This could bore you.....

Lighthouses.  As you may well know they fascinate me.  Still have not got to the bottom of exactly why.  I was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, quite a way from the sea.  In fact holidays as a child, to get to the sea, took some considerable time, in a car that looked like this.

 No, we were not rich.  My Dad had a garage.  Repairing cars.  He probably borrowed one in for repair to give it a test run.

I remember holidays to Butlins.  Hunstanton, Norfolk, and Withernsea.

My first sighting of a lighthouse.  In the middle of the town of Withernsea.  Didnt take much notice of it.  I think I thought it was just an over the top street light.  In fact I still do not understand what it does/did there, must google it.

I lived in Cornwall in the late 60s and came across a real lighthouse.  Lizard Point.

Every time I visited it was foggy.  The sound of the foghorn was quite magical.  But I was then more interested in if it had a tea room.

(All the above images I took from google, so apologies for not naming individual photographers. Tres difficile to obtain. For me anyway.)

So here we are, many years later, and I discover lighthouses big time.  

I am interested.  I learn about them.  The people who worked them, their families.  I find out how they were built, and by whom.  

Kinnaird Head, Fraserburgh is now a big part of my life.

Built for the Fraser family, this fine 16th century castle was altered in 1787 to take the first lighthouse built by the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouses.
Historic Scotland.

Since taking up art in 2011 I have on occasions attempted to depict 'my lighthouse'.  Perspective not being one of my talents I gave up. Lighthouses do have a slight slant I believe but not quite as much as I drew.  But then, recently, decided I was going to DO it.  

Challenged to do some pen and ink which would then feature on cards to raise funds to keep the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses going.  I had another go.

 Through the Keepers Cottage window.

 These bouys had a light/beacon.  There are quite a few of these around the Museum grounds.

  
Through the Keepers garden door.

 One of the few occasions the Lighthouse is lit.  This was the Queens Silver Jubilee. ( There is a more modern boring looking effort that is nearer the shore that works all the time.)


Different views of.  Done.  All the photographs were taken by the Dawn Patroller.  I then did the pen and ink/ colour wash painting.

I sat on my laurels so to speak.  THEN I received another challenge.

Next year the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses celebrates being 20 years old.  Within the Museum are so many lenses, lights, screws, dinner services, pictures, artefacts etc. etc. from all the now unmanned and electrified lighthouses..... 

As the Stevenson Family were involved in building, designing, engineering - Jill, 20 paintings of Stevenson Lighthouses.

I might just go off Lighthouses big time.

Ooooh.  Rattray Head , Boddam, just down the road............... 

Told you I could bore you.