Early Morning North Beach Iona.

Early Morning North Beach Iona

I have mentioned often before that I was fortunate enough to spend a year of my life living and working on the building of Iona Abbey on the beautiful little Island of Iona. During this time I spent many hours walking the island on my own in the early hours of the morning or late evenings. During the winter months there were only about six or so of us lived in the Abbey, the summer brought a great many visitors who would come and stay for a few days or a week.

I got to know the island very well. I can close my eyes and fill my head with the many pictures of the little coves and beaches.

This painting is one of the larger of the paintings I do. It was painted from memory but I have no doubt at all that it is fairly accurate. I painted just a two weeks ago or so and as yet it has stirred little interest. I suppose it is one of those paintings that will mean more to me than to others. As I was saying in my other blog, "It all depends on how you see it."

This blog is linked to my other: It All Depends On How We See It.

Iona

Iona Beach Looking Towards Mull

This is the second of three paintings I sold last week. I will not go into too many details about this sale because it has been purchased as a gift for a very special person.

It seems that the island of Iona is a special place for two people and one is giving the other a gift of my painting.

I feel happy about this for more than just the sale of the painting.

I also love this spot having lived there for a year and swam from this very beach.

I hope the painting brings some of the joy of the place back for them.

This blog is linked to my other.   The Secret Box

Iona

Iona Beech

I stood upon the lonely beech

alone amidst the beauty.

Cerulean the sea stretched out

to kiss the waiting sky.

Caressing the Dutchman’s cap and Staffa’s distant shore.

Beating the walls of Fingals Cave with timpani of sound.

Bare foot I strode the golden sands

whispering grass atop the white walled dunes

imprisoned me within.

No words will ever tell

that inner beat.

Or majesty so rare.

In that lingering moment,

when time stood still,

so small I felt.

Stooping took within my palm

a million grains of sand.

Trickling though my fingers.

Reminding me that time moved ever onward.

The hourglass of life.

Each small grain

part of the universe.

Each plays its part

and has its place

and so do I.

And You.

 

Further thoughts and words about this painting and poem can be found on my other blog. A Year Apart

Iona North Beach

Iona North Beach

It is amazing how an awareness of the beauty of our world can change the circumstances of our lives. The story on my blog today about the fire tries to make this point. I chose to include this painting, which I am aware has many faults, because it is a painting of a place I hold very dear. I keep thinking I will paint over it but when it comes to doing it I stop and look and I take it off the easel and tell myself I will do it another day.

I lived on Iona for almost a full year. For those who do not know Iona, it is a small Island in Scotland off the coast of Mull. Very small only three miles long and one and a half miles wide. I had been working as a butcher and playing music in a band. Life had been hectic but in one way and another also becoming destructive and heading for disaster. I had decided it was time to change and get my act together. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay and work on the restoration of the Abbey on Iona. The first few months there were only about eight of us living in the Abbey, during the summer this rose considerably. I was the youngest of the eight by a long way. So I had time to think and study. When I got down, and I did frequently, I used to go to this beach and have a swim, the water was always freezing, and then I would sit and just take in this breathtaking vista. Without fail it always renewed my desire to do something more with life.

The painting was done from memory painted in acrylic on canvas. Maybe what I should do as I look at it again this morning is do the same painting but this time make a better job of it.

This blog is linked to my other blog where this artwork is used. it can be read at :-The Fire