A change of place

Sixteen months after putting our house on the market, and thirteen months since agreeing to sell it, and having our offer accepted on our new home, we have finally managed to move. The photo is the view out off our upstairs landing window on the second night we were here, with the tide half in. The house is as we expected – needs work but liveable – the people are friendly, and the weather has been fantastic. All in all a gentle introduction to the place we’ve moved to, though I expect the winter to offer a harsher illustration of the difference between living in a city of 800,000 residents or a coastal village of 800.

Some differences are apparent. The nearest shop is a gentle 1.5mile stroll (or bicycle ride) away, along a path following the route of a disused railway line. A lovely route in the summer, in a storm I’d take the car or forgo the Saturday paper. There is no ordinary local bakers – there’s an artisan one in the next village, but for now I’m doing my own baking. Supermarkets are a 14 mile drive away, shopping for white goods, furniture, clothes and DIY materials best done in Aberdeen, 30 miles up the coast. Refreshingly as it should be, it’s cheaper to drive to the nearest station and get a train than it is to take the car into the city. There’s a good local farm shop, a decent pub and chippy, all in all I’m happy with the move – my anxiety levels have plummeted and I’m sleeping better than I have for some years.

I have yet to move my studio up, painting will have to wait a while. I’m currently playing with some new binoculars and a smart phone adapter, hoping to get some passable photos of the stars before winter sets in (and maybe some shots of the Northern Lights when it does). I shall spend next week visiting other artists, as the North East Open Studios week will be upon us, and maybe use the hiatus to try to improve my woefully inadequate watercolour sketching technique.

In other news, Pen’s novel is out – see here – and it’s been great to finally read the finished book. It’s being launched in Sheffield later in September, so we’ll head down for that, and then I’ll hire a van and haul up the multitude of canvases, easels, tools, paints and sundries that I have to accommodate in my new home studio.

So far moving here has all felt a bit surreal. I’m still bowled over by the sense of space the big sky/sea combination gives as I round the bend in the path to Bervie, the sounds of the wind and the sea, the sight of bird species new to me. In many ways I feel like I’m on holiday, but for now I have a house that needs repair and improvement, a whole new landscape to explore, and new people to meet. I’m looking forward to seeing how my work is affected by these very different surroundings.