This past weekend I took a class in paper weaving at Heart Space Studios in Bristol. So inspiring! Editor's note: To get a proper idea of just how good the classes really were, please visit Lancelot's World to see how the classes inspired Agile.
Pebbles, and other treasures
Another view
Kettle's Yard Colors
Kettle's Yard is like an English Summer - Wintry whites, thundercloud grays and the very bleak putty of a weak sun. Occasionally there is the odd splash of cobalt blue sky (in a mini Miro) or a dash of red in a woven textile but the overwhelming impression is cool, wind blown and bleak. And yet, it is the most amazing place. The genius is in the attention to detail, to the combination of textures and to scale. With the juxtaposition of the manmade and the natural world, art by the side of tree roots, winkle shells, dried grasses and rough wood and stone. Kettle's Yard seduces one into thinking one could almost do it oneself..... that anyone could achieve this after a walk on the beach or in the woods.
A Grand Day Out
On vacation in the UK. We decided to attempt the near impossible - there and back to Cambridge in one day. About 7 plus hours of train travel and connecting through London. We left home at 6.45 am and returned home triumphant. Kettle's Yard, the home of former Tate curator Jim Ede and his wife Helen, has long been on my bucket list. Last year Charleston (home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant) was top of the list. This year Kettle's Yard.
From Another Angle
The Watch at Watch Hill
Very small acrylic study of the lighthouse at Watch Hill.
Storm Study
Waves, wind and water - and driving rain.
Storm Approaching
Watercolor painted on the Verandah of the Ocean House. Looking out to sea, with clouds, waves and water everywhere.
Another highly personal map of Watch Hill
Neptune in the South but no mermaids this time. Another view of Watch Hill. Acrylic on canvas, 16" diameter.
Watch Hill, R.I.
Last weekend I had the good fortune to be in Watch Hill, Rhode Island as the Artist in Residence at the fabulous Ocean House Hotel. A gorgeous, glamorous setting, the most beautiful beach imaginable and some amazing weather. What could be more inspirational? But first a map of the area to set the scene.
The Last Stencil entry - for now
And with the very last of the last of the left over paint, some stenciled postcards.. Note how all of the fish seem to be going in the same direction, which is remarkably well behaved of them.....
Reclaimed Wood ( and more stencils)
I literally fished this piece of wood out of the river sometime last Fall knowing that eventually I would do something with it. Sometime late last week while I had some left over paint and before my stencils started to disintegrate, I finally realized what this wood needed. The perfect piece for a small beach cottage - if only I had one..... 6 x 24"
More Stencils
More stencils. Dear Reader, did I warn you that they are totally addictive?
This painting started out as a garden scene in watercolor but it gradually became clear that it really wanted to be Sports Day at the local Fish School.
Stencils
What happens when good journal pages turn bad. Stencils, an easy fix. What was to have been a marine themed abstract turned into an Undersea World with the addition of some rather large fish stencils.....
Self portrait of self on Beach
About 2 plus weeks ago I spend a wonderful if humid Friday sketching at the beach with a friend. Penny photographed me as I walked the beach and here I am, camera in hand, well covered up,
advancing on this bright red umbrella.....
On The Beach, Watch Hill
On the beach, Watch Hill. Sparkling white cabanas, blue umbrellas and perfect sand. The platonic ideal of what a beach should be on an afternoon in Summer.
Harbor Side
Last weekend we drove up to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, for a seaside lunch at the Ocean House. (Delicious Clam chowder.) The beach is one of the most beautiful imaginable. On the other side of this tiny land spit is the harbor, home to some spectacularly beautiful boats. As always, click on image to enlarge
Yet Another New Boat
Making these boats is clearly addictive. This time my boat has two sails, made from Japanese paper and hand stitched to the mast. Who knows where this new obsession with the sea will lead... It must be that I feel Summer is slowly slipping away and I had better enjoy it while it is still here.
Beginning a shell grotto - or using up extra mortar
The very first steps towards fulfilling a long held ambition of constructing a shell grotto. (Or just being me and not wanting to waste anything and being left with a small dish of mortar after a recent Summer Camp mosaic project. ) Garden stones, glass "pebbles" and oyster and clam shells applied at random and at warp speed one hot, humid afternoon. Hopefully this is just the start of something more ambitious.
Another Small Boat.
Variation on a theme. Well actually it's because I put the mast on backwards on the first boat I made. I am becoming addicted to making small boats. The original design comes from Ann Wood's blog http://annwood.net/blog/2009/12/11/paper-mache-boat-pattern/
Finishing the details can be a little fiddly but the instructions are great and the end result charming.
