Riding the waves

“If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” Edward Hopper.


Still on the subject of art....I'm now the proud owner of a wonderfully complete set of chalk based pastels. These were given as a gift to me by someone dear and belonged to that person's father. I feel more than privileged to own them and am very touched at the gesture to let me use them. 


Life's been busy the last few weeks and is due to get busier again. I can take the pace and am taking time to meet up with some wonderful people. What I would like to know though is, where is the sun? I think it's been playing hide and seek and forgot to find us. I hope that when I get a few days off, the sun will eventually return and I can look forward to another enjoyable pursuit - photography. 


I found this blog, which showcases some great photography. I like some of the work, especially that of Andrew Brooks. This picture of a boat on a rough sea...beautiful. 

Pablo Picasso cleverly said... 'The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls'.  
I hope that posting this helps a few more bits of dust to disappear....

I've just returned from a well-earned break in the south of France with my family. Extremely beautiful scenery, breathtaking heat and such strong winds that excite the trees and almost knock you off your feet! I love the differences that exist in Provence - so refreshing. Opening the window shutters after each nights passing was like gently opening a long, anticipated Christmas present. You know it's going to be good.     

I purchased a small set of oil pastels and a few sheets of paper as the views were inspirational. I got one image onto paper, however the rest stayed in my head or on the camera. It was a challenge to translate what my eye saw onto a small piece of paper. Yet, gradually as I relaxed and stopped worrying about the detail, my body seemed to translate what I was seeing into something close to an attempt at 'art'.  I suppose like a muscle, the more you practice, the easier it gets. That applies to relaxing too! I won't be posting my arty attempt, it will be kept as a personal reminder of why relaxing is good for me too.  

On my return I was browsing some images of the area on the net, when I stumbled upon a Scottish Artist, Jack Morrocco. I felt he had captured some of the extremes and beauty of the area extremely well.  Some real art to savour!

Jack-Morrocco Scottish Artist - book on Amazon - 'A work in progress' 

narrow margins

An amazing image of a new cruise ship being manoeuvred through the narrow Dutch waterways before reaching the North Sea.  It reminded me of our own narrow margins that we face every now and then. Whether we are late for an appointment or worrying in advance that we will not get something done on time.  If we make a sudden movement, it might change the course of history for us and our own journey. Taking the slower paced, though well-planned option might seem a bit safe, however it may be more profitable in the long run (as with the multi million pound ship, we are certainly worth taking care of). 

We usually charge through life, zooming here and there, and it's good to see our foot easing off the accelerator once in a while. 

I preferred schoolbooks with a wide margin. I disliked narrow margins as I preferred having room to doodle, relax and dream. A bit like life. 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' How about you, do you prefer to cram everything in and deal with narrow margins or plan ahead?