The Scottish Wildcat Haven.

Life is a bit odd at the moment. Instead of spending most of these warm late summer days outside - apart from repairing my old campervan -  as I am sure I used to do I now spend lots of my time painting happily. A lot of the time I am painting at night and into the early morning. I enjoy working at night when it is so quiet outside - not that it is ever very noisy here at any time. This is down to the fact that it is now possible to buy craft lights that imitate daylight so perfectly. This does mean that I spend a good part of the day asleep in bed. it's a good job I have to walk Mia the German Shepherd or I might not see much real daylight at all.

The Scottish Wildcat by John Bain 2016
Oil on canvas
20in x 16in

I spent a couple of nights and part of a day on this painting of a Scottish Wildcat and finished it at 6.30 in the morning. The Scottish Wildcat is in great danger of becoming extinct some estimates put it at only thirty five left in the wild. How sad it would be if it were to disappear entirely. Some people are doing their best to see this doesn't happen. The main reason for it's problems is that it is being hybridised by mating with feral domestic cats. The group called Scottish Wildcat Haven operate a catch, neuter and release of feral cats and it seems this is being successful. Here is a link to their website:

https://www.wildcathaven.com

I have only once ever seen a Scottish Wildcat. I was fourteen years old and I was with my mum's boyfriend Fergie. It was somewhere in Aberdeenshire Scotland. The chances of seeing one today are extremely unlikely.

I am doing my bit to help. Look, I have bought a square foot of the Highlands.. Please in future address me as 'Your Lordship'. Laird being a Scottish lord.

 I would like to donate this painting to Scottish Wildcat Haven. Not sure how to go about doing that or even if they would want it.

Click on photos to enlarge.

John.