I love my cat

How light becomes the soul

At Art in Action many people said to me that I was blessed with a talent. Blessed indeed. But it is a fine line between madness and sanity that I sometimes walk and often feel that the drive to create is what keeps me on the right side of this line. And it helps me to cope in our world which is sometimes such a dark place.
So, a wonderful day at Art in Action where the art is beautiful and such a celebration of life and beauty and humanity. Then home in the evening and I watch the news unfold of what happened in another place. There are times when such things seem overwhelming.
We are left with a feeling that there is nothing we can do. But there is.
There is too much darkness in the world. One of the things I love about Art in Action is the way almost all of the artists are focused on celebrating the beautiful through their work. 
For years candles have been a symbol, for Amnesty International in particular. A symbol of light in a dark world. And I cannot find the words to say what I feel inside but I hope that others who feel the same way will join me.
I would like to celebrate all that I hold dear by just taking a small piece of time, lighting a candle and thinking, of those who had  their lives taken from them in Norway, in Afghanistan, but also of all those who I love here and now. Just a small thing, just a short time. And if I can share this with friends who wish to, and friends of friends until we can weave a small web of light and love around the world then that would be good.
For how light becomes the soul.

Best of the Best at Art in Action, Waterperry, 2011

A sky full of birds

It has been a day of birds. Flocks of rook and jackdaw have been tumbling the sky with ragged black wings.

All day I have been thinking and packing.

I have packed a kingfisher, and owl, a bear or two, some paint, paper, brushes, pencils, towels ( you never know when aliens might be around), some wolves, a bowl, badges and bags, cameras and cards and nails and string ( always string). There are things in boxes and bags and bundles, and still I am not done.

Steady rain falls.

I have packed a good heart and hope and expectations, courage and a little foresight, and always, always a good book.

And all of this has bundled into a dragon van for its first big public outing.

Tomorrow I head off toward Oxfordshire and on Wednesday I will be setting up and settling in at Art in Action. Looking forward to settling down to paint.

Some years ago I had a dream of six kingfishers. A few weeks back  painted them, and one of the things I will do at Art in Action is gild them.

And I am please to say that today I was accepted on the "Mumsnet" blogger network. I hear them so often on the radio and usually am very impressed with all that they have to say, so proud to be a part of their blogging network. And very impressed with my friend Meg Rosoff, who is one of their 'featured' bloggers. Her new post is LOL.

Enough distraction. TTFP ( Time to Finish Packing).

Reading Boy to Elmo

Walking, still working, with Mo.

Aprox. 2 and 3 hours, with thinking time between.

Then 4,5 and 6.......

and finally, 7 or maybe 8 hours later.....

Almost finished, still wet.

People often ask me how long it takes to do a painting. This one took about an hour or two drawing as well, and then there was the rough, which I did whilst watching A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger and the lion came out looking rather like Heath Ledger, which was strange.

So in this case I would say that it took about 10 hours, and 45 years ( as it has beneath and behind it the experience and learning of a lifetime of drawing and painting. 

After an hour of painting.

The spring and the water photos will be explained later. For now I have to post things and hang up washing before stroking the lion again.

 

I had many words to write, but wanting to make the most of the time that I have today, instead put only pictures.

The First Seal Pup of the Season

A box of delights: or, when the needle falls.

A sudden yearning for old records, fed by a comment by Stephen Fearing led me to search the internet to see if I could still buy a record player. Years ago, before I worked in children's books I would divide up my painting time by the length of a record. You had to stop painting to turn them over.

And yet there was something so much more satisfying about the crackle and the fall of the needle and the slight up and down of something slightly warped and scratched by playing.

So now, once again I can listen to me old records. And some, like Stephen's Out to Sea, are so familiar, though I had forgotten that I also had Blue Line. Others, like Radical Dance Faction and Ancient Beatbox had slipped out of my memory.

Until the needle fell.

Music is like scent.

It brings back such memories.

In my studio

My studio is now run by dragon time. I chose to have the large clock without numbers and although at first I thought that the clock was a 'bit plasticy' have decided that it does look good on the wall. Will do some more designs soon to add to the ones at the gift shop for The House of Golden Dreams.https://www.facebook.com/TheHouseofGoldenDreams

First mug design almost finished. One more to go, and a powerpoint for Sunday ( talk at Oriel y Parc) and daughter to wave off to Peru, and cousins to see.

I want to play with the idea of time and make clock designs.

17.28: Wednesday

22:06, Tuesday.

Back to work

MBF mug, almost finished, painted with water that has danced in a healing bowl.
Great new ritualistic way to begin my working day. Put the bowl, with water in a pool of sunshine and watch the sound make the water dance. Beautiful.

Just waiting now for confirmation on roughs as to which the MBF want for their second design.

Common dolphins off the Pembrokeshire Coast: or, what I was doing when I should have been working.

The Sea Woman: or a story by a campfire.