Poets, painters and puddings. These three things make the world as it ought to be.

A Special day for A Special Pal

Dinner time very nearly ready

My dearest Pal Alison came over to celebrate her birthday on the 21st. I went to the market in the morning

and bought goats cheese, and nicoise olives, beef tomatoes, basil and avocado, aged balsamic and very delicious olive oil.

David, Brad and me. The next day

we took our little boat out to the Porquerolles. A perfect day in every way. The sea was freezing the sun was hot, and the wind was blowing, but not too much. No one was there, we literally had the whole Island to ourselves.

Pal on the way home me on the way home.

Thats all for now folks

A Mindfull Day

Yesterday I was full of poetry and prose, eloquent sentences. Delightful stories and now it is tomorrow and late in the evening and most of the magic has gone.HO hum.

BUT last week I rushed rushed rushed always finding one more thing to do and no time to do it in, and by Saturday I was in a state of anxiety. I decided to take my friends dog for a walk to the little stream I found last weekend, and we had a lovely time splashing around and painting. On the way back to the car he slipped his collar and off he ran, glancing back from time to time as I yelled out his name ever loader. Oh no way was he going to stop, so I had to run and run after him, I was so scared of losing him. During the chase my very expensive (but totally free on the social)reading glasses fell off the top of my head. I got to the car and realized they were gone. Put the dog in the car and went to look for them, but there was so much ground and distance to cover and it was getting late. Oh dear, so I decided just to go home.

I got back and thought some meditation might help, so for an hour I meditated. I felt calmer and more relaxed. I decided that Sunday would be a mindful rush free day. I went back to that little spot on the river. I decided I would do mindful looking and mindful walking and within 10 minutes I had found them OH my goodness what a relief!

The sun was shining,  life felt good. I decided everything I did would be mindful, from eating my picnic, painting, listening to the little river. I took a one minute video of it that I wanted to put on this post, but I am not sure how to work out the UTube thing. The sun became warmer and I thought a paddle was in order,

and this is what I saw, two orange bellied lizards making hay on a sunny day.

The approach to the little river,

Well by the end of the day and starting from very tight horrid little paintings to very loose paintings that weren't much better but far more enjoyable, I felt better than I have for so so long.

After two hours painting and sitting in one postion I danced and American Indian peace dance and saluted the sun, I had a chance meeting with peace myself and was filled with tranquility. I as at one with nature and in harmony with myself. Something that I wish I could be on a daily basis. My heart belongs to painting and painting in nature, it is then I feel complete. How I would love to do this all the time. I think that the greatest gift the mindful meditation gave me was the gift of letting go.

Not Quite to Napa

Well I was speaking with my brother in law Mr. BB himself and he told me he used to live in San Francisco, something I didn't know about him, and he said I should take a trip to Napa Valley. My friends have also told me this is a must trip to take. So I set off out of Healdsburg on the 101 and turned off on the Alexandra road heading to Calistoga. I went past a road called Pine road that led straight into the mountains. I yearned to take this road, but instead I carried on. I went through pretty village and pretty town one after the other and was soon to arrive in Napa, only another 12 miles and I would be there.

But I didn't want to go, I wanted to go into the mountains I wanted freedom to explode into the mountains views, to melt with the sky and reach out to all ends of the earth. Well I couldn't possibly do this in a village. So I turned around and went up my mountain road. By this time I had been driving for three hours and felt quite tired. I just wanted to stop find a place to walk have my picnic and paint. Plenty of places to stop and look at incredible views. No where to actually walk, all there were were no entry signs, no tressapsing, hunting or fishing. I drove higher and higher and thought that at least at the summit there would be a place to walk. But the summit was STRICTLY out of bounds.

I drove my way wearily down the mountain almost regretting that I hadn't gone to Napa. when I spied a tiny little lane direction Cloverdale. I took it and finally I found my peace. It started out as a a trickling mountain stream and whats more by scrambling down the hill I could feel it touch it, hear it.

HAHA, blessed are those who wait.

only one or two keep out signs. I followed that little stream until she almost became a river and at the end of the day I sat by the river. painted the river, touched the river and heard the river and I melted into nature and it was glorious. I have pretty much made up my mind though, that I am only going to go walking on designated trails, because by the time I got back last night I had been driving for six hours, and that's too much.

The little watercolour at the top is the sunrise I see in the mornings, not as beautiful as it actually is, but I enjoyed painting it all the same.

On a side note, I have been listening to Andrew Cohen, mystic and spiritual leader on Utube and to Deepak Chopra and they are both fascinating and extra-ordinary worth a listen in.

Eagles, Heat and blisters at Lake Sonoma

I am in sunny California, Healdsburg infact. I arrived on thursday to a very cold and grey day and was met by Bruce the taxi man who dorve me to the Hotel where I was staying. Over the golden Gate Bridge, fabulous, saw Alcatraz (if that is how you spell it) fell into bed exhausted after no sleep for 24 hours and now here I am.

Today I decided on an adventure, I packed my paints and a picnic lunch and set off for lake Sonoma. After an idyllic drive full of blossom and sunshine I arrived at my destination. The woman at the lake office suggested I go on the Half Canoe Walk, 6 miles around 2-3 hours, I thought that was fine. Well it was really until 3.30 when I was working my way back up hill in the blazing sunshine, no shade and no water left, feeling pretty tired and wondering if I would ever get to the end. That was the last half of the walk.

The first half of the walk was amazing, eagles, hawks, vultures and hares, countless birds and absolute paradise.

The trees are covered in kind of moss or lichen, they look quite festive really.

Wild Iris me thinks

Got loads more but suddenly feel really tired.  I had such a good walk and day. Yum

 

Merry Christmas Everyone

Helloo everyone, we are up in the mountains visiting Alison on a Christmas skiing trip. I wasn't going to ski at all. Oh no not for me, but I packed all the gear, hired the skis and booked a very expensive lesson. With great reluctance I went to meet Jules, by the time I got to the meeting spot, my head was dizzy, my legs a trembling and my arms a shaking. I got through two and a half gruelling hours of fear and a ski instructor who obviously could not be bothered to teach. His only words to me were 'Suivez Moi Tess' 'Follow me Tess' as he shot of at great speed down the mountains and I remained miles behind. I could have fallen into the abyss and he wouldn't have noticed.

I was so very cross, fuming, smoke was coming out of my nose. Sadly the bad mood continued for the rest of the day, until I started to paint and then all was well.

So the next day I went skiing with my pal, Pal and it was altogether a differant experience, I had a great time skied well for me, and the rest of the day was really spiffing. Today is Christmas day and we love you all.

Up on the Roof

Years ago I wrote a post about being a grotty grouter, now I wonder what I should call myself. A raunchy roofer, or a rickety roofer, or a racy roofer, a rampant roofer, I don't know what is really appropriate.

So I have been up on the roof, helping the men, quite exciting really. But I am quite glad I am going to London tomorrow to do a weeks illustration course, should be great.

tara

 

 

 

Landscape/Lakescape

Landscape 2

 

My new studio

A room to read and write in, to sort and contemplate in.

A room to paint in

tee he

It is nearly over

It is raining hard, the remaining vine leaves are falling to the muddy ground.

I painted the Lovers a few years ago, I just came across them in my files. I am in the process of building a new website with Alice Barker, so I am very excited about that.

Yesterday was my first official day in my new studio. I was anxious that guilt would destroy the fun of being there. Guilt that I am not at home being busy doing stuff around the house and outside. But NO yippee do. No guilt! I had a great day and it felt good.

Autumn Leaves

Not a very good photo I know, the light's not good and doesn't show the leaves up all that well, but I have managed to put something over the last few weeks.