Author: dominiquefcameron

Wind in the willows, sunshine and showers. A lawnmower in the burn. Behind the railway sleeper fence the coalyard.

Upper Innisigden Tomb, St.Marys, Isles of Scilly. Mixed media on paper 50cm x 60cm

A perfect day for getting wet as it happens. We went along to the back of the industrial estate behind Sainsburys with the hope of cutting up and pulling out a fallen willow tree that was blocking the burn. Jane, Catherine, Kevin and I put on waders and took to the water with bow saws. Had a great time, falling in, clearing the rubbish and sawing our way through the tree. I got to drive the minibus too which was a hoot and after much discussion on the way back the bus was nick named ‘Dick’ by Catherine. Much laughter, particularly from the women.

The Dighty flows under the dual carrigeway here. Meet Yvonne whose sons girlfriend is an artist living in Buckie. Tells me she has lived next to the burn for 30 years. Lycra sweaty runners pant heavily as they pass. The sun is hot today. Ragwort, butter burr and rowan trees heavy with berries. A man walks over to me.He introduces himself as Joe, an artist from across the way. A sculptor. He shows me how to hold a pencil and asks me lots of questions about my composition. His little dog rolls in the grass, has a poorly paw. Joe lived in Berlin for a while.The council grass cutting tractor mower is getting closer, think I should move…….I walk back to the car at Morrisons. I think I am in love with this car park. It is huge, and there is something about the optimism that planned this space that I like as I look out upon acres of white painted boxes meant for cars and their shopping. The heat of the car interior blasts me as I open the door.

A drawing morning with Gillian and David. Blue sky and hot sun. Beautiful. Butterflies, thistles, Himalayan balsam. Brown trout, and a buzzard. Hopscotch chalked onto the pavement, boys on their bikes on the BMX track, oh and during the morning a fridge freezer was dumped in the burn.

                

Group drawing of the burn. A great morning watching how others see this place I draw so much. Thankyou.

This is a possibility for the cover of the book. Its my favourite place along the burn – a dense copse of birch trees standing behind a field of canary grass.

An afternoon with Kenny and Stevie. Hiya Kenny. Hiya Darlin’. Kitchen cupboards in formica orange. I think its 1974 again. Cheery. Back gardens, washing on the lines. Cup of coffee and a chat. So yous movin ? To Fife I say. Drawings, guitar, how hard is a B minor chord, and the memory of his Dad singing a happy song as he mowed the grass. I ask to borrow a song for my book, something of his, and he sings a few lines, quietly. So, what makes a good painting ? Its having the eye , the way you see things, he says. He likes my drawings, thinks they say something. In walks Stevie, a cousin from London but now of Laurencekirk. Asks why I am here and we talk about favourite artists and carry on looking for the answer to what makes good art. Tours of Deeside, chaffeuring the rich and famous. Little dog curled up on my knee.The sea, caravan holidays and Montrose beach. I leave with more than I came with. As always in this place.

I popped into the mobile library parked behind Happyhillock Road and chatted to the librarian about memories of  summer holidays and fishing for sticklebacks in the river. I still remember how it felt to get stabbed by the jabby spiny barbs on their backs.

Monday morning, in the car park of Morrisons. Warm and sunny for a change . Lots of people watching me draw . Met a couple who told me they did their courting down at the burn and stories of tickling trout,  poaching and keeping a eye out for the police. The mornings best comments however came from an old man who looked at my sketch and told me how rubbish it was, telling me I should go back to college and that my drawing was not just bad, but really bad. In fact he said I should ask Tony Hancock ( he plays an artist in the film The Rebel, trying to sell his paintings on the left bank in Paris ) to ‘help yous oot’. Thats me told then! A quality heckle. Wonderful, funny morning.

I was thinking about Orkney this afternoon and the beach where I used to live. This is a memory of rain showers coming in from the west towards the beach.

This morning at Dighty was spent talking about moving house, the perils of bridging loans, giant hogweed, biting the heads off worms, using willow herb stalks as spears and arrows, asking where the police station is in Dundee to be told its next to the courts – the assumption was I would know…. (!), looking for frogs, getting 4 numbers on the lottery, watching funny stuff about repellent paint on youtube, finding 50p, and sitting in a wheel barrow smoking a fag  – not me !