Ebbs and Flows

Blogger Bother

2006-10-13T19:20:00.000+01:00

I am having terrible problems with the beta version of Blogger. My system does not seem to like the new user interface at all. So - as I now have my own standalone wordpress installation, I am going to move my blog there until I can get these problems ironed out. Please visit me! I've temporarily moved to:

www.carolekirk.com

I have also finally got my business website up and running at

www.careerclarity.co.uk

Let me know what you think. It's all rather new.

Published!

2006-10-11T18:28:00.000+01:00

I found out completely by accident that a circle poem I submitted in 2004 has been published.

Just one problem - they've not responded to my (predictable) order to buy the book.

Adventures with wire

2006-10-07T08:04:00.000+01:00

In art class this week, we continued our adventures in 3D. We turned up to find a roll of garden wire, some brown gummed tape and a large roll of chicken wire. These are my attempts at making something out of garden wire.

The big one is a grasshopper - honest. The little one - well, who knows.
I also made a 'thing' with chicken wire, masking tape and brown tape. You'll have to wait for the photo of that one, and for the adventures with clay that we had the week previously!

Coming clean

2006-10-05T17:54:00.000+01:00

OK, it's time to spill the beans. We are planning on moving again. Rick is parting company with his employer. So we are planning to move to Yorkshire, where we have always wanted to live. It's only recently, though, that we've managed to narrow down exactly where in Yorkshire (which, let's face it, is a big place.) We've had several holidays there, and spent days driving around looking for the area we could imagine living, with no success.

Then I started looking at rail maps. Living in the countryside as we do now, we have realised that you do have to drive everywhere. This is not good for blood pressure, life expectancy or our fragile climate. So we want to find somewhere with good rail links. Looking at the rail maps for West Yorkshire, I suddenly realised that Hebden Bridge sits right in the middle of a lot of large-sized (therefore employer-rich) conurbations. I googled to find out more, and discovered it is full of artists, writers, and hippies (and apparently lesbians and anarchists as well.) I think I've found my home! Or near enough; we may need to live somewhere nearby if property prices are too prohibitive to live in HB as many people suggest they might be.

So - I handed in my notice a couple of weeks ago. That did feel a little strange, it has to be said. And I am now building my own career coaching business - slowly, but surely.

I'm continuing at art college this term, and exploring the option of switching to Todmorden College when we move. Apparently this is a thriving little centre for adult art education. I am planning to meet with them, complete with sketchbook, in December when we will be going up to find somewhere to live.

Meanwhile, we are decluttering (again!) and visiting everyone we know in the South while we have the opportunity. It will be a long trek once we move North (tho' not as far as some people we could mention ;) )

I've done it!

2006-09-30T16:50:00.000+01:00

I've just submitted my end of course assessment project for the Creative Writing course. I never fail to be astonished at how long the process of editing and polishing takes. Thanks are due to Beth, my critical reader, for her very helpful suggestions.

So that's another writing course finished.

Sigh.

At least it gives me more time to get on with developing my career coaching business. One day I will have a website to show you.

Blackberries

2006-09-26T15:24:00.000+01:00

It is a beautiful day here - sunshine, blue sky, lots of silver clouds to keep the sky interesting. The colours are vivid and clear. We've just been for a long walk, stopping for a picnic on Burton Dassett hills. The long pale grass stands against the blue horizon like hairs standing up on your arm, and the lichen on the old quarried rock stands out like carvings. And we had snacks for free all the way round our walk - God bless the blackberry fairies!

I'm in Love

2006-09-26T09:45:00.000+01:00

What more can I say?

Sending Rain

2006-09-25T12:27:00.000+01:00

A crisp white A4 envelope sits on the chair waiting to be posted. I wrote two 'rain' poems aimed at MsLexia for TMA05 of my Open University A215 course. Yesterday, I got them back from my tutor with some really helpful feedback. I've redrafted them in the light of her comments and so they are now ready to go out into the world.

*Gulp*

Kentle Woods

2006-09-24T15:47:00.000+01:00

Kentle Wood - Rowan Berries
Originally uploaded by krikelorac.

For my birthday, my family bought me some Woodland Trust sponsored trees in Kentle Wood near Daventry. We went to visit them today (the trees, not the family). There is so much promise and hope in a young wood, and a lot of work has gone on to plant this one. It is quite narrow, but very long, taking us just under half an hour to walk its full length. The rowan are at their best at this time of year, and I can't resist photographing those berries.

Butterfly Heaven

2006-09-23T17:35:00.000+01:00

Butterfly on ivy
Originally uploaded by krikelorac.

The ivy is in flower, and we have clouds of these butterflies gorging themselves. They seem to love it as much as buddleia, which really surprises me. The bees love it too.

I made it!

2006-09-22T19:01:00.000+01:00

It's been one of those weeks where I've had to do what most people do all the time, working 5 days a week. Monday and Tuesday I was working as normal AND preparing for the career workshop that I've just run this Thursday and Friday. The delegates said they found it helpful, which means I'm happy, if a little tired.

College started this Wednesday, and it was great to be back with my art class and see the work that everyone has been doing in their sketchbooks over the summer. We've had a project to do on the Elements - to pick one of them and fill a sketchbook with images on that element. I chose Earth, and I've got all sorts in there, including bits of soil and grass. Drew the line at squashed worms.

I'm glad the week is over though, as I am now exhausted. I'm looking forward to next week - when I get some time to finish my last creative writing assignment. They call this the ECA or Examinable Component Assignment. We had a scary mailing about it, which said if we don't submit on time (even if this is because of computer failure) we FAIL THE COURSE! This was reinforced several times, so I'm now determined to get it in at least a week ahead of schedule.

But first, some gin. Lots of gin, and a mexican. Food that is, not bloke.

One vote!

2006-09-10T16:03:00.000+01:00

Piece Hall in Halifax opened on January 1st 1779 to trade lengths of handwoven cloth some 30 yards long (called 'pieces'). Trading took place for just 2 hours on a Saturday morning from 10 - 12, and fines were imposed on any trader that sold a piece of cloth outside those times.

The Piece Hall only flourished for about 35 years, as handwoven fabric was replaced by mechanised methods. In 1868 it was given to Halifax Corporation and converted into a market.

In the 1970's, a proposal to demolish the Piece Hall to build a shopping centre was defeated by just one vote. Thankfully, the decision was made to restore and re-open it, and it is now a thriving centre.

Seen on a restaurant door ...

2006-09-10T15:54:00.000+01:00

This was the sign that greeted us when we stopped at Ryton Organic restaurant for lunch:

Polite Notice

For Health & Safety
Reasons We Do ask
that people refrain
from bringing their
tortoises in to the
restaurant

We thank you for
your cooperation

Sloe blue

2006-09-06T20:16:00.000+01:00

Sloe blue
Originally uploaded by krikelorac.

I managed to get up early this morning, as my camera was panting at the door with its lead in its mouth. Took several photos of the hedgerows, which are jewelled with berries. More on Flickr (click on the photo).

Season of Inspiration

2006-09-05T20:05:00.000+01:00

For veterans of the above creative writing course, Sharon and Helen are planning to run another in January 2007 - dates to be confirmed. Now - can I resist that? Winter is a different season, after all. I've emailed Sharon and she's put me on the email list and suggested I monitor her website for details.

Tiring weekend

2006-09-03T18:42:00.000+01:00

We've spent the weekend in Norfolk visiting friends. After a 300 mile round trip and two late nights, I'm feeling about as creative as a wet sponge. Our friends have two children who seem to be fast approaching adolescence, although they are only 9 and 11. The 11-year old has just had her ears pierced and has a new mobile phone which is pink with blue lights on the keys and has a flower background on the display. She is naturally very attached to it, and spends a lot of time tapping into its keypad. At one point when we were drinking tea with our friend's parents/inlaws, Rick was also busy texting away, and I'm convinced they were texting each other. Well, that's what it looked like.

Early to bed tonight, I think.

My poor back ...

2006-08-31T20:41:00.000+01:00

I can't believe how much work it takes to write a poem. I have been grafting away at two poems for my next writing assignment, and have done 9 drafts for each so far. It is so absorbing that I've been sitting over them for hours. Which is why my back now aches. Time to go and do something completely different - like draw my toes.

Ink Tin

2006-08-26T15:09:00.000+01:00

You can tell I've been catching up! Actually, I did these challenges about a week at a time but didn't find time to upload them here.

Challenge 80 was to draw something that makes me happy and to write about it. Here it is, with notes on the sketch.

Draw an ear

2006-08-26T15:05:00.000+01:00

Challenge 79 was to draw an ear or ears. Coincidentally, this was something I had already done. As I wear two hearing aids due to a recent hearing impairment, I have developed something of a curiosity about ears. You could say they have been brought to my attention. I took some photos of my own ear, and did this painting from one of the more out of focus shots. Yes, I know it looks a bit wierd but it is an ear, honest.

Souvenir

2006-08-26T14:58:00.000+01:00

Everyday Matters challenge number 78 was to draw a souvenir of a place I've been, and journal about it.

Last March we went to visit my parents at their place in Spain. On our first day there, they took us for lunch to a great Chinese restaurant (I'm afraid I've forgotten the name) where you could eat as much as you could possibly fit in for about the price of a sandwich and bag of crisps here. This included sangria on arrival and liqueurs to finish. They even gave the ladies a gift at the end. This was my gift.

Kids

2006-08-26T12:45:00.000+01:00

Came across these little chaps on a walk yesterday. Aren't they gorgeous? They were about the size of a cat.

Hardware hitches

2006-08-21T19:53:00.000+01:00

I've had a frustrating afternoon trying to get Holly to recognise an external hard drive. She's not having any of it. There's no driver to install as Windows XP is supposed to have its own driver for USB ports (or something). So why does she not recognise it? Grrrrrrrrrr. What we really, really want is a techno-wizard that we can employ to look after Holly for us.

On a more positive note, I have just registered domains for my business name (more later) and submitted my tax return. They owe me - yay!

Tomorrow, I want to do some drawing before I forget how.

In the post

2006-08-18T14:34:00.000+01:00

A parcel arrived today from Claire Mackaness I won a prize for being cheeky - and what a lovely prize it is. I shall look forward to my next soak in a hot tub after a long walk.

I'm starting to find my way around Paintshop Pro - but I think it will take months to work out all the things that it can do.

And I'm on the final section of my creative writing course - Going Public. This is where it gets scary. I have to research a suitable magazine and write something appropriate for submission. And I've only got four weeks for this one. Gulp.

Catching up

2006-08-13T15:10:00.000+01:00

This is Hebden Bridge. We spent three days there last week, and returned home with a bag full of timetables, property guides, tourist information and even a recycling leaflet. We also met some very dear friends there. Strange, given that they live in Norfolk and neither of us knew that the other was going to be there. Coincidence?

I've just bought and downloaded Paintshop Pro which is currently on 50% off special offer. My plan is to do my own graphics for a website design. It is time I got my career coaching business online.

I found an excellent book to help me work out how to use my DSLR - The Digital Photography Handbook. It manages to tread a fine line between being too technical or too simplified. I'm very pleased with it.

I've also bought the 2007 Writers and Artists Yearbook in readiness for the final section of my writing course - Going Public.

I haven't drawn anything in ages :(

There. I think that's me up-to-date.

Fete

2006-08-05T16:59:00.000+01:00

We've just been to the local summer fete. I'm not sure which the best bit was - perhaps the dog competition for the dog with the waggiest tail. Or maybe the young dog handler competition where the large black labrador dragged the three-year old out of the ring - three times! Or the bird of prey display with two owls. One flapped her wings. The other sat on child volunteers and had her wings placed over their heads.

I did like the three alpaca though - such sweet faces, and quite capable of making a bulldog cower behind its owner.

Howard Hodgkin

2006-08-03T18:46:00.000+01:00

I ventured to London yesterday to visit the Tate Britain's Howard Hodgkin exhibition. These paintings look totally different in the flesh. They have substance and texture, and are totally different sizes than you might imagine from the reproductions. The colours are different too. I loved it, and didn't want to leave the gallery. The website is quite good too - there's loads of information if you follow the little orange links below the banner heading.

New toy

2006-08-03T18:40:00.000+01:00

echinacea single bloom
Originally uploaded by krikelorac.

I've been playing with my new toy, and finally got around to uploading some pictures to Flickr. I can see that I'm going to have to get organised on image storage.

Cool

2006-07-30T10:57:00.000+01:00

Every time I see one of these it takes me straight back to being a kid. One of these days I'm going to treat myself to one - as a whole meal in itself. The joy of being a grown-up.

Lucky

2006-07-25T20:30:00.000+01:00

IMG_0022
Originally uploaded by krikelorac.

Guess what I got for my birthday?

Anyone know a site where people can learn how to use these things properly?

Flowers

2006-07-21T20:35:00.000+01:00

This week's challenge was to draw fresh flowers. As we are in a rented property, the garden is not exactly stuffed with flowers. However, I wandered around the parched garden (it is HOT here) with my sketchbook and drew every flower I could find, 'weeds' included.

ATCs

2006-07-21T16:40:00.000+01:00

Last week, I had a go at making my first ATCs. I've made them in part-donation towards Beth's Blogathon for the RSPCA. You can see them here

EDM Challenge 75 - Recipe

2006-07-14T14:07:00.000+01:00

I love this recipe because (a) it is one of the few I can cope with (Rick does most of the cooking), and (b) I love smoked, peppered mackrel. I think we made this recipe up between us based on memories of kedgeree from childhood. We didn't have a recipe written down. It is a great store-cupboard standby for when we've got onions and garlic but no other fresh vegetables. Having said that, we are going to have it for tea tonight despite having lots of lovely fresh veg from the farm shop. Just drawing the ingredients has made my mouth water for it.

EDM Challenge 74 - Clouds

2006-07-05T18:21:00.000+01:00

Clouds are my friend – as long as they are the small, white, fluffy type that scuttles across a blue sky and shades me from the too-hot sun. Or the anvil-shaped storm clouds that darken the sky Prussian-blue and dump gallons of refreshing rain onto the parched earth, releasing its woody smells.

The ones I don’t like are the grey drizzly ones that smother the UK during the winter months. What little light we get during the short days of winter is dimmed by these damp blankets. The landscape turns to an indistinct foggy grey-and-white.

So I’ve painted my favourites - shower clouds that scuttle across a blue sky, providing shade and the occasional refreshing downpour.

EDM Challenge 73 Mailbox

2006-07-02T15:13:00.000+01:00

I remember writing letters. Carefully writing the address in the top right-hand corner, and then wondering what to write. It gave me an opportunity to think about what I'd done, and what I was proud of. Then there were the return letters to look forward to. Usually in thick Basildon Bond watermarked envelopes with matching writing paper. I held the letters together with a blue ribbon. Many of these were from my Gran, who I wrote to regularly when I was a child.

The most surprising letter I received was the one that said I had passed my 11 +. This was totally unexpected, and my first indication that I might be more intelligent than I gave myself credit for. It meant that I got to go to the girl's High School, which would surely be like Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers? It wasn't.

My most exciting mail package recently was my OU study materials - a big workbook, CDs and study guides. I was full of anticipation when I opened that box. It hasn't let me down.

Most of my snail mail now comes from Amazon. Oh, and my bank still write to me. But I don't hold their letters together with blue ribbon.

EDM Challenge 72 Draw somewhere new

2006-06-30T15:25:00.000+01:00

Earlier this week, we went to Machynlleth in mid-Wales, mainly to visit the Centre for Alternative Technology
We arrived to find a single wooden hut in the car park. I was somewhat astonished, until I saw the water-balanced railway going up the hill to the main centre at the top. The railway is entirely powered by water. There are two carriages with a rope between them. The top carriage gets filled with water, while the bottom one has water emptied out of it. This makes the top one heavy, so it slides down the hill, pulling the empty one up as it does so. I’m sure the website explains it better than I can.

There were loads of examples of sustainable living – like energy efficient houses, wind-power, solar and water-power, and gardens which they have managed to grow on top of slate by building raised beds and filling them with compost. There were goats and chickens and a baby duck. Occasionally we spotted a resident – you could tell them by the mugs of tea (herbal, no doubt) that they always carried.

We stayed at a wonderful farm-house just outside Machynlleth called Talbontdrain Dinner was a home-cooked affair, and so delicious we had to eat until we popped. She went to so much trouble, preparing a good mix of vegetables and salad to go with the lamb stew, and then bringing out a huge fruit pavlova for dessert – crispy and chewy in all the right places, with fluffy cream and very fresh ripe fruit. Highly recommended if you are ever in mid Wales.

We took the guesthouse dog for a walk on Tuesday, around the wild hills covered with bracken, foxgloves and slate. Very spectacular. And the dog was perfectly behaved. When she saw any animals, she snuck past them before trotting off again, ears bobbing up and down. She was great company.

I did a couple of sketches in the guesthouse to meet the EDM challenge of draw somewhere new.

Tomorrow, I’ve got my second Open University day school for the writing course. Now all I have to do is remember how to get there.

Blast. I can't upload the images. I'll upload them later, if Blogger will let me.

Edit: Here are my sketches

EDM Challenge 71 - Favourite sport

2006-06-22T18:10:00.000+01:00

The challenge was to draw something representing your favourite sport. I'm not into competitive sports - never have been. So I drew my cycle helmet (yes, that's what it is!) I love my bike, particularly now we live in a place with lots of cute country lanes where rabbits bounce about in front of you and crows soar overhead. It's a great way to keep fit whilst having a nice time.

EDM Challenge 69 - Beverage

2006-06-19T19:09:00.000+01:00

I'm trying to draw every day. Today's effort is the challenge from a few weeks ago to draw a beverage and write a little about it. Well ... this is a cup of tea. I don't drink much tea, but needed a bit of old-fashioned English comfort as I've been watching a blackbird outside nursing itself with a very poorly-looking wing. There's not much I can do for it except leave it in peace. I hope it pulls through.

I'm still here

2006-06-18T17:43:00.000+01:00

I was just on the phone to Mum, and she pointed out that I haven't written anything here for a while. So here goes.

I've been pretty busy. Last weekend I ran a career change workshop. Despite running it on the hottest day of the year so far AND the same day as the first England world cup footie match, ten people attended. They gave me a round of applause at the end, which made it feel all worth while. I love it when my workshop delegates get a lot out of the day, which they did seem to.

Last Wednesday was my last day at art college (until next September.) We looked around the final year shows. These included photography, textiles fashion, painting and sculpture and installation art. I particularly liked a wire sculpture of a bird on a piece of driftwood, with the bird interlaced with found items such as feathers. It was on a large scale (perhaps six foot by four foot for the whole piece, and the bird about the size of a crow with outstretched wings.)

We had a street party last night in the village (for the Queen's official birthday) and got chatting to some of the locals. They have fascinating stories to tell, and most of the estates round here are named after one or other of them. I'm also learning a fair bit about farming (it's incredibly hard work, for starters.)

Today we've been out on bikes to Chipping Warden, saw some artists painting plein air, and did about 17.5 miles. So why am I not losing weight? Huh? Then this afternoon we went to Canons Ashby, a National Trust house and gardens. We had lunch and cake (oh, maybe that's why.) I did some sketching, and discovered I like drawing with charcoal pencil - but I can't draw trees.

On the writing front, I’ve just about finished a couple of poems for my TMA submission. I’ve really enjoyed learning about poetry. I’ve also got somewhat addicted to reading it, currently reading Being Alive. There’s some good stuff in there, particularly a poem by Mary Oliver that ends with the lines “so tell me, what is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” These words just send a shiver through me. I’m pretty happy, though, that I’m enjoying my precious life just as it is right now.

I tried to upload one of my paintings for you, but Blogger won't let me. I'll try again another day.

Good Weekend

2006-06-04T18:24:00.000+01:00

We've made the most of the sunshine. Yesterday we both went for separate bike rides (so Rick can get some exercise). It was glorious - sunshine and blue sky, but still cool and breezy as it was early morning. We then went to Banbury, where I finally bit the bullet and treated myself to some painting canvas - a pack of 3 for £9.99 from the Works. Now I've got to do some 'proper' paintings.

Today, we visited Ryton Organic Gardens and I took my SLR with me and took some shots. How antiquated though - I've now got to wait until I've finished the film and get it developed before I can see them. This afternoon, we cycled to Upton House - 15.5 miles - my legs are jelly. However, we got a reduction for arriving by bike AND we had a leaflet to get free cake. I did a watercolour sketch of the secret garden - not a spot on Karen's watercolour sketches but I enjoyed doing it.

EDM Challenge 68 - Draw your computer

2006-06-02T19:54:00.000+01:00

This required patience, which is something I don't have too much of.

EDM Challenge 67 - Draw Something Mom

2006-06-01T21:12:00.000+01:00

Looking for mother and baby images, I found this pair Aren't they gorgeous?

EDM Challenge 66 - Fire Hydrant

2006-06-01T21:09:00.000+01:00

We don't have fire hydrants here, so I found a picture at firehydrant.org They are quite fascinating, aren't they?

Pan Listening to Echo

2006-05-23T19:35:00.000+01:00

Another quick sketch done in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford on Sunday:

Some local pictures

2006-05-19T18:05:00.000+01:00

I would love to be able to paint with watercolours. I had another go today. This is the old school house in the village (now conveniently a framing shop.) Everything I do comes out colourful.

I would also like to be able to sketch using more confident marks. So I tried a quick sketch of the view from the back window, using conte crayon. It's just smudgy. But - the more I practise, the more I will improve. Anyway, it's fun.

What is it?

2006-05-19T17:55:00.000+01:00

Last week in art class we made a 3D object inspired by a piece of household equipment. Well - here it is. The second picture is the painting I did of it today.

Sinks and Noses

2006-05-19T17:40:00.000+01:00

I'm losing count of which EDM challenge I'm on, and I know I'm behind, but here is my bathroom basin and a few sketchy sketches of my nose!

... and relax

2006-05-14T14:31:00.000+01:00

Well, I did it all. A full week last week followed by a visit from friends with a three year old. I am so weary now.

On Friday, we stopped on the way home at Crackley Wood I needed to find some bluebell woods, and Crackley was just what I was looking for. Carpets of fragrant bluebells romped everywhere, and the birds were singing their hearts out. Just what I needed to chill out after a two day workshop.

All I need to do now is catch up on my sleep. Boy, can three year olds chatter! Very sweet though. We went for a walk and picked daisies and cow parsley for each other; blew dandelion clocks and collected cherry blossom. Sometimes it's nice to see the world through a child's eyes.

Hungry babies

2006-05-10T17:06:00.000+01:00

Introducing - Mrs Blackbird and her new family.

Busy month

2006-05-04T16:59:00.000+01:00

May is turning out to be rather on the busy side. Yesterday, I had a presentation to do at art college. It went pretty well, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to everyone else's. We had to talk about a piece of art that we loved and one that we hated. I chose Damien Hirst 'One Thousand Years' as my hate, and a Pia Fries painting as my love.

Tomorrow, of course, is the deadline for my creative writing assignment. I'm about there, just allowing myself another night to sleep on it before the final polish.

Saturday I've got an early start as I'm running an all day career change workshop.

Sunday I intend to sleep, walk, drink gin, and sleep some more.

Monday and Tuesday I have to prepare for a career workshop that I am running on Thursday and Friday. Oh, and do my normal job at the same time.

Wednesday we have our end of year assessment at art college. I've just spent hours stuffing all my artwork into plastic display sleeves - only to find that when I put them all in my portfolio case, the rings won't stay shut. Rats.

Thursday/Friday, as I said, I'm running a workshop.

Saturday, we've got friends coming to stay for the weekend.

Meanwhile, I'd quite like to do some drawing. But when?

Oxford

2006-04-23T17:23:00.000+01:00

Today was the day for our EDM International Oxford sketchcrawl. Sadly, thanks to railway engineering works, there were no trains to Oxford today, and Rick needed the car to get to the London marathon.

Undeterred, I dug out a postcard from the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and spent ages drawing it. I mean ages.

It was amazing how much I saw by actually drawing this image. It is the detail of a painting on the inner lid of the coffin of Irterau, daughter of Esamenopet from West Thebes, Egypt. It represents Nut, a protective goddess, with outstretched falcon wings. The coffin dates to 720-650 BC. While drawing it, I became aware of the balance in the patterning and colour, and my imagination had a go at reading the hyroglyphics as I was copying them. They were pretty good artists, our ancestors.

I've also copied below some sketches that I did a week or so ago in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford when I went for my hearing appointment. I meant to go back and do more today, but best laid plans ...

Assignment deadline looming

2006-04-21T18:00:00.000+01:00

I've been trying to write stories over the last couple of days. I found it really hard to get started, because I've now got all these 'shoulds' in my head from the workbook chapters. It's got my critic on full red alert and constant vigilance. However, the deadline is looming so I started to write something, accepting that it would be total dross. I've now got an idea and a structure, and am writing it in bite size chunks. Hopefully I'll be able to glue the chunks together at some point without the cracks being too obvious. I'm so glad I'm not doing this for marks. I would be pretty stressed if this was counting towards a degree.

Meanwhile, Spring is moving on. We have a blackbird nesting patiently in the ivy by our front path. We did have a thrush nesting in the back garden, but today I went out and saw a fledgling lying motionless underneath the nest. It is the saddest sight, and has quite spoiled my day. I saw the thrush later, gathering nesting materials, dropping them again and flying off in disarray. Or maybe I'm just attributing human emotions to her.

EDM#63 - Nature walk

2006-04-21T17:56:00.000+01:00

I found this on a previous walk, and have been sketching it on and off. It is terribly difficult to draw. Today I tipped it up to explore different angles, and these lovely delicate seeds fell out. So I drew them too.

EDM#62 Using an unfamilar medium

2006-04-21T17:52:00.000+01:00

What is it about mugs that they are so hard to draw? They *should* be easy. Anyway, I drew this using oil pastel, simply because I hardly ever use that medium. I realised that if you press quite hard, you can get a wonderful colour intensity. Otherwise it is like using wax crayon!

EDM#61 Draw a Grouping

2006-04-06T15:50:00.000+01:00

I'm cheating a bit with this, again using a previous drawing. I drew this just before I went on holiday. It is a pile of receipts. I was in one of those 'I want to draw something but I don't know what' moods. So I drew what was in front of me.

EDM#60 - Automobile

2006-04-06T15:43:00.000+01:00

Funnily enough, I drew these before I knew about this challenge. I often wait in the car while Rick goes to Tesco, and fill in the time by sketching. Yes - I know I'm a lucky woman!

EDM#59 - Signs of Spring

2006-04-06T15:38:00.000+01:00

Well, what else could I draw but these gorgeous blooms from our garden? I enjoyed the smell while I was drawing them, too. I'm pleased with my attempts to draw these, but disappointed with the watercolour. I'm not sure that I'm cut out for watercolour.

EDM#58 Draw a Hat

2006-04-06T15:33:00.000+01:00

Rick's sister, brother-in-law and three nearly grown-up nephews came to stay at the weekend. Nephew Joe bought this hat for Rick, who wore it all weekend and walked like a rastafarian when he wore it. This is all the more amusing when you know that Rick is ginger, and somewhat challenged in the hair department.

Joys of Spring

2006-04-05T15:51:00.000+01:00

It's such a beautiful day today that it warrants a blog entry. Blue sky - proper, cerulean blue with no clouds. The sun is out and getting higher in the sky every day. I'm feeling weary from a long bike ride, spinning past daffodils at their golden prime; lambs curled up in the sunshine or racing around with each other; and primroses blooming in gardens. Gorgeous.

I've also read Chapter 8 and managed to write some pieces for a tutorial on point of view. Still got all the Chapter 8 exercises to do though, and one left from Chapter seven. And no ideas at all for my next assignment as yet.

I'm planning to do some drawing later as I am falling behind badly on EDM challenges. And I've got a stack of art holiday homework to do. But it's all such fun! How can I complain at a to do list like that?

Alicante

2006-03-30T20:02:00.000+01:00

We had a wonderful week in Spain last week. The warm temperatures were a welcome relief after the freezing wind that we left Coventry in; and the colours of the wild flowers and the street markets were riches indeed. In Alicante, Mum and I sat by the marina in the sunshine and did some sketching. As you can see, I attempted to sketch the whole of Alicante. When I'd finished, I turned to show my Mum and found two men had been standing watching me. As they gave me a friendly thumbs up - "Bueno!" - I didn't feel too foolish.

Today I have been battling with inertia. I was going to go out on my bike to get some sorely needed exercise - but it was 'too windy'. I was going to catch up with writing, but the exercises didn't stimulate me.

In the end, I re-read some of my previous exercises and found that they weren't as hideously bad as I thought they were. I've typed them up here - partly because I may find some useful gems in there later, and partly to practise editing and firming things up. I feel better for the illusion of having created something, even a few fragmented scraps of writing. This helped to stimulate me to try some of the Chapter seven exercises - writing with different characters' voices. I've found them incredibly hard to do, but who knows? I may read them later and find something of use in them.

To anyone else who may be struggling - try revisiting some of your past writing. It may read better than you remember, and give you heart to carry on.

Fiction? Bah.

2006-03-30T13:51:00.000+01:00

I am struggling with the Fiction Section of the A215 creative writing course. The chapters describe the different ways in which you can 'write good fiction' including character development, point of view, setting and so on. The difficulty I think I am having with it is that we have gone from writing from our experience (based on freewriting) to having exercises to do which are very much directed towards using a particular device. This 'device' removes it from my experience somehow so that I find myself 'inventing' something rather plastic. I wonder how to get back to using my concrete experience whilst also doing the exercises? I would say I haven't got enough time to do the amount of writing required, but frankly as I have spent this morning avoiding writing, I don't think time is the problem.

Maybe I'm just not cut out to do fiction writing.

Coln St Aldwyns

2006-03-16T19:31:00.000Z

I am struggling to get writing today. Even a blog entry seems beyond me. Still, here goes.

We spent last weekend in Coln St Aldwyns to celebrate Rick's birthday. We were in the heart of the Cotswolds. Every person that we met had a ruddy complexion, spoke with a cut-glass accent and was very friendly. We went for a long walk on Saturday, via Bibury The highlight for Rick was when we passed by a cottage into a field, and a sheepdog (the Welsh variety) came flashing past us, grabbed a stick and sank down with it on the path in front of us. "Play with me!" Rick grabbed the stick and threw it. The dog returned the stick to the path in front of us. This went on ... and on ... and on. We were both distressed at the point at which we had to say "Go home!" and the dog obediently trotted off, tail and head down. As it headed straight for a barn, we guessed it belonged on the farm and wasn't really about to abscond with us.

On Sunday, we witnessed a delightful scene. After a walk around the village, we stopped at the post office. The lady in front of Rick, who had been jogging, demanded her copy of the Sunday Times and the Tatler, and could they put it on the Andrews account please? The Post Office was filling up fast, with similar requests being made. When we went back outside, the roads all around were full of four-wheel drives - all of which had pulled up to collect their Sunday paper.

What was lovely about the place was the lack of traffic noise. Although we love our village, it suffers from the constant roar of the M40. It was a delight to hear the call of the pheasant echoing into the distance, rather than competing with the roar of traffic.

EDM Challenge #57 - Picture Frame

2006-03-10T15:23:00.000Z

I am just in love with my new felt tips.

Busy week

2006-03-10T15:08:00.000Z

As the title says. Last weekend we had friends for dinner on Saturday, followed by a walk early Sunday morning. We had to get our walk done early because we were due up in Nottingham for 2.30 for a friend's birthday party. Our friend, by the way, is 3 years old. Some readers may remember Scarlett? Here she is.

Work as usual Monday and Tuesday, and art class on Wednesday. This week I was used as an example of how not to do something. I had painted three very pink paintings. Please don't ask me why. I was just in the mood for raspberry. Actually, I was experimenting with process colours (magenta, cyan, yellow) and not getting on with them at all well. But they are the colours the college recommends. Wednesday evening I had a work meeting all evening.

Yesterday after much drafting and redrafting, and help from Beth, I finally submitted my TMA. Hurrah! I celebrated with two gin-and-tonics last night. Which I regretted this morning. I just can't hold my drink these days.

We are away this weekend as it is Rick's (*whisper*) 40th Birthday.

EDM Challenge #56 - Self Portrait

2006-03-02T16:48:00.000Z

Well, what can I say? (I don't look like this, by the way)

Progress today, I think ...

2006-03-02T16:35:00.000Z

In art class yesterday, as I painted an abstract image based on one of my photo collages, my tutor said I was a natural painter (yay!) and had a good eye for colour. It's nice to get some positive reinforcement of my college work. He also introduced me to Pia Fries. These aren't great reproductions of her work, but she does thick, textural oilpaintings with a strong design element to them (I think). Luscious.

Today I've finally bitten the bullet, pulled all my TMA preparation notes together, and created a draft poem. I feel better for doing that. It was starting to feel like an impossible task, lots of freewriting seeming to go nowhere.

I've done some drawing today - although I'm being a bit hard on myself about the outcome. Here is one that I did from a postcard from the Pitt Rivers Museum

EDM Challenge #39 Toothbrush

2006-03-02T16:31:00.000Z

This was another 'I'm determined to do a drawing today' sketch. I just plonked myself on the bed and drew my toothbrush.

EDM #55 - Draw a Door Knob

2006-02-26T21:26:00.000Z

Well, I tried and I tried and I tried - but I just can't draw a decent door knob to save my life. Good job my life doesn't depend on it!

Museum Crawl

2006-02-24T21:08:00.000Z

Rick's had a couple of days holiday these last two days, so I've not had my usual days writing and drawing. However, we've had a couple of good days out. Yesterday we ventured to Oxford and found this and this. Two of the most interesting museums I have ever been in. We are going back some day when we have more time.

Today we had a long overdue shop in Banbury, then visited Banbury Museum. This was not on the same grand scale, but still interesting enough.

Inspired by EDM sketch crawlers, I did a few sketches. This also counts as 'do a drawing in public' - which I find a little inhibiting if I'm honest.

Sketching in the Kitchen

2006-02-19T16:52:00.000Z

Some sketches from the kitchen from last night. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I added some colour to the cupboard today. I have to admit it is not exactly colour perfect, but I enjoy dabbling with watercolours. And I've worked out what went wrong with the scanner. I had set it on 50 dpi for something and it didn't change the setting back!

EDM Challenge #8 - A watch

2006-02-19T10:07:00.000Z

This is definitely becoming addictive. I've drawn this on a paper bag stuck into my sketchbook, using carbon, sepia light and white sketch pencils. I think I lost some of the definition when I fixed it (too much hairspray!)

Lambs

2006-02-19T09:55:00.000Z

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. It started frosty, but the sun came up over the hill and we had blue sky. I was out of the house, wellies on, by 10 am and had a beautiful walk. Lots of lamb-spotting. Here's some photos for you, Connie!

Mostly A215 news

2006-02-17T18:07:00.000Z

I've had a reasonably productive couple of days. I worked my way through most of Chapter 4 yesterday, although I got stuck on the news item exercise (find a news item and then do some research to find 3 new facts.) I don't normally buy newspapers or read the news because most of it is so depressing that I'd end up in therapy if I did. Can anyone point me to a cute little news item that won't make me want to cut my throat?

I've started to do some freewriting for TMA01, and I've finally worked out how clusters are working for me. They don't seem to be useful to find associated words or ideas, but they do seem to trigger memories. And as I do more of them, I find that patterns seem to emerge. There seem to be memories that get repeated. Perhaps these are the things that I need to be writing about. One of them has emerged whilst freewriting on the topic of 'a hand'. It's a memory of my Great Aunt. I can see my final piece could be nothing at all to do with the triggering word.

More lambs today. I walked out to the back field, and there were loads of them, bleating loudly. They've all arrived at once it would appear. There were two tiny ones sleeping in the sun, with their mother standing protectively over them as I walked past. Others were much braver, and danced in front of me.

I needed to pay a personal carbon tax to offset the flight that we are taking to Spain to see Mum and Dad's place. There's a really useful website if you ever need to do this. They use the money to fund sustainable energy and reforestation projects that will offset carbon emissions.

EDM#13 - A phone

2006-02-17T18:06:00.000Z

EDM#2 - A lamp

2006-02-17T18:04:00.000Z

A Loved One's Slipper

2006-02-15T20:37:00.000Z

I had a delivery from Amazon today of The Creative License and The New Diary (although I got a newer edition than this - I guess I got the last one in stock.) Much of this afternoon has been spent reading the former, and I've dutifully sketched a mug, chair, table and person.

I've joined the online Everyday Matters group set up by Danny Gregory. I popped in to say hello, and have been astonished at the supportive response. The group set weekly challenges, of which this week's is to draw 'A loved one'. I am somewhat struggling to do that, as my loved one is camping in the Caingorm right now. An earlier challenge was to draw 'a shoe'. So I've compromised, and drawn 'A loved one's slipper'. At least it gets me drawing!

Creative endevours

2006-02-10T17:10:00.000Z

Not a bad day. I mailed a postcard that I had painted to a friend who has initiated a postcard exchange. She suggested it as a way to start her painting again. I've done some A215 writing, and posted a piece of freewriting for my tutorial group to laugh at (you can read it here). Beth might recognise the beginning! I've started something for the tutorial exercise. And I've done some more illustrated journalling. Here is yesterday's and today's. Neither are brilliant, but I'm enjoying drawing and painting them. The scanner did something wierd to the first one, but I quite like it. Serendipity, I think that's called.

Spring - but COLD

2006-02-10T11:02:00.000Z

I had to de-ice the birdbath again this morning. Almost immediately afterwards (hopefully enough time for it to cool) the sparrows were gulping water greedily. Poor things were clearly parched.

I've just been out for a walk. I've seen:
a) sunshine
b) snowdrops
c) tiny weeny wobbly newborn lambs, their woolly coats still damp. Both mum and babies managed to stay on their feet long enough to feed the lambs, before they all collapsed exhaused onto the grass. I *love* lambs. It is the bestest bit about spring.
d) the birds were singing all their best spring songs
e) a lady was hanging her washing out on the line

It's SPRING! It is, it is!

Constance: I'll pop out later and take some photos for you.

Edit: Here you go! The farmer was just visiting them as I was taking these, and the lambs were bleating. I love the sound of lambs.

Published!

2006-02-03T14:16:00.000Z

The book with my poem in arrived this morning. It is quite nicely presented, and there are even some decent poems in there. Although, there are also a few 'oh how I love the lambs so white, they spring about in glee, they bleat and spring with all their might, how happy they must be' type thing. I just made that up by the way ;)

Writing is still sludgy. I found myself writing about a teacher, a rat and a janitor. A children's book perhaps??

Another illustrated journal entry. I really didn't want to draw and didn't know what to draw, but I did it anyway. I'm glad I did, even if it's rubbish. I'm definitely going to get Danny's book.

I'm going to have to tidy up. We have guests this weekend, with two children. We plan to go to Warwick Castle tomorrow, then a walk and pub lunch on Sunday. Hopefully that will give me some interesting material to write about. So far, most of my observational writing has been about Warwick Parkway station, or the birdtable :)

Sludge

2006-02-02T16:52:00.000Z

Still writing sludge at the moment, but I am writing. This is something.

Attempted papier mache this morning. I had a cone from the centre of 250g of cotton yarn, which I kept as I liked the shape. I covered this in cling film. I wanted to try using handmade paper, so I chose some sheets that I didn't care too much about. First, I tried pre-soaking them. Bad idea. They fell apart. I managed to get a layer onto the cone, then applied wallpaper paste. Too gloopy. Far too gloopy. Sludge, in fact. I tried putting dry pieces of paper over the top. Too dry. Glue oozing out like jelly. I moulded the soggy mess as best I could round the cone and I've left it to dry. I have no idea how it will turn out. I'm hoping it will shrink and tighten as it dries, and form a hard shell. We'll see.

I did another illustrated journal entry, using watercolour this time. I may scan it in later; I'm feeling lazy right now.

I looked through an old newspaper for some interesting news stories, and found one about the girl who stole from her employer to pay her boyfriend's gambling debts. The story in here that has energy for me is the way women will do such daft things for blokes. I had a misplaced relationship once. I might write about it one day, although I'm not sure I want to revist the experience.

It has been COLD today. I've not been out for my walk, and I feel sludgy as a result. Sludgy and sleepy. Time to curl up with my book of collage, assemblage and found object art that I found in the college library yesterday.

Edit: Here's the journal entry:-

Fragments of the City II

2006-02-01T20:38:00.000Z

Just so you can see what I've been up to.

Hear, hear!

2006-01-31T16:54:00.000Z

A successful visit to Banbury this morning. My nearest hearing aid clinic is at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. I have loads of choice about when I can go - as long as it is between 10am and 12.15pm on a Tuesday! Anyway, I went, and it was very promising. The nice audiologist took a putty imprint of my right ear cavity in preparation for my second hearing aid. She also replaced the tubing in my current aid, and showed me how to do it. Apparently I can get batteries and replacement tubing at any time from the main reception. Hurrah! I now just have to wait for an appointment to come through for the fitting of the second aid, which might be a few months. I just hope we stay here long enough to get that sorted.

I settled down to do more of the creative writing course. I'm now on chapter two, and am practising clusters and freewriting daily. Nothing useful so far, but I recognise what is happening i.e. I have to write rubbish for a few days to warm up, then occasionally something reasonable will pop out. I've now found the Haiku exercise, and have posted a couple on Writing me Down.

I've also done another illustrated journal page (this is becoming addictive.) I am starting to recognise that when I've got into a 'stuck' frame of mind, drawing can really help to 'release' it somehow. So when I got bored of writing, I went and did some drawing.

Art tomorrow. This week is much more fun than last :)

Flowing nicely today

2006-01-30T16:53:00.000Z

I've been playing happily for most of the day today. I started with morning pages - 3 whole pages. This is progress. After a shower, I did some of my personal artwork. I 'completed' a painting which was an exercise from the Vicky Barber book, using gestures as its basis. I unwrapped my new plastacine modelling clay, and had a play with it. A flying figure formed under my fingers, like a ghost or an angel. Later, I'll create a papier mache model of it. Then I did another illustrated journal entry.

For the rest of the day, I've been working through weeks one and two of the A215 Creative Writing coursebook. I'm planning to post some extracts on Writing me Down. I've been for a stroll round the village, and taken my usual route up Mill Hill to get heart and lungs working. It's good to get out, surrounded by the smell of coal fires and the sound of rooks yak-yaking on the warm rooftops.

I'm enjoying writing again. It is calming. It puts me back in touch with myself.

Nests

2006-01-30T16:45:00.000Z

I have now created several working spaces for myself. All of them involve spreading clutter around until I feel comfortable sitting in them. Hence I call them my 'nests'.

I made it

2006-01-28T15:57:00.000Z

I'm worn out and gritty-eyed, but happy. The workshop that I ran over the last two days (and was rather apprehensive about) turned out to be extremely rewarding. There were fewer people than there should have been, which actually made it a managable group size, and they were all prepared to interact and get stuck in. As a result, I think they all got a lot out of it. It was a real pleasure to run it with them.

So what was I so worried about? I wish I could avoid getting stressed about these things.

Now I can turn my attention to the Creative Writing course. My tutor group is open, and I've popped in to say hello. I've still not posted on the main course site, as I'm afraid of spending any spare hours I've got trying to keep up with it instead of doing some writing. Which, incidentally, ground to a halt during the last week. No writing has been done apart from emails to careers queries.

We've just been to Banbury today and I've bought my favourite type of sketchbook (Daler Rowney A4 spiral bound hardback) so I can do some illustrated journalling. The good thing about having worked all last week is I've got next week off work as time-in-lieu. So I'm going to catch up with all my creative activities. Can't wait.

Scary week ahead

2006-01-22T18:25:00.000Z

I'm not particularly looking forward to next week. I'm working my usual Monday and Tuesday (busy diary both days.) I'm at college on Wednesday (hurrah!) Then I'm at work again on Thursday and Friday to run a two-day workshop. It is a rather intensive one - two full days, juggling one-to-one appointments for everyone at the same time as running sessions. I am not at all sure how it will work out.

All I can say is that I am seriously looking forward to the weekend. It is a long time since I've had a full week, and working an extra day last week was tiring enough. I'm hopeful that February will be easier. And I want to get on with my writing course.

I've been freewriting again, and it is starting to come easier. I'm just doing tiny timed writings, ten minutes each. I will build up from this.

Today was a glorious day. We went for a walk with some local friends, and saw lambs. It is such a beautiful sound, the cry of a lamb. And yesterday, we heard great-tits (or coal tits?) making that 'cuckoo' sort of song that they seem to do only in spring. Beautiful.

Fragments of the City

2006-01-20T16:40:00.000Z

I have a project to do. In my art course we will be working all term on ‘fragments of the city’. The idea is to create an evocation of a city, which is experienced in a fragmented sort of way. We were briefed to do some homework over the Christmas break, and return prepared with a number of photographs of a city, and lots of ephemera – tickets, timetables etc.

As I didn’t go anywhere near a city, and didn’t want to make a special trip, I cheated and took photos of Darlington ‘City’. There is rather too much crumbling red brick and not enough glass-and-steel skyscrapers, but who cares? I also kept a lot of junk, mainly from our trip to Banbury, like ‘sale’ tickets and carrier bags. And I found some bits in my purse, like a ticket from going to the loo in Whitby :)

We did some contextual research of other artists, including Sarah Morris, Wyndham Lewis and Kurt Schwitters. You can see how they can evoke the idea of a city without being explicit.

We started last week by making a collage with our bits of junk. Those who arrived without a bag of rubbish were despatched to Bournville Green to find some litter. They arrived back empty-handed. It appears the Green is kept rather too tidy and clean. They resorted to the emergency box of newspaper and magazine scraps. Meanwhile, I was playing with the carrier bags. I started cutting out the logo, then decided that was not ‘fragmented’ enough. So I pulled at the plastic, tugging it out of shape and obscuring the logo. I stuck this lot down, making some interesting textures if nothing else. I started to arrange the other bits and pieces around it, trying to make the colours into a nice arrangement so it didn’t just look chaotic. I had grabbed some train timetables on my way through the station, so they went on, along with the rail route maps in their different colours. I then twisted more carrier bag into long strands and arranged this into a routemap type shape. My final collage was about an inch thick! It’s still at college, so I can’t photograph it.

This week, we played with the photos. We took copies of them so we could cut up the copies. The idea was to arrange them into a long strip, where one fragment follows on from the other to create a sort of film-strip, or story board. The aim is for the eye to try and read along the strip, rather than take it in as one picture. Our tutor compared this with the Parthenon Frieze (the Elgin Marbles), and discussed how pictures used to tell a story rather than be one framed ‘window’ onto a scene. Our brief was to create this sort of effect, but with fragmented images. “Take one fragment, and find another that leads on from it in some way,” he said. “It might be texture, tone, shape – something that leads the eye from one to the other.”

This was, and is, not easy. It is a fascinating exercise though, and I enjoy getting absorbed in looking at the images, making connections, and pasting them down.

So this is what we are doing in art. It seems very far removed from Betty Edwards or Danny Gregory ;)

Biting off more than I can chew?

2006-01-19T20:05:00.000Z

I've just 'discovered' in my Open University Creative Writing course study pack a booklet with the assignments in. I received the course pack on the 6th January, and I've only just found this. There are so many booklets that I managed to miss it.

Having found it, I am now panicking. How on EARTH am I going to find time to study, write, develop and edit pieces, and then write a piece on how I went about it all?

This comes at the end of a day when I've been doing an extra day for work. I volunteered to design and deliver a career management session for an external organisation. At the time this was agreed, it was going to be a handful of extra days. It is already growing into a much bigger commitment. I shall never volunteer for extra work again. I debated with myself whether to take it on or not, and I really should have thought harder about it. Anyway, the damage is done now, so I'll just have to grin and bear it. It is reasonably interesting work, which is why I found it hard to turn down.

But I really DO want to concentrate on writing, and on developing my art. I want to do more drawing, and start an illustrated journal. I've got an art project to do (more on this later.) And I want to work out how I can run my own business - but that always gets the back seat.

If I could do anything I wanted, I would give up work, do an arts degree, then use art and writing in health and community contexts. But I just can't do it all! Anyway, doing a degree costs money (lots of money from this September). Hence the need to work.

I do like my job (mostly). But - I feel like it's holding me back from the real me somehow. It's the old me, hanging on. I'm struggling to hold the two identities together. It's funny, this business of managing identity.

Illustrated journalling

2006-01-13T16:25:00.000Z

Inspired by Beth, and by Danny Gregory, I've had a go at an illustrated journal page. It is actually quite relaxing.

Believe it or not, that bird table is actually very well made. I've just managed to draw it as if it's been hammered together by a 7-year old.

Edit: I've hopefully increased the picture size if you click on it.

Creative Outputs

2006-01-08T15:41:00.000Z

I’ve been knitting again. Here is the hat I’ve just finished, using Colinette point five yarn. The colours are gorgeous; deep and vibrant blue, purple, fuchsia and green. I can’t wait to wear it – bring on the snow and frost!

Below are the little clay sculptures I made last week. I was doing an activity in the book Explore Yourself Through Art. In it, she invites you to play with a piece of clay and see what your hands make of it. I had no preconceived idea of what I would make, and these little figures popped out. What is quite strange is how the little one fits neatly into the larger one, which was not planned at all. I won’t go into likely psychological explanations here, but they are kind of cute in themselves I think. Wouldn’t fetch a fortune in an art gallery or anything, but good fun anyway.

Kool Kidz

2006-01-07T21:41:00.000Z

This is where I've been this afternoon. Kool Kidz soft play area for Rick's Goddaughter's 3rd Birthday. Phew.

Was very relieved to get home, as we have a crack right across the bottom of the windscreen. I was praying for the last 30 miles or so.

Feeling rather frazzled and a bit drunk as I've drowned my sorrows in a whole 2 gin and tonics.

Pondering ...

2006-01-06T16:59:00.000Z

I'm just sitting down to write this after a day spent with some good friends of mine. We meet regularly to exchange news and share how we are getting on with our lives and ambitions. We are all from coaching backgrounds, and personal development is something we value.

Today, through talking with them, I had two realisations:

i) The thing that motivates me is doing something for someone else. Doing something for myself does not get me out of bed in the morning. This, I think, is one of the reasons I don't do as much artistic activity as I would like.

ii) I'm very good a visioning where I want to be, and setting goals for myself (and achieving them), but I'm not very good at enjoying the destination when I get there. Instead, I create more goals, more visions. So I've realised (again) that I need to learn how to enjoy each moment, living in the 'here-and-now'. Any creative activity is good at enabling me to do this.

Hmmm. So how do i) and ii) relate to each other then?

Perhaps I need to find people that I can do creative activity for. Somehow. Sigh.

Playing

2006-01-05T18:55:00.000Z

I actually spent some time doing art today, and enjoyed myself enormously. Memo to self: do more!

I painted my little clay 'figures'. I may or may not post a picture, depending on how brave I feel.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T08:53:00.000Z

I just can't believe it's 2006. It always takes me ages to get used to being in a different year.

We cycled up to Beacon Hill on Burton Dassett country park for midnight last night. It was a bit scary, given my bike light isn't really up to the job of showing me where the road is. Luckily no-one else was on the roads. We arrived to find that the car park was full, and someone had erected a marquee. People were gathered up the top, fireworks primed. Quite a party.

It was fun watching how people's watches are anything but synchronised. There must have been ten different versions of 'New Year' just on the hill top, with all the countdowns, shrieks and hugs happening minutes apart. Then all the bursts of light as fireworks went off for miles around us, all starting at different times. Great fun, and quite spectacular.

Happy New Year, and I hope 2006 brings you joy and peace, whereever you are.

Home again

2005-12-28T20:36:00.000Z

Home again after a quiet, but nice, Christmas with my folks. The drive back yesterday was hideous, though. A combination of snow on the A1 and people heading for the sales meant the roads were sluggish. What was a 3 hour journey on the way up became a 5 hour journey back down. We comforted ourselves on arrival with a huge nosh-up at The Wharf pub.

Today, we've been farm-shopping again to lay in stocks so we can relax for the rest of the holiday. Then we pulled boots on and went out for a walk on the hard frosty ground. It was a relief to be doing some exercise after a lot of sofa-sitting.

Tomorrow we intend to have our own private 'Christmas Day'. It will start with a good cup of coffee, followed by fry up and a big walk, then roast pork (no poultry left unsurprisingly.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2005-12-23T09:20:00.000Z

I'm just catching up online while munching my organic, gluten free porridge (quite nice, surprisingly) and sipping echinacea herbal tea (feeling a bit under the weather so taking precautions.)

Tomorrow, we are off up to Darlington to spend Christmas with my Gran and parents. We plan to fuel up on a big breakfast at the Long Itchington diner (discovered last weekend - fantastic!) to keep us going up the M1/A1.

We shall return on Tuesday. Have a very good Christmas/not-Christmas, depending on your persuasion!

Feeling Earthy

2005-12-21T16:10:00.000Z

I put some sunflower seeds out last week. Boy, are they popular! We've suddenly got flocks of blue-tits and coal-tits, and the occasional gold-finch. So I nipped out today to give them a refill, as they'd nearly scoffed the lot. And so I can now report that there are signs of life from the bulbs - the leaves are just pushing through the earth. Good timing.

I don't know whether it's making me feel 'earthy', but I got my lump of clay out this afternoon. It had dried out a bit, so I pulled some lumps off, watered them and started to knead it to soften it up. This got very messy, but was great fun. When it was workable again, I started to form it into shapes, working intuitively with no outcome in mind. I now have three pieces, which I'm leaving to dry. Two of them are a bit Henry Moore-ish, but definitely not 3 tonnes :)

I've also commenced making up the cotton t-shirt top that I've been knitting for months. I've only got the sleeves to stitch now - I've set them in with knotted threads and am hoping the stitching will be straightforward.

I've also started my Colinette hat. I just love Point Five.

Holidays!!!!

2005-12-20T20:05:00.000Z

Last day at work today - and it was a very LONG day. But all done now, and I'm on holiday - hooray!

Anyone planning a solstice celebration for tomorrow? It's offically at 18:35, or so my Mum says. I love it when it starts to get light again, and am usually looking for signs of spring before we've even got Christmas and New Year over. The ewes are looking pretty plump and distinctly broody, and the trees are budding. Just need to check on my bulbs in daylight tomorrow ... :)

Crafty

2005-12-19T14:37:00.000Z

Well, I needed a journal ... so I reckoned it was about time I used some of that paper I've been making. I can always make more.

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside ...

2005-12-19T14:06:00.000Z

Whitby in Winter. You can't beat it. The wind was howling through the double-glazing, blowing the external door open and hammering the hail against the windows. But we didn't care, because we were cozy in our cottage overlooking the harbour. On Saturday morning, I was sitting in bed looking at the waves curling over into white horses. A dark blue line crept towards the right hand harbour wall. Two minutes later, the view disappeared into a complete whiteout, punctuated by lightening. It was all over again by the time Rick came out of the shower.

Inbetween squalls, we managed to shuffle round the cobbled streets, well wrapped up. I had a wonderful time in Bobbins wool shop, which is inside an old church hall and sells Colinette yarns. I succumbed to a hank of rich purples, pinks, greens and blues which is destined to become yet another hat. I also bought a craft pack of yarns with a view to constructing something with my hand-made paper.

We attempted to look around the Abbey, but the wind was fierce enough up there to chase us back inside. No problem; they had this bench where you could put a piece of paper over a plate of lettering, rub a crayon over it and create your own manuscript. Lots of inky stamps stood near at hand to decorate the edges with. Once the six-year olds had finished hogging it, I had a great time.

Batteries should definitely be recharged, as we must have had about ten hours sleep each night. No excuse for feeling tired now.

On the way home, we visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It has grown another gallery space, currently showing a light installation. There was an exhibition and sale of crafts, and I found some found object sculptures which I really liked. Perhaps I've found something to do with the bits of driftwood that I picked up in Whitby - half way up the street, I might add. The tide obviously came up pretty high.

I felt overwhelmingly creative up there - partly due to looking round some of the galleries, and drooling over the oil paintings. I found myself getting my journal out and jotting down all the creative projects I could do. A list I can return to now I'm home again with all my materials around me.

A mini-break

2005-12-15T10:16:00.000Z

We're off to Whitby today for a long weekend - back on Monday.

Life has been a little hectic of late and batteries are in much need of recharging.