In my previous post ‘How do I find my trees?’ I set out the process by which I find my drawing locations. Of course I’m not that methodical really and it can be a combination of things that lead me to a new spot, or sometimes just pure chance.
My newest discovery came about as a result of a suggestion from Roger at Troutquest, Evanton in Easter Ross. We were holidaying in the cottage he rents for his fishing holiday business and he suggested that the Old Evanton Road to Dingwall had some good old trees. Out came the maps and after a wee drive came the discovery of this wonderful old road, strangely green and lined with trees of great character – beeches, oaks, hawthorn and others I couldn’t identify without their leaves.
Since I only had an hour or so here, I recorded all I could in preparation for returning later in the year. I use my Samsung Galaxy Note for this – it’s a bit big for a phone but the up side is that it has a large screen, a stylus and nifty apps like SMemo which are ideal for combining photos, hand written notes etc. I can also draw on it; Sketchbook Pro is a great app which I use in the studio, but I far prefer the feel of the friction between pen and paper when drawing.