Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
One of many events cancelled this year was Hebden Bridge’s quirky, colourful street parade, Handmade Parade, named because the participants make the puppets, costumes and parade art over three weeks of workshops. I hope my pictures give some of the flavour of a special day. Continue reading “The Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade: A Photo Gallery”
I’ve been waiting to find out what Becky’s prompt will be for JulySquares, a daily challenge that will run for a month from 1st July. We are all welcome to drop in and out if daily posting is too much – whatever suits our style of blogging. In any case, most of the fun will be in seeing what everyone else has to share. Continue reading “The Big Reveal For July Squares”
A comment from blogging buddy, Derrick, reminded me to share this installation, created by Flowers from the Farm, a not-for-profit network of sole traders, micro businesses and smallholders who grow British cut flowers and sell them at farm gates, markets, craft fairs and online.
Prompted by the theme of movement at the Chatsworth Flower Show in 2018, it was a quirky, floral recreation of Fragonard’s 1767 oil painting, The Swing. Continue reading “Floral Pastiche of The Swing By Fragonard”
In normal times, a permanent collection of Barbara Hepworth’s work can be seen in the St Ives garden she so evidently loved. Although the garden remains on shutdown, a wide range of material is available online (see the links below). Her work fits wonderfully well into its Cornish setting, within striking distance of ancient standing stones such as Mên-an-Tol, Lanyon Quoit and the Kenidjack Common Holed Stones. Continue reading “Nine Barbara Hepworth Quotes (With Pictures)”
Having stored up some brownie points by offering you a virtual treat yesterday, I thought I might get away with tormenting some of you today.
I found this rose growing on the land surrounding an art park in Austin, Texas, with its leaves spray painted blue and red. I could imagine this as an alternative greeting card, but there’s something of plant cruelty about it, assuming you agree with my sweetheart that there is such a thing.
If the rose was wearing an expression, I imagine it would be like the one old Rusty had that made us laugh so helplessly when he came back from the dog groomer looking like the spaniel version of a Chinese crested dog, closely shorn in some places and fluffed up in others, crowned with a bow. Continue reading “Trick Or Treat?”
‘Iron Tree comprises 99 elements cast in iron… interlocked using a classic – and here exaggerated – Chinese method of joining, with prominent nuts and screws.’
From the Yorkshire Sculpture Park notes
Glimpsed from a distance, Ai Weiwei’s fake trees pass as real, but dead. As you draw closer, your mind engages with the forms and construction and questions arise. What is it? Why is it? Are the branches actually roots? Is it wood? Continue reading “Ai Weiwei’s Iron Tree (2013)”
Venus gazes out of the picture, wearing the draped fabric and heavy curls we associate with the Pre-Raphaelite style. Rossetti, her painter, has chosen a pose that reminds us of Botticelli’s famous image of Venus on the shell. The painting’s title associates the Roman goddess with the older Astarte.
In the background, winged spirits carry torches, and the evening star, Venus, is shown between the setting sun and rising moon.
Watching in turn, I was struck by the synergy between the figure in the painting and the onlooker who seemed to be communing with her. Continue reading “Life And Art: Astarte Syriaca With Onlooker”
