A fix of sea air

I am back from an all too short trip to the Isle of Wight - just 48 hours, but enough to give me a fix of sea and sun as well as a good 'show and tell' session with my sister and quality time with my father. But Tuesday morning before I went I was woken at 5.30 by a horrendous noise which sounded like someone blowing a vuvusela answered by a kazoo. As I lay in bed waiting for the next blast I was transported to Whipsnade  Zoo - peacocks - that's what it sounded like. So at six o'clock I was out in the garden in jimjams plus camera peering over garden fences, and at last  I caught sight of the culprit.

I wonder if he is still about. Mr T reckons he heard him Wednesday morning. Goodness knows where he has come from. I'll keep you informed.

But here are a few sea views.

The hour long crossing from Southampton to Cowes does at least give you a sense of going on a real journey, with a bit of a sea voyage. The weather was perfect if a little blustery.

I give dad a call from the ferry when I can get a good view of his home - that is his retirement home in the centre of the picture, he has a view of the sea from his flat, we give each other a metaphorical wave.

Yesterday morning we drove to Bembridge for a short walk along the shore before I took Dad to The Crab and Lobster for an early father's day lunch. It is well known for it's fresh sea food - it was a crab baguette for me and  lemon sole for dad. Best eaten outside with a warm sea breeze for seasoning

That's him under the sunshade. It is a wonder spot with a view over the sea - and look at that blue sky!

I dropped dad back home for his afternoon snooze and drove up the road to Gurnard to meet my sister.

Beach huts at Gurnard

Although it is a bit of a slog to get there - and not cheap with ferry crossing prices, what a brilliant place to have to go and visit - and at least the accommodation is free!

Lots more photos to follow.

Bin doin' a bit of stitchin'

When I was in town I popped into Waterstones and came across this book by Jenny Rolfe and as it had quite a few machine embroidery techniques I just had to buy it. Using some of her ideas and some of my fabric scraps I made these two purses. I wanted a small purse I could just fit in my pocket with a few coins in when I pop down to the local shop, so necessity drove my creativity.

 

They are 'crazy patchwork' scraps bonded onto felt and then machine stitched. I discovered varigated quilting thread so I had to play with that too.

I lined them and they have a pocket for a credit card - or bus pass!

 

They fasten with a button and cord. I had such fun making them I think I shall make another pair. (I can get two out of one piece of felt. Even Mr T was impressed (Practical, you see) but he felt they were not for him.

Marvin was being photographers assistant, but I did manage to persuade him to pose - reluctantly!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend,

Jill

Something different - again!!

Marvin mini-quilt

I thought I'd try something different - a bit inspired by Cathy's embroidery on Menopausal Musings, I thought I'd satin stitch a Marvin. He has taken a good couple of weeks doing a bit most evenings. I then sewed him with a thin layer of wadding onto a postcard size piece of heavy-weight vilene practising my free stitching on the sewing machine. Outlining him was easier than I thought and made him stand out. I embelllished him with a bit of lace and some mini heart buttons and voila Marvin in his favourite spot - on the duvet. I have failed to embroider the muddy footprints. I popped him in the scanner so it is not a very good rendering.

Mr T looks at me as if I am mad - he can relate to my more practical projects.  I'm into a bit of machine stitching at the moment - so watch this space!

A tribute to my chiropractor

I had lunch with some old friends today, something I always look forward to, but today one of my friends had some devastating news, Graham Heale who has been my chiropractor for well over 20 years died in a road accident last Thursday whilst out on his motorbike.  Graham has seen me through much pain and kept me going over the years and he also regularly treated my husband. He is well known locally and I know many people who have called on him for treatment. As well as being well know locally he was a top practitioner and a specialist in his field.  His more well known patients included the late Princess Diana and it was always a bit of a kick to think his healing hands had run down her back as well as mine. Over the years that I have been going to his clinic he always had a smile and joke and was often humming a pop song as you entered the treatment room. I trusted him totally and as he cracked the joints in my neck and back on numerous occasions, he always joked that he was a bit 'rough'. Chiropractic has not cured my back problems, but treatment has alleviated the symptoms. I cannot imagine how his colleagues must be feeling as it was a close knit group of people working at the clinic, many being there for years. My heart also goes out to his family. Graham enjoyed biking, he owned and restored  vintage bikes. He had photographs on his wall, which I must say I took little notice of.  He was also the captain of Bedford Fencing club. 

I really cannot believe he won't be there next time I go for treatment, so long Graham, rest in peace

Dr Graham Heale 

Bumblebee spotting and photography

Just a few photographs to share with you my progress in recognising different bumblebees. There are lots about at the moment.

This is a buff-tailed bumblebee queen I photographed in March. She has golden yellow stripes and a buff tail.

This is a tree bumblebee worker with full pollen baskets on a raspberry flower. This is a relatively new species to this country. It colonized the south of England in 2001 and is working its way north.

click on the photographs for a larger view

Tree bumblebees have a gingery brown thorax and a black abdomen with a white tail. There are lots of these in my garden.

Here is a mystery bee. The only all black bumblebees are rather rare so I think this is probably a tree bumblebee. I have e-mailed this picture to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust as they will identify them for you.

It was very dull when I took the last two, so I used the in-camera flash. The shutter speed was too slow to catch really sharp shots and the little bees won't keep still!!

As you can probably tell my love of art is only matched by my love of the natural world,  photography is a great way to bring both together.

Fly away with me

When you were  a child did you lay in the grass and imagine you were as small as an ant walking through a jungle? Well I guess we all did, which is why it is such a popular idea for stories and films, but when you were young, you felt as if you were the first to have that feeling. I really wanted to believe in fairies too. I just knew where they lived in the nooks in old tree roots and ivy clad walls. It was the sort of thing you kept to yourself if you didn't want to be laughed at, but my friend and I knew where to leave them gifts of flower petals and little bits of bread and cheese.  I would love to think of children today having such innocent and imaginary play, and I am sure some do. I re-lived some of those moments today. It was so beautifully warm and sunny so I popped the macro lens on the camera and got down on the grass. I guess my neighbours have seen it all before, the far from slim lady with the camera, laying on her belly on the grass, and then having trouble getting up again.

 But how small do you have to be for the daisies to tower over your head?

Or look a speedwell in the eye?

There are aliens too...

or you could catch a ride 

and fly off into the blue...

...and thank you to you all who commented so kindly on my previous post, allowing me to let my imagination fly away with me today, with no fear that anyone was going to laugh, unless it was with pleasure.

Jill

On my art ' career' and the passing of time ...

Here is my completed May page...

and here is June.

I made my first calendar in July last year, but didn't post them on my blog so I have nearly completed a whole year. These are more accurately a diary as they are a record of my days rather than a calendar of appointments etc. But I have found them useful to look back on - when was it I went to visit so and so etc? The June pages are in my new journal, my third since starting to keep an art journal about a year ago. The first one I filled up really quickly, the second has been going since last August. Most pages I have not 'published', they are usually of no real interest to anyone but me, or a bit too personal. However I have found the whole idea very liberating. I will share a few pages with you as I reminisce.

Journal page - January 2010 'Action is necessary' self motivation

When I first started keeping an art journal I was rather in the doldrums having retired from teaching, which I loved, but had in recent years drained me, I found myself in the position of wanting to do something creative, but did not know what to do. I was brought up to be full of self doubt. I also felt that although I knew I had a talent for drawing I did not have the passion or confidence or the know-how necessary to follow a career in some form of art. When I was fifteen - at a secondary modern school (11+ failure) I told the careers teacher I wanted to be a 'Window dresser' and I remember he laughed and said "Window CLEANER! - better stick to your shorthand and typing" I hated shorthand and studied hard and achieved enough qualifications to get into Teachers Training College. I did study art at college, but not at a high level as I was training to be a primary school teacher, and although I never stopped drawing everything went on hold. In the late 80's I went to watercolour evening classes with Gerald Kent Wood (now deceased) who changed my life. He taught traditional watercolour, which really was tinting pencil drawings. He had trained as an architect and produced wonderfully detailed drawings and had exhibited at the RA summer exhibition. He encouraged his students to submit work at the highest level and through his encouragement I had work exhibited in open exhibitions with The Society of Botanical Artists ('88), the Pastel Society ('88&'90) and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours ('89) However at about this time the impact of the National Curriculum hit and my spare time vanished and I found it harder and harder to find enough time, not only to paint, but to take time to get up to London to submit work.

Journal page November '09 as a means of recording interests

That really put a stop to a lot of my art although I did manage to go to evening classes in Life drawing and was constantly encouraged by my friend Sally who is a practising artist. My 'artistic' life changed again when I began to study photography with the Open College of Art. When I gave up work, I had no excuse - I could do what I wanted, but all the old inhibitions came crowding back. I am sure it will take longer than a year to undo all the gremlins about worrying if my work is 'worthy', that I could be doing something more useful with my time and what am I going to do with it all? And what is it all for?

Journal May '10 'Nothing seems to work'

But I keep on telling myself I am doing it for myself, that I don't have to do anything 'with it' and above all I should just enjoy myself without inhibition or worrying about what anyone else thinks. It is still hard. But keeping a journal is a great outlet. Keeping a blog has also been liberating - meeting so many women who are on their own art journeys.

April into May '10 Journal page

I  hope I haven't lost you along the way of this rather long piece, everyone's comments are highly valued. I love to hear from the confident folk who don't give a 'feather or a fig' to what others think and I also love to hear from those who feel like me, still groping in the dark.   I am looking forward to another year of journal keeping and sharing my adventures with you. I hope you will be with me on the journey.

Jill