On the valley floor the trees are sheltered from the prevailing winds. Unguided, their branches twist and overlap as if unsure which direction to grow. A treecreeper performs a jerky upwards spiral, probing its delicate curved beak into the cracked bark seeking caterpillars. From the far bank comes the sound of a cuckoo. Its repeated call carries across the flat water and fills the air and branches of the trees by the loch.

Paintings July/August 2018