Arctic larger sketches ...

While in the Arctic I did do a couple of larger watercolour and ink sketches...and I'm looking forward to working them up at an even larger scale. 

Watercolour sketching at 2am in the morning ...but with a view like below - why wouldn't you! 

Svalbard.

Sketching ...

..and acrylic ink pack ice ...in the ice like below. 

Arctic sketches

While we were away I did, of course,  do an illustrated diary .. so here are few of the sketches ...which are 10cm x 7cm ish.

Fair Isle.

One of many sea pics.

Jan Mayen.

Pack ice.

Polar Bear.

Harp Seals.

Rough sea.

Svalbard.

Walruses.

Finglandrigg Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries

 With it due to rain, we quickly nipped into Finglandrigg ...

The Marsh Fritillaries were over, but there were quite a few Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries....below.

Inquisitive sheep...

The usual orchid meadow was drying up ....

One a a few Heath-spotted Orchids in good condition.

Drumburgh Large Heaths

Despite someone's best efforts to burn the reserve by having an open fire (!!!)  Drumburgh was splendid as ever last weekend. Lots of Large Heath Butterflies on the wing ...a few large dragonflies - but none that would sit anywhere sensible for me to photograph them. 

The bog is looking dry.

Bumblebee Hoverfly mimic.

Large Skipper.

Large Heath - gutted one of the pair (bottom left) had a pecking hole otherwise I'd have spent longer trying to photograph them. 

Round-leaved sundew and flower.

Common Blue Damselflies; Garden Tiger catterpillar; Speckled Wood and Tiger Beetle. 

Large Heath. 

Maryport 'Blues'

After our Arctic expedition it's back to earth with a bump ...We've had no rain while we were away so Maryport is well burnt up. There were no signs of Bee Orchids, the Northern Marsh Orchids were totally burnt off and over and there were only a few small Pyramidal Orchids. There was one good clump of Purple Broomrape but not a lot more ....Quite a few Five-spot Burnet Moths, Small Skipper and Small Heath butterflies

Dog roses.

Pyramidal Orchid; Bloody Crane's-bill and Centaury.

Purple Broomrape.

Newly hatched Five-spot Burnet Moth.

Five-spot Burnets.

Small Skipper; Ringlet and Small Heath.

Common Blue. 

Small Skipper. 

Oslo - The Historical Museum

For our day in Oslo we had decided to visit The Historical Museum and especially the Viking Exhibition. (Sadly the main Museum with the Viking Longboats was closed for a major renovation...maybe next time.... )

So here are a selection of photographs of some of the many. many spectacular exhibits. I've ignored the Egyptian exhibits - which were phenominal.Click here for the Museum web site. 

The Viking treasures were stunning! 

Arabian and Persian coins ..and arm rings and jewellery made from hacked up silver ...

Part of Norway's largest gold hoard.

Sacred objects plundered from British churches.

Ocal Brooches.

The best preserved Viking helmet in the world! Helmets were deliberately destroyed in connection to funerals; pierced once by each spear that was placed in the grave.

Viking swords.

Some of a hoard of over 1900 coins;from the time when Canute the Great ruled England.

The Broken Sword - many swords found in Viking graves are bent. 

In a fabulous and separate exhibition about relationship of theVikings to animals - real and imagined there were some spectacular pieces of goldwork ...photography wasn't easy in the dim lights ...the craftsmanship was unbelievable! 

Oslo

Our flight from Longyearbyen and three degrees Celsius, took us to Oslo and a stonking 33 degrees Celsius... a poignant reminder of the effects of global warming we had seen in the Arctic. The city was, as expected: clean, tidy and efficient ...and a tad expensive - thank goodness we were staying next to the airport where we found 'reasonably?' priced food. 

Looking up to the palace.

Cool streets....

,,,and welcome fountains.

The Palace ...

..and down to the sea front.

Akershus Fortress and below.

It was really weird being so hot - feeling like Spain, exploring Trujillo, but no lizards or snakes.