Little Shop of Colours

To be perfectly honest, there is not a huge amount that draws me to London these days. Living in Scotland spoils us in terms of living without hoards of people, traffic and life moving at high speed. Been there, done that. But this morning I have just been listening to a delightful programme on Radio 4, Little Shop of Colours, which makes me want to get on the next train going south, to visit a little art supplies shop, close to the British Museum.

L. Cornelissen & Son has been selling colour in various forms (oil paint, oil pastels, acrylics, chalks, powdered pigments) with a multitude of fabulous names (Lapis Lazuli, Rose Madder, Naples Yellow, Mars Violet Deep, Potters Pink, Egyptian Blue, Antwerp Blue, Caput Mortuum), to artists since the 19th century. The shop sounds amazing, and as I LOVE colour, I think a visit has to be a bit of a priority now. Good opportunity to catch up with some old friends too, and that can't be a bad thing either!

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In a vase on Monday - colour

The intense colours in my vase this week come from nasturtiums, sweetpeas and a single glorious zinnia! Their beauty and love of life speak for themselves and need no further words from me! Enjoy!

Colonsay postcards - on arrival

The first thing I do, once we have unpacked our car, which has been groaning with all the stuff we need for a week's stay in the holiday cottage, is head for the outer gardens of Colonsay House. It is a place of wonder for me! I particularly love the leaves of the giant rhododendrons. There are many different varieties, all planted in the early 1930s. The outer gardens are generally overgrown, having had little tending over the decades. That makes them even more magical! The old woodmill falls apart a little more every year, but that's fine by me because I love corrugated iron and especially if it's rusted! And of course the bees. Colonsay's beekeeper, Andrew Abrahams, has one of his apiaries on the edge of the pine wood. So lovely - the hum of busy bees and the heady smell of the pines. We are here - finally! Delayed by four months by the wretched virus, but now I am on holiday! Hooray!

Found items IAVOM

I am on holiday on the Inner Hebridean island of Colonsay. It is my happy place. Thoughts of Colonsay rattle around in my head each and every day I am not here! I haven't got a vase to share this week but some lovely things I have found over the past few days, which are just as beautiful as a vase of flowers! I hope you agree! Here are some leaves of giant rhododendrons, growing in the outer gardens of Colonsay House. Some skeleton leaves of magnolia. The dried stem of a kelp seaweed. A couple of conkers (can never resist those!), and a branch heavily populated by a number of lichens. The air on Colonsay is so clean that lichens flourish here!

the running wave

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