Artist and dog in studio

On my way back from Campbeltown today I dropped in to see Don McNeil and Jean Bell at The Hidden Gallery, as they call it, which is their home in the village of Newton. The also exhibit as "Fyne Studios".

I first met Don and Jean when I was involved with Cowal Fest , and I wrote a piece in my Herald column about their "Windowshopper's Gallery" which was a very successfull innnovation.

At that time I happened to say to them that I had been hopeless at art in school and that I simply couldn't draw or paint. They said I could, if I learnt and so it turned out for I had lessons from them for over a year . I am still not much good, but I am better than I was.

Jean painted the cover of the book "Grasping the Thistle" which was written by Dennis MacLeod and myself in 2006 and the two of them have become good friends, whom alas I see far too rarely.

So we had a very pleasant lunch and I looked at Don's new paintings, some of which (along with some of Jean's) can be seen at the moment in "The Braes" in Dunoon.