Northern Frontiers

Turning Tides

2011-12-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

The winter solstice came and went, a day like any other in the grand scheme of things, animals fed, loose ends tied up before the conventions of Christmas and New Year put a hault on everything but them most creative of activities. I observed the Solstice passing, its been a year of highs and lows, so I took a moment to rekindle the memories of 2011 and to look forward to what 2012 will bring, new challenges, new beginnings and the development of the new things that began this year and which will be carried forward into the next.

Christmas day is here, and this year more than ever it seems to have gotten in the way more than it has in previous years. There is no work for 4 days, most things are shut down until after New Year, it wasn't that long ago that Christmas day in Scotland at least was a working day, with (as himself said earlier) New Year being the time to look back and look forward, the changing of the seasons and the year, as I said to him then, that was the solistice and he could do nothing but agree. That said maybe the Vikings had it right, celebrate for the whole month and welcome back the sun, longer days and the new year all at the same time.

Two weeks from today, the first of the fire festivals begin, in Scalloway and finish in March when day light is finally with us again for more than a few hours at a time.

End of Summer

2011-10-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

Well at least I think its the end of the summer, when I was away in Aberdeen last month the temperature here finally got above 15C and summer came and went in a week, by the time I got home we were beginning to wonder when the snow was going to start falling.

So year two of student teaching has begun in earnest with essays, course work, placements and projects. Placement starts in a week with the upper stages of the primary school, and this year I am in a one class rural school with a total school role of 11, most of whom are in the upper stages. Its going to be a very different placement to last year, and I am looking forward to the challenges that will come a long with it.

Art is going well, got a few ideas for projects to get on with over the winter and have ready for next summer, got a commission or two from family and I am working on my photography, slowly finding ways and means of promoting what it is I do.

An Afternoon Out

2011-08-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sat in the teeth of an ENE near gale this evening with driving rain and a certain wintery chill in the air. So I am feeling the need to share a few photographs I took over the weekend, if only to remind myself that we did actually experience warm weather this last week. The colour of my face and arms, aside it was glorious, and the beaches and sands of Burra made of a Caribbean film set, never mind a Shetland one.

Art Pistol

2011-08-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

Here is the link through to my art pistol profile. Its a bit of self promotion, but that's not a bad thing right?

Art Pistol

There seems to be a pile of things for me to get through at the moment, a list and some coffee will definitely help and hopefully make the brain fog clear (even if outside it looks like a gallon of pea soup has engulfed the Islands).

2011-07-29T01:20:00.000-07:00

Its nearly the end of summer, although weather wise I am wondering if it actually arrived?

Year one of school went well, there were times when it dragged on, but on the whole it was good. I passed my placements, I passed my essay with a tremendous 18 out of 20.

This winter I have year 2 and also I am taking some art classes in order to develop the work I already do, and that work has been selling back and forth which makes me happy. Other than that there isn't a lot more going on, however I have made some changes to the way my blog pages look, which it makes it easier for me to share the work I have put up for sale over at RedBubble.

Visual Arts

2011-06-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

What else can I say other than sorry for not posting as much as I probably should have done, but between having a job for a few months over the winter, looking for a new job, getting through first year of my PGDE and all that entails ( I passed beautifully, 18/20 in my essay and two great reports from both my class teacher and my tutor) I haven't had a lot of time to hang around and post anything blog-worthy.

So today, while I have five minutes before heading out for lunch, I thought I would share this; Jay Evans - Vis Arts - my Facebook page devoted to my artistic moments with mixed media and environmental art and also my photography projects. My current project with the camera is to take photographs of Shetland's decaying fishing and whaling stations, I have decided to take them all in colour and then move them into black and white with various filters applied to them to create a mood which reflects the background and the feelings I want to express through the images.

In terms of art work I am experimenting, the weather is too good at the moment to be in the workshop/studio so the best thing I can think to do is to be out drawing, painting and really looking at what Shetland has to offer. I have a few ideas, one being a collection of images that reflect the land, air and sea's hidden rhythms which is a tricky concept to get together and has so far involved a lot of thinking and scribbling rather than actual drawing, painting and creating. The environmental stuff comes with found object sculpture, I love it because you can use anything, leave it for a moment then watch wild take it back and reclaim what was for itself once again. Which, in the world of bringing things full circle, is another reason to be out taking photographs of the old fishing and whaling stations.

They are each old and a part of Shetland's history in their own right, but slowly the sea is reclaiming the piers, plants are reclaiming the buildings and the Shetland weather is slowly taking away the rest.

2011-02-22T23:20:00.001-08:00

I think, well, I hope, that they tried to deliver my swanky new dry suit yesterday. Unfortunately I was at work, so I missed the delivery but fingers crossed thats what is was UPS was trying deliver rather than the new sail for the boat, but I guess I would settle for that to arrive as well, it means tho that I will have to start chasing the dry suit folks again.

I have a month left at work, its kinda sad, I've really enjoyed working with the wrasse and other fish, would love it if they could keep the job going for me beyond March, they've been really good with me needing time off for teaching placement, given me heaps to do, listened to ideas and generally I've learnt a lot about fish. Of course I have more to learn, but I reckon this has been a good start.

Have been doing a lot with arty stuff as well as putting together websites. Not sure what the summer is going to hold, whether I spend it welk picking and selling art or I see if there's another job out there that will let me have the time off for teaching practice, its a good course don't get me wrong but parts of it seriously get in the way.

2010-12-19T06:14:00.000-08:00

Good grief its nearly mid-winter, another year ended and a new one to begin, with a full scale taste of what it is to be a nursery and then primary teacher as my first placement arrives, just after the schools go back. In the meantime I am loving my new job as a Hatchery Assistant over at the Marine College.

The artistry is on again, it was sort of on hold but creating is something I need so I'm trying to have a day messing about a week, mostly at weekends, so I can get my fix. Then I find time in the evenings to do homework for college and sort out bits and pieces for the boat.

Waiting on more snow falling, and my folks to arrive after having been delayed, and the cake to be ready (its only just been made - oops).

So have a happy winter-time, the start of longer days, and keep on looking for that first fresh scent of spring

30

2010-10-15T23:53:00.001-07:00

It happened, last Monday I turned 30. A lot of people panic about being 30, some how I feel invigorated, ready for anything and willing to climb the highest mountains or swim the 7 seas just because they are there. Its rather a nice feeling, its like waking up after a long deep sleep, and all I want to do is run around and tell the world that I am back and here and ready!

Two weeks into teacher training and I am loving it, I'm the only Ranger on the course, which makes for some interesting conversations as times, but it does make the planning and curriculum side a little easier to get my head around.

I've not had a great deal of time to play with my art tho, and I really must get on with mounting and framing so I can move on and do more and the light is epic just now for being out and taking photographs. So it is just as well that I am ahead with my course work and can spend next week catching up with art and whelk picking once the tides start to back off again on Wednesday.

Then there is training, admin, and all those other finicky little things that I do and cannot get away from, that I really must write down and tick off as they are completed. I have a feeling my to do list will be a mile long again, and I do wonder if a timetable would help?

Ah the absentmindedness of a Saturday morning, I really must do something constructive!

2010-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have done it!

Finally I think a few people might be saying, but I am now officially a self promoting artist (and trainee teacher - that starts next week says I in a slightly apprehensive but excited tone).

The art side of things is something I have played with for years, so now that I have the space, the time, the inspiration and inclination I have come up with this - www.shetlandinfocus

.com - himself's dad gave me the web space a few months ago and I never did anything with it, we talked about it but we had other things to do so I n

ever had a chance to really get into it. This year however, I moved all my art stuff into the workshop and started work on various bits and pieces.

This last month I started working on a project about the Drongs, a series of sea stacks in Northmavine. As ever the ideas booked filled up quickly, only this time I was able to develop it and create a few good bits of art which I now need to mount and frame.

2010-09-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

I've been busy..

I've been diving, watching otters, welk picking, watching what felt like summer vanish in an instant and I have been creating.

Its been a summer where I've started climbing again, all be it bouldering but the want is there, every crag calls, and I'm hoping for a dry spell of winter cool that will let me get out and play. Finally the bike is fixed as well so thats in need of greater use, and I need to sort out my gears as well, but unlike brakes they don't stop you riding they just make it easier.

Next year Faroe and Norway beckons - and before then language lessons will be needed.

Projects 101

2010-05-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

I could nearly say that I have 101 Projects to do, but its really more like 4 projects with 101 things to do in them. Earlier this month I took on an interpretation project for the Sandlodge Mine, which is proving to be fascinating. It's amazing to think that so much industry was present in Sandwick.

Then I have the gallery, using photographs and other bits and pieces we've made over the last few months. It won't be open full time to start with, I just have too much to do elsewhere between Sandwick and working with the boat during June, but I am hoping to give it a good go in July and August before we go to Orkney.

The other two are still in progress, some work for me to do, some work for others to do and then more work for me, which I am in no way complaining about.

The next week is pretty hectic, I have an exam, I've a house to organise, a boat to sort out, project work to be getting on with, and hopefully we'll get confirmation of some pretty cool marine work for the boat to.

2010-04-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

I'm waiting...

waiting for job decision, teacher training decisions, waiting for a day when I can have 5 minutes to myself and need do nothing for anyone except myself..

I suppose, its not as bad as it sounds, everything I am waiting for is a positive thing, a means to move forward and discover something new, create something different, find new ideas and remember to smile.

And there are decisions to make, who do I vote for from the 5 candidates on offer? which BCD do i want to buy? what needs to move to the boat next?

the list is seemingly endless and the more I get done the more new things appear

Rain

2010-03-13T01:13:00.000-08:00

So the snow that was here, has all but gone and the rains back on and off on a north west wind thats getting stronger and dying away. But it's not all doom and gloom, day light is coming in before 6 and its gone near on 7 at night, long days means more to do, more to be planned and more excitement in the air.

On the wildlife side of things, I've just seen a Shetland Wren on my garden fence, there was a dipper in the garden last week which was pretty cool, the oyster catchers have been back for a couple of weeks, with puffins, dunlins, bonxies, swans, geese and more all now making the islands suddenly come alive after months of peace, black cold seas and few signs of life, except of course for the fur seal seen up in Yell.

I start diving at the weekend, got plans to enter two triathlons at least in the summer so training for that starts on monday, it should have got going already but with doing my back in and subsequent sciatica training is not something that happens quickly. On top of all that, got one interpretation project starting if funding comes through, 3 jobs applications in, and two tender documents to get together, so as ever its all go as theres more to do on top of all that.

January

2010-01-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

We could be, at the very least, accused of being ignorant when we ask 'what all the fuss is about?' when it comes to the snow, but to be honest up here in the far north we haven't really had any. We got 3 weeks of cold weather, heavy snow weather warnings but other than perhaps two nights where the wind really got up, the snow and the blocked roads never really came to anything that couldn't be handled.

All that could change tho, we have northerly gales from all directions NNW NW N NE NNE forecast from about Wednesday onwards, so the snow will be coming and I don't think the fact we are surrounded by sea will have much affect this time around.

Right now we are into the second on Shetland's Up Helly Aa's. Scalloway had theres at the begging of the month and today its Lerwick, with tomorrow being Hop Night, and the weather is miserable. So rather than head out and take photographs of the Jarl Squad I have stationed myself in the warm, ebaying a variety of yet more random objects, planning an HLF application, an arts application and a project vision statement.. that all sounds very involved when I add in editing the Ranger Newsletter, SCRAmble.

Hrmm best get on with it all then

3am Tuesday

2009-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

That's when we leave Shetland and head south to Scrabster. The wildlife site has a had a few hits recently and we have a few bits of work to do with the boat through that site now including a trip with nursery school kids, which sounds ever so slightly scary.

Other than that I have now circumnavigated Shetland, and I loved it. Granted the steam down today and the steam north were pretty flat calm but hell its always good to be off enjoying the sunshine and light winds up here.

So we are heading for the off, the season has begun and its time to go.

An Overdue Update

2009-03-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

Its the beginning of March and two weeks ago Humpback whales were seen off Yell, pretty exciting stuff considering its the first time for about 20 years. Unfortunately I heard about it all the day after and considering we had been pelted with snow for a good 48 hours it wasn't really surprising that I missed them, still can't help thinking it would have been nice.

On the business development front things for my photography took a bit of a backwards step as I set to developing www.wildseacharters.co.uk and went off on a WiSe accreditation course so we are well and truely sorted when it comes to watching wildlife. We're now on for marketing this and making sure we keep at it, and the fishing work. However, with all that my work received a boost, so I am now in charge of 4 websites that will come in more than handy when it comes to selling photos. So today is the day self employment beckons, as scary as that sounds especially looking at the current financial state of the world. But with work available for the end of the season up here in Shetland and looking at doing a teaching course things as ever are flowing on as best I they can, I just have to make sure I have everything organised, listed and contained so that its easy to follow.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

It's 2009, who would have thought it? When last year began I had no idea where it was going to end, or what would happen, a strange thing for me because usually I have got some idea as to the where's and when's and how's. In February I was felling reasonably settled, then all that changed and I spent the summer at sea fishing away, spent early fall tying up loose ends and the rest of the year moving and settling into a new way of live in Shetland, looking onwards to another summer at sea away from home, and thinking on ideas of how I can make money out of what I enjoy (photography, conservation, environmental education, marine life, writing, exploring, traveling and sharing moments I have enjoyed with those around me and beyond).

I suppose that the beauty of all of those is that is easy to share each and every single

element through the wonders of the web, but what I would like to do is share my fascination for wild with the people it affects. So there's the challenge, well one of them anyway.. the others are just as attainable.

Midwinter Surf

2008-12-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

There has been a significant amount of very settled weather up here over the past two or three days, to the point that the water in the voe was as smooth as glass. With little else doing it was worth taking the chance and heading out to take some shots over at Burra.

I'm hoping that by the end of January I'll be able to buy a new printer so I can get professional prints of my photos sorted out and sold. Its a challenge and a bit of leap forward, but I can but hope and keep my fingers crossed my images stand out above other folks, I suppose a lot of it comes down to what people are looking for. But with a bit more money about to spend on lenses and other equipment you just never know where I'll end up.

Latest Addition

2008-12-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

So here I is, sat in front of two massive windows staring out at Scalloway Castle, the harbour and one of the reasons I moved up here, the chance to be a part of a self run company and a life on the ocean wave, putting up with whatever mother nature decides to through at us (we're keeping our fingers crossed that she smiles on us).

With the fishing side of things we're rolling and future devlopments are to create an expedition programme to assist with local and on-going marine surveys along with whatever work I can gather together. Then comes the marketing and advertising, the thising and thating, think I'll get through Christmas first and look forward to Hogmanay. Then see if I can find ways to sell my photographs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kneukedimages) and see what happens.