In a Vase on Monday

It’s Summer! No more fires, so I can cover the top of the woodburner with a few crazy objects

From left to right

Back Row

Pink Watering Can

A few years back, after helping put together 3 weddings and numerous Christenings, it was about to be my 60th birthday – I was planning a big event for ME! The theme was to be English Country Garden, I bought tiny colourful plastic  flower pots in which I was going to serve chocolate mouse (earth) with pop cakes flowers in them, I bought a garden arch through which guests would enter the village hall, I intended to cover it with crocheted flowers, The drinks were going to be poured from brightly coloured watering cans …………..

woah!

Then my son and daughter-in-law annouced the impending arrival of twins – guess when they were due ON MY BIRTHDAY!

All plans for a big party were (happily) dropped – but I still have the watering cans!

And my children gave me a wonderful surprise birthday party in September on our family holiday. So all was very well!!!!

The can holds Jodie’s Forever Flowers and astrantia.

Orange Giraffe

I know you have seen the Giraffe before (from Chive), I hope you don’t mind her making another appearance. I’m very fond of her and her headgear today is a white perenial foxglove called Snowy Mountain.

I bought the seeds at Chelsea Flower Show.

I grew 6 for myself and gave some to friends – they were beautiful in the first year – last year, gorgeous I was thrilled with them. All but one has died, the one I have left is pathetic, it has this one flower spike. Oh dear!

Painting by Kaneda Hanaki

I saw this painting when I was in Japan. When I got home, I contacted the gallery to see if it was still available and it was! I love its quirkiness.

Front Row

Self-Hardening Clay objects:

Hedgehog with bead eyes: Made by Little Miss M

Pineapple 1 made by Little Bro

Pineapple 2 made by Bog Bro

Crocodile made by Miss E

Candlestick

Made by Devon ceramicist Ross Emerson

~~~

 

Joining the Garden Party at In a Vase on Monday.

 

 

 

Pair

Girl Power Cerne Giant

reactions differ 

altering ancient symbols

amused or irate?

~

Our One-A-Week Photo Challenge prompt this week is PAIR

Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku challenge prompts are : AMUSED and IRATE

~

The photo is of a painting I did in 1994. I had just returned from a round the world trip looking at all sorts of ethnic symbols in Nepal, Australia, Tahiti and America and realised there is a very powerful symbol in my home county. The Cerne Giant.

I have written about him before a couple of times, here is one post describing a walk in that area. Rainbow Junkie has also written about visiting Cerne Abbas.

When I was playing around with the Giant design, first I gave him a mate by putting my girl version next to him in a painting, but this one is my favourite – girl power!

My 7 year old grandson, Master R asked to me the other day, “Why are boys more important than girls?”

“They’re not are they?” I replied

“Well why do we have the World’s Strongest Man competition and the World’s Tallest Man competition but not the World’s Strongest Woman or the World’s Tallest Woman?”

“Good point,” I said, “I think a long time ago men thought they were more important just because they were in general taller and stronger than women, and some of that still stays on in our culture, but we know better now don’t we, all that thinking is a bit old fashioned.”

We then had quite a long discussion about all the things that girls were better at doing, boys were better at doing and things which boys and girls were equally good at.

They take me into interesting arenas of discussion these grandchildren of mine – looking at the world through their eyes is a very useful thing to do.

~

Cathy and I have created a list of Photo Challenges, just for fun. You can see them all here.

Please leave a link to your ‘Pair’ in the Comments, we’d love to see them, and i will include your link in the monthly Round-Up.

 

Paint Party Friday

Making some art with my Thames foreshore findings, gathered on 23.Oct.16. If you would like to see more about that fabulous treasure hunt click here and  here

I spent ages playing around with bits and pieces before I arrived at this arrangement. I’d love to know what you think.

The pieces down lefthand side are the broken stems of clay pipes, the rest is pottery found on that day.

I am going to experiment with a new found toy – Sugru. (Introduced to me by Mrs Snail – she teaches us all so much!) I’m hoping to fix the pieces on to the canvas with this substance that turns to rubber, but no time left today as I’m off to pick up Big Bro and Little Bro from school in a minute. A Granny’s work is never done!

Joining in with Paint Party Friday

All pieces of art made on the Beach Clean theme are going towards and exhibition I will be doing with Miss E in Dorset Arts Weeks 2018. However we are beginning to talk about a smaller event next year – I’ll be sure to let you know  all about it.

Paint Party Friday

The second completed painting in the Beach Clean Art series – yes, I’m now confident there will be a series!

‘Beach Clean 2’

Acrylic paint, rust and fishing line.  8″x 8″

I love the rust pieces and some deserve a place of their own – the found fishing line, which comes in all sorts of colours, is perfect for attaching bits and pieces.

The painting started out like this – the one top right

one of this group of backgrounds I did back in July

~

I was blown away by the wonderful response last week to my cry for help. I can’t express how immensely grateful I am to all of you who joined in the discussion. It really did help so MUCH!!!!!

Are you wondering how the painting looks now?

Well it has been sitting on a table in my sitting room for me to look at several times a day and I have tinkered with it many times. Taking everyone’s comments into consideration really helped to concentrate my mind and consider all the elements that were brought to my attention – what a gift you all gave me – really!!! Here is last week’s post – Help!

And here it is now – nothing has been fixed yet.

Already as I look at it I know I will rearrange the turquoise rope at the bottom when I fix it, but I think it is nearly there. It just needs to sit a few more days for me to be sure.

The title will be ‘Beach Clean 3‘

Joining in with Paint Party Friday…..

…. and completing the second of 7 paintings for my 16 for 2016 Challenge

 

The brushes are out…..

….at last. It was 2004 when I last exhibited my paintings, since then I have had two house moves, three weddings (my children’s), 8 grandchildren and a Mum with dementia. Now that Mum is safely tucked up in a delightful Care Home and all the babies are growing up (the youngest batch will all be 4 this year) ,I have found some clear space to once more take up the brushes and squeeze out the paints.

The most exciting bit

x

then out on the grass to dry

along with two orange based paintings done in the same way and some old canvases I dug out that needed priming with Gesso

Using the orange brush-cleaning water from the other paintings to go over the blues, giving a bit of depth. I wondered about leaving them there.

These will be backgrounds for the bits and pieces picked up on the beaches to create Beach Clean Art.

But just had to go on and add another layer

blotting them with bubble wrap to add a bit of texture

and put them out on the grass to dry …

I will leave them up around the house for a few days allowing ideas to develop about whether to add more paint or go straight to adding some beach clean pieces.

I have a target of 7 paintings for my 16 for 2016 list, although these are still in process, at least I have made a start.

 

Summer Flight Throw

Have been wanting to start a new big crochet project and inspired by Lucy at Attic 24 who has put together a palette of colours on the Wool Warehouse and Deramores websites, I wanted to have a go at putting my own palette together.

The throw is to go on the futon that sits below ‘Summer Flight’.

So, how about using the same palette of colours.

I found the yarn in the Wool Warehouse

Stylecraft Special DK – Bright Pink (1435)
Stylecraft Special DK – Raspberry (1023)
Stylecraft Special DK – Magenta (1084)
Stylecraft Special DK – Fiesta (1257)
Stylecraft Special DK – Soft Peach (1240)
Stylecraft Special DK – Sunshine (1114)
Stylecraft Special DK – Citron (1263)
Stylecraft Special DK – Cream (1005)
Stylecraft Special DK – Turquoise (1068)
Stylecraft Special DK – Aspen (1422)
Stylecraft Special DK – Wisteria (1432)
Stylecraft Special DK – Teal (1062)
Stylecraft Special DK – Midnight (1011)
Stylecraft Special DK – Petrol (1708)

14 colours, and I hope to keep them in the same proportions as the painting, but we’ll see how it goes as I’m making it

Very excited about playing with different combinations of colours within the same palette.

I had such fun arranging them on the sofa – glee! is the word that comes to mind!

I also just had to add a brilliant orange colour
Stylecraft Special DK – Jaffa (1256)

Because I am also wanting to make some things in one of my favourite combos of pink and orange. With maybe a bit of purple and turquoise too – oooooh – I so LOVE that combo

 

makes me want to dance!!

Open Studio (cont)

 

Following on from the previous post: A few more pictures of our very enjoyable Open Studio day yesterday

 

If you missed it come along on Sunday, 11th August, when we will be combining our Studio Day with an Open Studio for the Portland Legacy Trail .