ANOTHER VISIT FROM TOTTIE.

 

I’ve had another visit from Tottie Nadin, the journalist from the Western Isles Wanderer. I’m not sure what to make of her, or why she called in again. She crept up on me when I was down in the fruit garden weeding the strawberries under plastic. I felt a bit of an idiot having to crawl out backwards and presenting her with my rear end. She wanted to know if her article about the award had made any difference, but I wonder now if she might have had some hidden agenda. I mean she was only here the other day, or was that last month. Time seems to fast forward these days and no sooner have we started the week and its Sunday again. Her arrival was well timed if one is hoping for a cup of tea and a slice of that particularly fine fruit cake I’d made earlier in the day. When she asked about my latest work I felt another tour of the studio was in order, but once again I totally forgot to ask her for the £5 entry fee. Perhaps if I had done she might have bought some little thing to redeem her fiver, but as before she left empty handed and escaped without making a purchase. The long dry spell of no visitors is finally over with the sale this week of two of my “One man and his needle” books and an early 19^th century blue and white ladle for the grand total of £48.

Tottie did have a good look around and seemed very interested in my latest painting of Berneray cemetery, although I think she thought the subject matter totally unsaleable. It was by no means completed, but people often seem more interested in seeing the process rather than the finished article. I finished it today with the addition of a raven just to add a little life, or should that be death to the scene. It’s strange how these images I’ve had in my head as well as sketch book are only now finding their way onto canvas. On the easel now is group of buildings on Eriskay that I sketched back in 2011

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Although that sketch was at the time a very quick loose one there is sufficient information that will allowed me to turn it into an oil painting. The studio has become increasingly crowded as I continue stockpiling. That’s the term I’ve used in the past, for those barren years when living in Brittany, and I’ve had no exhibitions organised or customers calling.

I though it odd that Tottie once again came by bus, surely a professional journalist would drive a car. I didn’t think to ask to see the article she’d written about me and my gallery, and have since wonder about the magazine itself. I know there are a multitude of glossy magazines about the Scottish Islands, but I’ve never heard of or seen the Western Isles Wanderer, and imagine it to be one of those journals only obtainable by subscription. From the start I’ve taken her at face value and it seems a bit churlish and certainly way too late in the day to start asking her for ID. I suppose I could have been a bit more inquisitive about her work, as well as that rather strange award. At the time I was rather flattered by the idea that someone had recognised my presence here at the end of the road, but then how did they known I’ve had nobody visiting. Now having given it some thought it does seem rather bazar, although why would she go to so much trouble just to get into my studio for free. Maybe she had a bet with a friend that she could get in for nothing, but that doesn’t explain the second visit. Is she after my body? I should have made it clearer form the outset that these days due to my cancer treatment I’m brimming over with female hormones and find it impossible to grow a moustache let alone a general election.

No, I’m letting my mind run away in flights of fancy, she’s a fine looking woman, probably a good fifteen years younger than myself. I’m reading way too much into her visits, but who knows she might be a gold digger. If she turns up again I’ll have to do some digging of my own.