The Firth of Forth and its islands have long held a fascination for me, I grew up glimpsing it from Edinburgh and I am now lucky enough to live right beside it. I find the power of its narrative quite overwhelming at times on so many levels. When I learned that all 10 islands in the Firth (North Berwick Law and Arthur’s Seat too) were part of a vast volcanic complex by the edge of a tropical sea c350 million years ago, I was hooked. The differing human histories of the islands and coasts brought a new layer of interpretation, and now I am learning to look on and beneath the surface of the water at the marine environment.

I had to get onto those islands, sail the waters and comb the beaches, so I joined the volunteer groups who count the seabirds, cut down the invasive tree-mallow and count the grey seal pups. I have so much more to make, but what you see here is my response to Lockdown in 2020 (small watercolours), works that attempt to penetrate what lies beneath the surface and reactions to the daily offerings from the beach at Portobello.