with a publisher. I look forward to being able to report on this other creative endeavour over the next few months. It is certainly a steep learning curve.

When I retired from the NHS in 2018, I never imagined that I would be forging a career as an artist and then an author. I guess the future for anyone is what you make it. It has been a lot of work but well worth it!