a perfect weekend

i have been away for a few days

its been like a dream... a perfect dream
some things you can take pictures of
but other things like nightingales singing, twinkling sagittarius stars

and most especially kind, funny and talented friends are clearly and keenly remembered if not shown here


we stayed at saint-michel-l'observatoire in the luberon area of provence
here's our hotel...wonderful views of the mountains....and great food

of course i have to show you some food from france...so hard to chose which of many photos

we shopped for a picnic
and after a walk through oak trees

we saw this

ochre towers in the bright sunshine

one day i found my perfect french garden

lavender

more lavender and rose in a cake

as my amazing new friend said....fantastic flavour ...but a bit like eating soap

thank you so much to all concerned
i feel privileged and immensely grateful

summerland

my dear friends lindsey and liz came with me to the opening of my summerland show

lindsey made a great video at the start of the show
love the birdsong, sunshine, the sound of her shoes...
and hearing her refusing a glass of champagne!

thanks lindsey!




and here are a few photos of the show before the people arrived






***warning it all gets a bit girly from here...
but do come along if you like shoes and dresses


we matched the flowers perfectly


and here is a view of my coat from the back...i do love it!


and here's the photographer

and here is her own very new art and ceramics website
...and to be fair here is liz's too... we have some painting e-courses in mind...watch this space

forget me not

and here it is the new video
i love it

i really hope you enjoy it

what be they?

the sun has shone for days....the forests looks amazing
the bluebells are out in places...but not quite at their best yet behind my house



i have been making another video

the story of a painting....a painting painted outside in the sunshine
a painting that ends up being hung in this gallery as part of my soon to open summerland show

the film maker is the talented woody morris...and this is the first film of his that i saw
moseley green - the story one man’s resilience to a changing forest

Moseley Green from woodrow morris on Vimeo.

my new video is coming soon,
as are lots of photos of the orchard i have been lucky enough to enjoy this spring

six little birds

i first read about maki and her 1000 birds for japan project on india's blog

6 little birds have flown into my forest....thank you maki
so beautifully made, and presented



and a poignant reminder not to forget

click here if you would like to read about the project

yellow ribbons

here in the forest yellow ribbons appeared on trees...all sorts of different trees

not actually officially part of the hoof campaign to save the forest from the effect of proposed legislation
but it became a wide spread symbol of peoples discontent and protest



here is a painting i painted at the time its one of three and part of my 'summerland' solo show (more paintings here)

yellow ribbon 72x24 inches
mixed media on canvas

the yellow ribbons became the wood pigeons i see so often...flocks of them eating the acorns in the winter months

all but a very few of the ribbons were removed on febuary 19th at a victory day celebrating a temporary reprieve

but these are still here



attached to one of the roadside memorials of which sadly there are more


i see it most days...it makes me think

faith and doubt

today is turning into a very good day
sam phillips has sent me the first draft of an essay about my work
that he has written for my new solo show 'summerland'

to say i am delighted is a huge understatement!

he also sent this a link to a guardian film
made with artist jyll bradley it's

about flowers
and artists
and cornwall
and trains


and about faith and doubt

i think it's beautiful and moving and inspiring






its also reminds me of a story i was told by an old forester
about the train that took the first plums of the season from the forest of dean
to london....
and how like the flowers they were regarded as so special by people living in the city