A visit to Skomer Island
Skomer is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire in West Wales. It is a national nature reserve, site of special scientific interest and a special protection area .Around half the worlds population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island and the Atlantic puffin colony is the largest in southern Britain. I have visited several times over the years just for day trips but this time stayed on the island for three nights in a well equipped but basic hostel on the island. We were lucky with the weather and had two lovely days, he third day was misty but not too cold. The bluebells were out and looked stunning and the puffin colony were doing what they normally do at this time of year, nest making and on the whole ignoring us visitors.
I took lots of photos and did a few quick watercolour sketches in an 8 x 6 inch heavy cartridge sketch book. I had to travel light so just a few brushes and small palette. I like working watercolour on cartridge paper and also using mixed media although this time just watercolour. It is quite different from working on watercolour paper as you can’t blend and soften edges but I like to work quickly on it and use different marks and harder edges.
A lovely trip with Lindsay Powell-Jones. We were lucky with the weather even the misty day was enjoyable if a bit spooky just hearing all the bird calls and not seeing them over on the wick….an inlet with a cliff full of nesting birds. I plan on painting from my photos…views, birds and flowers.