We have recently returned from the Isle of Skye, grateful for the cooler weather and the chance to see birds of a slightly different feather, including the awesome white tailed eagle (or 'sea eagle').
It will be another year before we are able to return to the Misty Isle, but we took the opportunity to imbibe the fabulous palette of peats and glassy blues and greens against the backdrop of the Black Cuillins, with a dash of mauve heather and yellow gorse (I employed a little artistic licence for the title of this post, August being a little late in the year to see broom in flower, but it's such a wistfully romantic ditty!) - colours which are likely to influence and inform my current decorative trends.
   As well as sampling the stunning scenery we enjoyed its rendition into art-forms of every kind: photography, landscape paintings both abstract and exact, jewellery and ceramics.  It's so important to support local artists when on holiday too and the 'just a card' campaign is a good way of doing this, as whilst it's not always feasible (or affordable of course) to buy an original painting, a few cards here and there can make a difference. 
   This year our special art purchase was an Ian Williams ceramic penguin (see our forthcoming Instagram post @blackbirdsandme ! ) - not a very typical bird to find on Skye, but nevertheless an Ian Williams' 'signature ceramic'.  We purchased it from his former gallery, Brae Fasach Studio at Loch Bay on the beautiful Waternish peninsula, now run by Sarah and Richard Boone, who succumbed to Skye's charms whilst holidaying there and being inspired to make a dramatic lifestyle change (Skye has that sort of effect on people...) The Penguin we picked was black (in keeping with our mid-century modern theme of course) speckled with gold and yellow ochre. I hope to showcase it soon!