pixie-led | Chris Elphick

Glencoe

We made another quick stop off at Glencoe, again despite the awful rain. Sometimes, however, dire weather conditions and poor light can only add to the drama of the landscape:

Driving through the Scottish Highlands in the heavy rain

Larig Gartain Mountain, Glencoe

A rainy stop-off in Glencoe

A man and his dog taking in the scenes of a rainy Glencoe

Abandoned Shoes, Scottish Highlands

Reaching The Highlands of Scotland on our route to the Isle of Skye, the rain became rather torrential. I couldn't pass this abandoned pair of shoes, however, without getting out of the car to take a quick snap of them:

Rainy Loch Lomond

Despite the wind and rain and cold, we could not pass Loch Lomond without stopping off for a quick exploration of the area. There are stories of a sea monster living in this immense stretch of water, but we did not spot any signs of its existence this afternoon.

On the banks of Loch Lomond

However, we did find something spectacular overlooking the loch - an immense 26 foot wooden pyramid!

The Inveruglas Pyramid, Loch Lomond

The viewing platform on the Inveruglas Pyramid

The structure was designed by Daniel Bar, Stephane Toussaint and Sead Edwards and was officially opened in May 2015.

Yours Truly at Loch Lomond

Painted Doorway, Dumfries

The beautifully painted door of the Dumfries Salvation Army

Over Night Stop Off At Dumfries

Having picked up our daughter in Birmingham, en route to our holiday on the Isle of Skye, we stopped off at Dumfries for the night. The hotel (a Holiday-Inn) was welcoming and we were all welcome for the break in our journey

Art on display at the Dumfries Holiday-Inn

We awoke to the drizzly but serene scene of Crichton Memorial Church.

Crichton Memorial Church, viewed from the Holiday-Inn

It looks like we are in for a wet and windy drive through the Highlands later today. But it will all add to the drama of the scenery and none of us is made of sugar. :)

Birmingham Train Station

March 2, 2019

Waiting to pick my daughter up from Birmingham Train Station...

Pixie-Led. Chapter 2. Final Draft. Complete.

Pen Y Beacon, Brecon Beacons

My Favourite Photographers

Cerrig Duon Stone Circle and Other Brecon Beacon Scenes

Pixie-Led. Draft 3. Chapter One.

Starting work on the final draft of my next book :)

Pixie-Led. Draft 2. Complete. :)

I Met This Horse Today

I met this horse today...

...and took a couple of photos of her:

Pixie-Led. Chapter 16. Draft 2. Complete.

Pixie-Led. Chapter 15. Draft 2. Complete.

Completing the second draft of chapter 15.

3/4 of the way through the second draft of Pixie-Led now. Nearly 5 weeks ahead of schedule :)

Pixie-Led. Chapter 12. Draft 2. Complete.

Chapter 10. Draft 2.

It is not easy typing up the second draft of Chapter 10 with this one right in my face:

Chapter 9. Draft 2.

Chapter 8. Draft 2. Complete. :)

I have had to write at every spare opportunity these past few days to catch up with my tight writing schedule.

I am delighted to say that I have now caught up again. Chapter 8, draft 2, is now complete :)

Pixie-Led. Chapter 7. Draft 2. Complete :)

Putting draft 2 of Chapter 6 to bed

Pixie-Led ~ New Cover Design

This is the final design I have worked up for my 4th novel, Pixie-Led. Given that the title of the book might invoke whimsical notions of elves and fairies and the like, I thought it best to dispel such impressions immediately by having a dark Satanic symbol taking a bold centre-stage position on the cover.

I still do not want to unveil too much information about the content of the book quite yet. But I can mention that the story concerns a coven of witches. Needing to escape police investigation into their brutal ritual killings, they take refuge within the secret worlds hidden within the mirrors of an old countryside cottage.

I hope to get the book published sometime in May 2019, so not too long to wait now...

Pixie-Led Cover Design

A quarter way through the 2nd draft of my 4th novel, it is time to start thinking of designing a cover for the book.

Although I still love my first cover design for the book, that image was made before I had fully fledged out the story line of the novel. Since then, the plot of the book shifted and took numerous new turns. Unfortunately, that older design no longer represents the contents of the book and so a new design is needed...

Season's Greeting ~ Banksy

I took a late night drive out to see the latest Banksy artwork that has appeared a hop, skip and jump away from me this week. Despite the dark and the torrential rain I wanted to take a look at it before the perspex security screening was installed over it to protect the artwork from vandalism.

Driving out to see the new Banksy

I was not the the only one that the heavy rain and fog and the lateness of the hour had failed to deter from visiting the new attraction and quite a crowd were still gathered around the graffiti when I arrived.

The new Banksy graffiti with a tower from the
local steelworks visible behind the shed. The fog lit up by streetlamps
make it look like a daylight sky

Unable to use flash because of the rain, I was pleased the see the artwork illuminated by the headlamps of the cars that were gathered around the site.

There was an ugly but understandably necessary metal security screen around the stencil painting, the shadows of which you can make out in some of the pictures I managed to take. But I managed to slip my phone camera between the bars to get some okay images of the piece.

There was a jovial and excited atmosphere amongst the visitors gathered around the shed. And it was great to see that art can still illicit such interest and enthusiasm amongst people in these troubled times.