A Scottish Castle and a Runaway Train….

A Scottish Castle and a Runaway Train….

Hi there.
Thanks for popping in today.
Was thinking about Scotland today.
Don’t know why, but I was.
Decided to make a piece of art 
to celebrate a very beautiful country.
I wish we had more time to be able to explore Scotland, 
but I must be careful what I wish for!
So I shall just content myself with half an hour 
making a simple picture of a Scottish castle….
Found a grey, purple pink Acrylic paint piece 
where I had evidently been for a walk with the brayer.
Planted the Castle mask,

Cover up the bunting areas with low tack masking tape.
Dust grey Slate across the castle line with one of our brushes.

Use a make-up sponge and grey and black Archival ink 
to add depth to the shade.
If you dab along a piece of copy paper, 
you can bring out the turrets!

Already looking very atmospheric….
Should she stop?
Or should she stay on the arty train for a little longer? 

Blimey! That’s a bit radical Gray!!!
Just tearing the top off the picture!
There’s staying on the arty train,
and there’s getting on the wrong train too! 

Ahh I see. She wants to shift the balance.
So she’s torn a piece off the top and then attached it at the base.
How? Spray Mount.

A path too, eh?
Bit patchy…..

Yep. She knows she’s overcooked it.
Now she’s trying to regain some kind of composure.
Squaring it all up will help.
And then just as she trimmed off the side, 
she saw the sea in the background….

Got to keep the sea in the background!!
Plan B it is then.
Close your eyes for a minute….

That’s not bad, Gray.
You’ve pulled it back in again. 
Panel looks deliberate. 
You may as well stick with a panel – you certainly can’t hide the fact that you just cut the blimming picture in half!!!
Actually, the other torn bit looks like a cloud.
If you squint….

Time to define the sea by defining the pink sky 
with a brush along a piece of copy paper.

Black pencil, white pencils.
Highlights, lowlights.
Should she flick some grasses into the front?
Or get off the train?
Mmmm…..whatever.
Let’s give it a go.
What’s the worst that can happen?

Now run the white pencil up the reeds too, 
as if they were catching the sun.

More reed practice required, but you do get the depth, eh.

Not a stencil, not a stamp and not a Groovi plate in sight.
Just a mask shape of a Castle and a train.

Time to stop now and catch the ironing train.
Dave’s run out of shirts.
All aboard on the Ironing Board !!!!
love & hugs,

124 thoughts on “A Scottish Castle and a Runaway Train….

  1. Love how the sea stands out now. My scraps don't seem to inspire me as yours do. I'll just has to keep trying I guess!! Hope you have a lovely evening, Barbara, Mxx

  2. This is amazing! I was aboard my own arty train this afternoon, except mine has derailed………. leaves on the line………..or maybe the wrong kind of sun! Reverted back to something safe, until normal service resumes. Xx

    1. Hi Donna,
      Loved the response above – very clever.my craft train terminated last night! By the time got back from food shopping it was time for the Sunderland match so craft never got started today. Weather blooming awful – snow, rain ,sun and freezing! Love and hugs Alison x

    2. Hi Donna
      Oh dear I hope your train goes back to the depot for a rest and can start its journey again tomorrow! We have had a lovely family day out today with Emma, just pottering around but good to spend time together. Xxx

    3. Hello Donna oh we haven't been trying our picot again 🙃 your above comment is so funny brilliantly put .i have managed to craft this afternoon didn't managed to blog on last nights blog as was in bed very early and just slept till midday today hope you get your train on the right rails xxx

    4. Hi Donna, you've certainly got the gift to make people laugh. Think my train crashed. Was doing a groovy lace card and finished the embossing all relaxed like and promptly ripped the corner clean off, don't think I can save it either. Leave it for another day, then I'll try. Have a nice evening. Love Pam xx

  3. You never cease to amaze me Barbara for the way that you can take a piece of scrap paper that most people would have put in the bin and turn it into a beautiful work of art. Skill, talent, imagination – you have masses of it

  4. Hello Barb, you are just awesome, I wish I could pull a piece of art out of the bag just like that. Stunning and evocative artwork, love the colours. Sorry you have to do the ironing, hubby will be doing ours tomorrow (he's better at it than I am!) Take care. Bx

  5. Have been studying the end picture, I think the bar of the panel looks like the edge of the train window and the cloud is actually steam coming from the engine. So a steam train, traveling in Scotland………. must be heading somewhere magical! 😉 xx

  6. Barbara could I please borrow your specs then maybe I could see into my stash in the same way you do! Guess I'm safer with my Groovi tracks for now, at least I don't go off those rails. Having said that I have been attempting a scrabble type card today & had 3 attempts before I could even count the correct number of tiles. Note to self – order more parchment!

    1. Oh Barbara, meant to ask if there is any chance of you offering a pack of mixed colours in the parchment paper? Can't afford to buy them all but would love to be able to try them all! Thanks xx

  7. Just Laughing to myself here as when I read 'cut the Blimming picture In half' I could hear Michael Caine and 'you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off' line. Silly what passes through the mind at times! Like this very much especially the colours of the background.

    Hope everyone is ok today. Just about to get ready to go for dinner at friends and am hungry as my lamb for tomorrow has been cooking and it smells lovely! Xx

  8. I love it Barbara. Got to have a moody scene up here in Scotland with our weather. Had a break today in summerhouse…. Lovely sunshine….. Got trapped in it with an hour of hailstones!!!!!
    Love n hugs… Must get back to work….got first Groovi Class next Saturday xxx

  9. I love it Barbara. Got to have a moody scene up here in Scotland with our weather. Had a break today in summerhouse…. Lovely sunshine….. Got trapped in it with an hour of hailstones!!!!!
    Love n hugs… Must get back to work….got first Groovi Class next Saturday xxx

    1. Looking forward to next week. Had an amazing day at a friends Wedding at the Blythswood hotel today and have drank too much champagne so I think tomorrow will be a relaxing day with some Groovi!

  10. I love that you make art out of the left overs from making some more art! Its a bit sad isn't it when your hubby has said he just has to pop to someone's to drop something off and you keep trying to get him out of the door so you can be sucked into your craft room for a while. It's like some kind of drug this art and crafty lark! Much love Jayne

  11. Hi Barb,
    I honestly don't know how you do it. This is really lovely and when you started I thought where on earth is she going! I should've known you'd " have a plan" my scraps are never like yours – they end up in the bin because they are totally unsalvageable! Hope you got your ironing done, love Alison xx

    1. Hi to my blog friends,
      Hope you've all had a good day, with some good weather. Up here it's been awful – snow, rain, occasional sun ( actually it's sunny now) and freezing cold. At least Sunderland won but then again so did Newcastle! ( sorry Maureen!) love and hugs to you all, Alison xx

    2. Hi Alison
      Not been too bad down south although it was a bit fresh by the seaside this afternoon. Oh I'm glad Sunderland won again, we don't support them usually but we now just want them to win because they've done so well. I'm sure Maureen will forgive you, she's a lovely lady – I'm seeing her again next week, so excited. Xxx

    3. Hi Alison, well it was a good day until until I had a bit of an accident with my groovy lace card. Cold here but had a few sunny intervals. Hope you've enjoyed your Saturday.

  12. Hi Barbara
    Wow oh wow this is amazing, I love the way you take a scrap and produce something stunning, then cut and tear it, stick it back together and wow! I like the reeds, is this from the encaustic work the other day? Stonehaven castle springs to mind here, was blowing a gale when we went but beautiful views. Scotland is beautiful, perhaps a little trip on the Harley's one day. Have a lovely evening , once the ironing is done!!
    Love Diane xxx

    1. Hi Pam, Hi Dot Hi Brenda hi Morag Hi Gilly hello all the lovely blog friends hope everyone is ok and has had a lovely day.. Weather hasn't been too bad here, bit chilly by the sea but otherwise ok.
      Sending crafty hugs xxx

    1. Evening Donna Dorothy Diane Brenda pam Alison gilly morag sue57 and all my blog friends thinking of you all hugs to all on the blog I missed blogging on last nights blog as was in bed very early just slept till noon today but managed to craft this afternoon thought I would start doing a little more on my May calendar challenge as I need to do my craft while my body lets me xxx

    2. Hi Sheila, hope having an early night and a lie on has done you some good and that you feel better. Gosh I haven't even had time to try the April one yet, wanted to have a go though as its a canvas and will be my first even if I don't send it in. I quite understand your position though, you have to do it on your better days, bless you. Hope your Saturday has been good. Love Pam xx

    3. Hi pam I found the April one quite challangeing it was my 2nd attempt I sent in so give it ago for April would be lovley to see you enter hugs xxx

  13. You really are amazing!!! That's so beautiful.
    I've been having a bit of a sort out of my crafty stuff!!! Easier said than done because I keep getting distracted by things I want to play with!!!!
    Love and hugs! Xxxx

  14. You really are amazing!!! That's so beautiful.
    I've been having a bit of a sort out of my crafty stuff!!! Easier said than done because I keep getting distracted by things I want to play with!!!!
    Love and hugs! Xxxx

  15. You never cease to amaze me with your inventiveness. All the training you've done over the years I suppose. Stops you going off the rails and keeps you on track to a lovely destination!
    We hope to be on the train to Edinburgh in early may for three nights. Never been to Scotland before so looking forward to it. Hope Dad's health lets us go, at nearly 92 we can't plan with certainty but can cancel the hotel 24 hours before at no cost to us.
    Enjoy your evening xx

  16. Absolutely blown away by this art-work. I thought it a mess to start with. However as my husband says "bairns and fools should wait until the end of a project before judging" Utterly mesmerising. Thank you for the blog. Got me out of my bad place as I still haven't found my wedding ring and I cannot help fretting about it. I have convinced myself that it dropped into a waste bin and the rubbish was collected Tuesday. Will have to have a talk to myself and brave up. Looking at a beautiful sunset and thinking of your wonderful artwork.
    Lots of love and thank you to the kind bloggers out there for their words of empathy.
    Anne (Reading)

  17. Well you've done it again, another superb masterpiece out of thin air, so to speak. Love it Barbara. Wish my scrap backgrounds could be half as good as yours, can never see anything in them. You are just amazing. Love,Pam xx

  18. What a fantastic project – just amazing what you have created with a bit of scrap. Scotland is a beautiful place to live, so do come and visit sometime – you have lots of blog friends who will offer you a place to stay! x

  19. Hi, Brenda, Dot, Morag, Gilly, Pen and Sue57 hope you've all enjoyed your Saturday and that you are all ok, hope your carpet laying went well too Dot. Love to you all and everyone on the blog. Love Pam xx

  20. Oh my, I just love this. Firstly I never have any waste as good as yours and secondly I'd have got half way through, realised I'd cocked it up and put it in the bin. Mind you when I got my acrylics out this afternoon to do the May calendar canvas background I kept going until I was happy with it.

    1. Sheila, I tried to stamp the images first but they kept coming up patchy, my ink pad it drying out, so that'll have to wait. We are planning to decorate our bedroom and I'm the painter so I thought I'd get ahead with the calendar challenge.

  21. Hi Evening Barbara I hope one day you have the time to explore my beautiful country it is the most friendly and beautiful place to live even if I say it myself and I have found that we are welcomed and loved where ever we travel to'.
    Thank you for your thoughts and art today which would look stunning framed on a newly decorated wee sitting room in Fife'
    Well Scotty Dotty can dream.
    Take care ..Love Dot..xx

    1. I have had the pleasure of visiting Scotland a few times long time ago now and they have always been nothing but kind and helpful cannot travel now or would visit you Dorothy ooo I can just see today's art work framed and hanging on your newly decorated wall .didnt say you was decorating to Julia 😱

  22. I love everything about this. How you've transformed a scrap and made a silk purse from a potential sow's ear, how the castle has a different shape from the shading, the lovely atmospheric colours and the way you put aside half an hour for it! It would take me at least a day. Carol

  23. Gorgeous artwork Barbara and wonderful how you can make a decision, follow it, backtrack, and still make a fantastic finished piece, so arty and clever! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and hope the ironing didn't take too long. x

  24. Well that was one train ride that I certainly didn't want to get off. You have such a gift, Barbara for turning mistakes into something wonderful. Don't know how you do it, but you always do! A mixed colour pack of parchment will be much appreciated. Thank you. Hope Dave can now wear a shirt. Love & hugs, Jeanette xxxx

  25. Beautiful as always. It reminds me of the view out of my daughter's uni halls bedroom window looking up to the back of Edinburgh castle. Unfortunately she only will have that view for another 6 weeks as her lease runs out then. (Then she is home for 3 months to drive me demented!)
    I think that you would be inspired by the beautiful scenery here with all the different light that you get depending on the clouds and rain. Find the time to make your wish happen – you will love it.

  26. I loved following your thinking process with this Barbara. Fabulous to see how it ended up. I do go through a change in many of my projects, as I wake up with an idea and then have to get it out of my head and onto card!! Thanks for sharing this xx

  27. Hi Barbara, just been catching up with the blogs from the last 2 days. I love the castle, was looking through my masks on Friday and there was the Scottish castle, particularly apt as that's where we will be holidaying this year. Now inspired to create something, but it won't be as good as yours… Really good idea about the coloured parchment paper – look forward to that…
    Best wishes
    Moya x

  28. Hi Barbara
    I love this picture. It is so atmospheric. I ran out of time last month and was too late making a piece for the Challenge Blog. This has inspired me for this month. Don't do too much ironing!!!
    Hugs from Chris X

  29. Hi Barbara & ladies, what a beautiful piece of art work. Love the colours. Had friends to stay for a few days so my crafting was put on the back burner. Weather in the cotwalds yesterday saw snow on the ground at a national Trust house. Hope you all have a good rest of the weekend. Hugs to all. Lynn x

  30. Hi Barbara
    Margaret here here feeling much better than I did a couple of days ago, when I was spinning and reeling with Vertigo. Not a thing I would wish on anyone, even my worst enemy, if I had one, and as Dawn said when she wrote my comments whilst I was incapicitated, I would really have a baby!!!
    Thanks to everyone who replied to the comments, wishing me well. I came downstairs for the first time in almost a week, yesterday evening, and this morning I was able to get up just after 10am, and so far not feeling too bad. Haven't ventured into the shower yet, think I will have to stay one of the unwashed for another day or two, at least I can now take myself to the bathroom.

    Barbara I love what you have done with the picture today, you seem to be able to make something out of almost nothing, wish I had a tiny bit of your imagination and talent
    Margaret xxx

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