It’s back to school for children and teachers across the Highlands very soon but I won’t be among them this year.

I am taking a year-long career break in 2024/25 to spend more time on my own artwork. This means I’ll be at the Spey Bank Studio much more, ready to blether about art over a cup of coffee in between making and painting.

I’ve been an art and design teacher at Grantown Grammar School for around 17 years now. It’s been a hectic time after opening the Spey Bank Studio in October 2022 and I’ve felt for a while that I wanted to spend more time developing my own work, something I’ve not always had time for.

I love teaching and I will miss Grantown Grammar School and the enthusiasm of its pupils over the next year. My colleagues have promised to pop into the studio to keep me updated.

But I’m looking forward to having more time to develop my painting techniques and create new ceramics. I also hope to teach some different classes at the studio.

It will also be great to spend more time with my partner, Jane, and our two boys.

First up on my schedule is Carve Carrbridge. I’ll have a stall there throughout the competitions on Saturday August 31.

And then I’m taking part in North East Open Studios for the very first time.

This long-running event involves artists across the north-east – from Inverness to Peterhead and Fraserburgh to Montrose – opening the doors to their personal studios to visitors for a week. The event runs from September 7-15.

This year, there is a cluster of Strathspey artists taking part, including many who have shown their work at the Spey Bank Studio.

NEOS is a great opportunity to meet the artists and find out more about their process. It’s also a chance to go behind the scenes and see a working studio – you never know what secrets you might find.

I will be in the pottery, making my candle pots and demonstrating some of my ceramic techniques, including the jigger jolly machine.”

The Spey Bank Studio will be open from 10am to 5pm every day during NEOS. A free guidebook is now in stock at the studio so pop in to collect your copy in the run-up to the event. It includes a map of all the venues – I’m at venue 12 – and there are lots of details about the artists themselves.