Laura Drever

Ironically, my last blog was about time and today I cant help but think ‘where on earth is the time going?’

Tomorrow, I’ve been invited along by Anne Bevan and Mark Edmonds, with other creatives from Orkney, to take part in ‘Between the Waters‘, a group workshop at The Ness of Brodgar. The Ness is a narrow strip of land between Stenness Loch and Harray Loch where archeologists have been digging and studying for over 20 years. It houses one of the most remarkable complexes of 5000 year-old (Neolithic) buildings. The excavations revealed complex buildings, amazing objects and a glimpse into life long ago. The site is now filled in.

Over the next three days we are being given the opportunity to be present on the land, get up close to the excavation, to handle artefacts and other materials recovered over the years. I’m looking forward to working en plain air and being part of the conversation – particularly thinking about time and land and imagining those who settled there and the way they saw and experienced the landscape.

Perhaps I will spend the three days wandering and taking it all in, or maybe I will sketch. The view from there is one of my favourite in Orkney – the patchwork fields will be alive and the with the weather forecast showing sunshine, the Hoy Hills will be like a moving feature film. Perhaps why it was such a desired place to settle? As kids we used to fish for trout in Harray Loch with dad. He told us that on days when the light was just right, he would often spot pots on the loch bed while out on his boat – maybe modern pots dumped? I like to think that they were part of the history of the surroundings, but who knows. Thinking back to the time on Kamu (the boat) when peedie, I don’t remember if I ever caught any fish. Memories of the motion of the boat, the colour of the water, the packed lunch and the glimmer of the water – oh and the Hoy Hills in the distance. Fond memories for sure and ones I will be tuning into for the next few days.

A good way to reflect on time passed and a good way to be totally present at the same time.

This afternoon while preparing for three days out of the studio, I’ll continue to think about where time is going and be mindful of all that has happened and is still to happen. The slow time of mark making, the quick time of being a parent, the peaceful time of walking and all the other time in between. Twelve panels in this new series of work (that is where June disapeared to!)

Three new panels are coming with me to the Ness of Brodgar.

Right, best go and get things looked out, time is slipping away!