Snow or spring?

The birds are singing and the sun is shining, but snow is forecast for us over the weekend. This begs the question; is snow or spring in the air?

Work at Ballintomb has been as busy as ever since last I wrote, and here for your interest and enjoyment, are a few of the pieces that have been keeping me occupied. I hope you approve. Comments appreciated as always.

Stay warm.


                                          Native ash tennis court bench.

                                                   Memory tree stand in native oak.

                                                  

                                                    Hand carved Clan Hay chair in native ash.

                 Julian.

Even by the standards of an average British summer, the weather that we have been experiencing in the Grampians and N.E. of Scotland recently, can only be described as appalling! Days of incessant rain have left roads awash, with roads, fields, and even houses, flooded. Still, so far the workshop has remained dry, and work has continued apace.

Below are examples of pieces recently finished and collected by clients.


                                        Clan MacThomas chair in oak.

                                              Clan MacLeod chair in oak

Hand carved church collection plates

Carving classes being held throughout the year. Anyone interested in attending, please ring 01340 810495, or e-mail sballintomb@aol.com  .Cost for the day, £50.00, which includeds all wood, tools, instruction, and lunch!


Regards,


               Julian.

Salmo Salar.

The daffs are in flower, the trees are beginning to come into bud, and there are even reports of swallows being sighted on Speyside. Could it be spring? I think it must be!
Having said all that, there are still grey geese around, who have yet to head back north to their summer home and, would you believe that the weather forecast is still talking about snow on the hills?

Whether or not, here's a photo of my latest piece of work to be completed. An Atlantic salmon hand carved in cherry and sycamore, mounted on an oak backboard. I hope you approve.

Regards,



               Julian.

Opportunity knocks!

Apologies for not having posted for a while, but things here have truly been busy. The recent fall of spring(?) snow has all but melted from the hills, and is we hope, the last we shall see of the white stuff until late autumn.

Work continues apace, with wood carving and wood carving classes being the order of the day. Here featured is a commission in elm, recently completed for the Knock News magazine. At over eight foot in length and hand carved, it is quite a sign, and hopefully won't be missed by customers looking for Morriston House!

Yours aye,



                  Julian.

The one that didn't get away!

Although a little icy at the moment, we are fortunately still snow free. The days are slowly beginning to lengthen, and even the snow drops have decided to pop their heads above ground. Can Spring be far away? Well, yes, probably!

Things here have been busy, with carving classes being organized, and a new project underway.

Burnside of Ballintomb are now offering to reproduce, exactly, anglers trophy fish. The client supplies the fish's weight and dimensions, along with a clear photograph, then we hand carve and hand paint an exact replica of the catch! Ideal in these conservation minded times of 'Catch & release'!

See what you think of this cock salmon, hand carved in sycamore, prior to painting.

Stay warm. Be safe.

The year so far.

I'm happy to report that we all survived the festive season unscathed, which as always, went by in a blur!

After several days of above zero temperatures, aided by a southerly wind, most of the snow has thawed away, and what little ice remains, ought to be gone by the weekend. I can only hope that we will remain frost and ice free, at least until the wind again swings in from the north, as surely it must.

February is traditionally our snowiest month, so we are not out of the woods yet!

The bad weather has at least allowed me to concentrate on my writing, and over the past few weeks articles produced by myself have been published in the Shooting Times, Countryman's Weekly, and the Sporting Rifle.
Last week saw the completion of a piece on the returning use of the horse and trap as transport, in the face of astronomical fuel price rises, and by friday, I'm hoping to have pieces on both fishing and deer stalking completed.

For those interested in The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, held between the 28th of April and the 2nd of May 2011, you will find the events section of the website programme now open.
We at Burnside of Ballintomb will be hosting carving lessons throughout the festival, limited to four places per day, priced at £45.00 per person.

In addition, those wishing to attend carving classes throughout the year, please contact me on: 01340 810495
Courses can be made to fit whatever the clients needs maybe, and personal tuition is assured.

Stay warm. Stay safe.

'Earth as hard as iron'.

Here we are at the mid winter solstice the shortest day of the year, and I must say that the sunset was spectacular this evening, as the sun slipped below the horizon of hills, and the moon rose into the heavens.

All at Burnside is frozen, 'Earth as hard as iron. Water as stone', to quote the great Gustav Holst. The smoke from the hearth rises unhindered into a starlit sky, and the mercury has plummeted.

In spite of the bitter conditions, good use was made of the day, by topping up the freezer with venison. At the very least Christmas dinner is now assured!

The mid winter sun at 1.10 p.m. today, as it skims through the frozen birch woods. At this latitude daylight is a privilege.



The deep mid winter. 'Earth as hard as iron. Water as stone'. The view north from Burnside.

Christmas dinner assured. Come what may, we shall eat!



Stay warm. Stay safe.

Regards,

                  Julian.