United Kingdom

Picture these sketches zipped together and you have a perfect
vision of the Priory ruins just beyond the graves at
St. Marys church

The United Kingdom. A trip from Seattle/Glasgow to Lindisfarne (The Holy Island) UK, acrossScotland to the Argylls ending up at the Island of Iona.  

My husband and I went on a Pilgrimage this past September to explore the roots of Celtic Christianity, time period 700AD.  The Saints we learned about were humble men, monks, who gave up everything to live and teach Christianity.  These Monks cared for their parishioners, traveling miles by foot are still honored in Scotland, Northumberland, and by those who study this period of history prior to the Roman influence. 

My interest, of course, was to record what I saw in my sketches.  Along the way, I learned to admire, Aiden, Cuthbert, Hilde, Bede (early centuries) and in this century incredible story tellers like Kate Tristram, who wrote a book about the story of Holy Island and incredibly went back to the University in her 80's to study Gaelic and brush up on her Latin!  Lillian, also in her eighties, is a docent at Durham Cathedral, and has enlightened people like Sting and Princess Margaret.

Much of this early history would be lost if it weren't for Bede, a great scholar born around 672.  He was a teacher, a chronicler of history; wrote a book called Ecclesiatical History of the English people, the story of what happened before his birth.  He writes about the monk and bishop Cuthbert (he was fifteen when Cuthbert died).  He chronicled the history of Holy Island which includes Aiden, the first monk, and Cuthbert.

I am an artist not a writer.  The sketches that follow will have snippets of who, what, when &
where, not to mention how difficult it is to paint the color green!  Curses!

Beautiful ancient church on Lindisfarne,
the home of Aiden and Cuthbert.
The story will continue next week with travels to
Durham, Oban, and Iona.

2. Huge carved wood sculpture of Cuthbert's funeral.
A super size version of this called The Journey, is in the square in Durham England.
Cuthbert's remains took years to arrive at Durham because
 his casket was taken everywhere he preached so he could
 be honored by his parishioners.
1. Beach by the castle with a view of the Priory in the distance.