An artist's boat ran aground - the tide has slowly returned.

After months absence away from the project the artist is back to working on the next set of journeys on this enormous venture across water and paint.
I had expected that the winter months would be quieter due the uncertainty of the weather, but I couldn't expected the turn of events at Christmas. I suffered a heart attack a week before Christmas, frighteningly unexpected for a reasonably fit 54 year old with none of the risk factors other than a very stressful life before becoming a full time painter. It has been a long road to full fitness and after two heart operations it was prudent to put the project on hold until I felt confident of travelling out to sea.  It is a well worn cliche, but not without truth that after an event that your heart stops you take stock and reassess your life and look at the World with new eyes.  During the recovery period  I have never painted so much and expanded my creative horizons. My senses have been more acute, whether this is "real" or a psychological consequence of my "cardiac event" I may never know, but the effects are refected in the way I look at the art , including my own.
Even though I made the decision to not to travel whilst building up my strength and confidence to travel alone I have continued to work on the music side of the project. I have recently been offered a beautiful work by the contemporary composer Poppy Ackroyd. A video of this work "the Glass sea" is included:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0emf977L2Yc

A number of other International artists have expressed an interest in the project and more names will be revealed as and when they come on board.

I have recently finished the project work for the Cromarty area. An initial decision to not include geographic markers in some of the painters has been abandoned as in some cases a feature will encourage sales which is the ultimate purpose to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Tarbet light -storm

I made a decision a stormy piece for the CROMARTY region as it seemed in keeping with the often wild and unpredictable seas of the Northern coast of Scotland.  The Cromarty piece is also unusual in that I have worked in mixed media, adding detail and structure with crayon.  Each piece for the project is not only a journey of geography, but also a creative one and I am sure it will develop over the life of the 31 regions.

I am currently working on the painting  for the FORTH region and will be posting an image in the next post along with some news of further journeys in the coming months.

This update is only a short one, but it was meant to reassure supporters of the project that the rumours of the Artist's demise have been somewhat exaggerated and things are back on an even keel ( to strain the boating metaphors )

Another BIG BIG Thanks for all those who sent me good wishes, prays and thoughts which helped enormously in feeling a new fitter version of my former self.

REMEMBER you can still give via my Just Giving page , no amount too small for this amazing cause.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/shipping-forecast

Ian
Troon - South Ayrshire - June 2016