Busy as a bee

Hello, hello! What do we have here? I can smell something seriously sweet and delicious but where the wasp is it? Are these actually flowers cause they look a bit like dragons...

 

Aha! I have located the source of that scent, it sure is intoxicating. The only problem is though, that to get at it appears to involve me opening up and then climbing inside the mouth of this dragon. Probably not wise, but seriously you should smell this stuff. I'm intoxicated!

 

That's it! I'm in. It's a bit dark in here. Anyone got a light? Eek, the mouth is closing... Help!

 

 

Phew! Made it out alive! Ooh, what do we have here? I can smell something seriously sweet and delicious...

 

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?

Photo credit - Lisa Wright (me)

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:

But thy eternal Summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

William Shakespeare

Follow that Lisa... Hmm... tempted to delete the Great Bard from this post since it is impossible to perfect any form of prose after reading his lyrical poetry. Oh well...

***

I scribble notes on scraps of paper sitting at the garden table. It is past 6pm and the sun still packs a punch. The birds are thoughtfully providing a delicate soundtrack now the mowers have retreated back to their sweltering sheds.

I put my feet up and lean back in the chair in a state of blissful indolence. The feel of the sun pouring its does of vitamin D into my skin is balm to the soul too. It has been a long time coming and doubtless will be all too fleeting but, for a few days at least, Summer is finally here!

***

And, before I forget... the winner of my giveaway is extremely appropriate. I did the Mr Random Number thingie and would should come up but... Sunshineshelle!! Serendipity :)

Image credit: Lisa Wright (me)

Topsy Turvey

Season of mists and fellow fruitfulness.... that'll be Summer then.

Autumn dawns with unbroken blue skies and temperatures reaching the 20s for the first time in weeks. What's occuring?

I feel a bit topsy turvy myself at the moment.

There are so many things I want to achieve right now: courses to take, assignments to finish, work to complete, adventures with my family, words to write and painting itching to see the light of day. I'm so excited. I just can't get enough. I am a growing, learning and creative wild woman! Then sometimes it all gets too much to contemplate and I just go to bed.

Goddess Leonie says that "The energy is a bit of a bucking bronco at the moment. Everything will be okay, we are just going through a shift". It certainly feels like the Universe is playing funny games with me. Is it behaving for you?

This painting attemped to capture the topsy turvey weather. Those moments of mystical light when the storm clouds gather, brooding and heavy but the sun still sneaks through a gap and illuminates almost from beneath. That was the general idea anyway and I thought sunflowers were just perfect! Posting for Paint Party Friday (on Thursday - see, told you I was all at sixes and sevens!).

Now, what shall I do next? Art or go to bed?

Live Laugh Love

"Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us."

Thomas Browne

Normally I would write something now - you know me, never can resist a little essay to accompany my art. However, I am very tired and stayed up too late playing with this. There is however a glimmer of light still in the sky reminding us that, despite the rain and chill, it is Summer!

So, to celebrate the Summer Solstice and for all those knee deep in mud at Glastonbury, this is some Summer sun just for you.

Well, it appears that I have managed to write an itsy little bit... And, well now I'm on a roll, so I might as well share how the prompt of Summer Sun at Inspiration Avenue and anticipation of the Experimental Art Course starting on Monday, got me snipping and tearing shades of turquoise and yellow from magazines to make this collage. After the tedium of waiting for glue to dry, I painted on streaks of real sunlight (tis true!) and snatched a little patch of blue from between the clouds. A little digital enhancement and she was ready.

She was going to be rising out of Stonehenge, but she heard the guitars tuning up a few miles distant on Glastonbury Tor (see pics on link) so pulled on her wellies and headed over. It might be raining, but as you can see, she carries her sun within!

Wishing for Summer

When Jamie Ridler asked "What do you wish for Summer?"... I yelled at the screen "Some Summer would be nice!" It's cold and raining again this morning and the nights drawing in now too...

However, I am a glass half full kind of girl and so, regaining the proper positive spirit (and hoping that temperatures that require skimpy short-wearing arrive soon), I shall cast my wishes to the universe.

This summer, in true Lisa-fashion, I am once more taking on every single opportunity that comes my way wearing an interesting hat. This keeps me out of mischief, but also requires some distinct time-juggling and smarter working. All achievable with a little self-discipline.

I've set myself some easy goals to get me started. First one is to get  up in the morning with the first alarm and avoid the snooze button. It's a small goal, but already working - I think we're on Day 5. Not only am I up 20 minutes earlier every morning, but I leave sleep stupor snoozing on the pillow. It appears that nodding off for an extra 10 minutes, then another 10... just makes me more tired. Well, what do you know? These last few mornings have seen me positively bouncing and throwing myself into tasks with renewed enthusiasm.

Another goal is to exercise at least 10 minutes per day with a proper workout 3 times a week. Mix this with eating less chocolate, cakes and biscuits and we might see a few pounds dissolve from the waist and hips.

So, now we've got the energy levels up, we'll be ready to tackle the big projects. It's going to be a busy few months with plenty of writing work coming in, opportunities to use my creativity in employee engagement exercises and big ambitions with my art. I could tell you all now, but lunch break is over and I have to get back to work (plus, I'm sure you've read enough already!).

PS: What's up with blogger today? Can't load images. Methinks he hit the snooze button one too many times!

May June be here soon!

We've been wrapped in the dark blanket of winter for weeks. Today, the sun has broken through the bits that were getting a little thin, where the fog had let down its guard. Can I really spy the shoots of bulbs? Is that a bird singing?

Of all the months, I love May and June the best and would be hard pushed to decide between the two for first place in my heart. For me, it's all about the nature - the endless possibility of summer stretching out its welcoming path. The lush gardens and hedgerows, the baby ducklings paddling down stream - I'm going all squishy and romantic. The promise of all those warm and balmy days ahead (before a damp July and August keeps us indoors sulking!).

Of course, these two months don't bring pleasure to all. The end of the football season is something to bemoan for a certain man in our house. May and June used to be the time of exams too.... ugrhhhh... and let's not forget hayfever! Oh dear, I am destroying my own dream with a nasty attack of the cynic. Kindly show him the door.

So, where were we?

While it's cold and drear outside let's dream of fragrant meadows that don't irritate delicate nostrils, crickets chirping in the long grass, and make hay while the sun shines.

A journal page - of sorts - for Inspiration Avenue's favourite month prompt. Layers of colour to represent the abudance of colour in the garden and field.

Come relax in my garden

Don't you love this time of year when a brush against a tree leaves your hair full of blossom? When the breeze that whispers through the garden picks up the scents of roses and brushes it like a warm caress across your cheek? I seem to have come over very romantic!

My entry for this week's Inspiration Avenue 'Summer Fun & Relaxation' challenge. Well, I can't think of anything more relaxing then painting in the garden which is what I did. (We're keeping the romantic theme going despite the fact that running about after flyaway papers was not in keeping with peace and tranquility).

How this piece came about was fun anyway. I found a beautiful picture in a magazine of a green glass bowl of summer berries layered with cream. How perfect! I painted myself a green background then transferred the image on top. It was fine, but I didn't quite know what to do with it. I wanted to paint! So, I just had fun with the paint and swirled and scraped and brushed enjoying the feel of the medium and the freedom of expression. The painting became an abstract of my garden - what you'd see if you dived in the flower beds after a glass or two of bubbly alcohol.

I dribbled some inks and was happy with the result. But... I couldn't resist a small play in Photoshop so layered in a couple of photographs I took of the garden last weekend. They are quite subtle. I used some soft light overlay and brought down the opacity...

Then I cropped. And this is the result. What do you think? Do you feel like relaxing in my summer garden?

(It helps to enlarge the pictures)

Summer Summer Summertime...

If you require a soundtrack for this post - kindly click here.

Well, it's Theme Thursday and this week we are invited to create a 'season'. Seeing as I am on holiday it felt only natural to pick Summer and, bereft of all my normal tools of the trade - most especially a scanner, I have created for your delight a digital rework of a photo I took but two days ago of an azure Atlantic. How much more summery can you get - look at the sunlight twinkling on the water, tickling the wave tops so they laugh and play their way to shore.

Naturally, it has received a few tweaks in Photoshop - given that I can never leave well alone, but hope it makes you feel like dipping a toe or even a leg in. However, I will warn you that despite the bright rays dappling the surface it is rather cold and not for the faint-hearted. Something went wrong with the saving (owing to consumption of holiday grape-based drink) and it is a little smaller than anticipated but you get the drift. So, dear readers, allow yourself to flow with the tide and take yourself somewhere warm and balmy; fill your pockets with shells and allow a cool and velvety ice cream to refresh your tired palette, for tis summer (at least in this neck of the woods) and one must rejoice!

A toe in the water

Today I dipped my toes in the ocean – specifically the Atlantic, as its wave crashed onto the golden sands of a Cornish beach. My ‘proper holiday’ began in earnest today and the boy and I packed up our buckets, spades and flip flops and headed south.

After an 8 hour drive we were actually less tired than I thought – but perhaps it was just the anticipation of feeling the sand between our toes and tasting the salt on our lips. Undaunted by the slight drizzle, we headed straight for the beach and ran right in. Small boy managed to soak himself quite thoroughly despite only going ankle deep. After I admonished him, I then got hit by a similar ‘freak wave’ and got a little damp around the edges myself!

It’s such a joy being on holiday with one so excited by every nook and cranny of a new place. So much to explore and we will be out there all week doing just that – armed with our trusty beach tools and fortified with ice cream and scones we will adventure together.

Once he is in bed, exhausted by the day’s activity, I will get out my paints and try and capture some of the colour of the day onto paper. I brought a whole crate load of art supplies so I must make their long journey worthwhile or they’ll only sulk – even if they did get to sit in the front all the way!

No pigeon was safe...

We invaded the City my young Knight and I to continue our adventurous quest. Some kind of magic had been performed when the Moon shone; for the morning dawned shiny bright and crisp with the spirit of exploration.

We transported through an incredible time machine to tread the same earth as mighty dinosaurs, curious mammals and ginormous birdies. Well, actually we caught the 0948 to London Euston and then a couple of tube stops later arrived at the Natural History Museum!

Them dinosaur bones sure are big and a bit scary-looking - especially to a five-year-old... and was Mummy quite sure that the animatronics weren't real..? 'Cause those teeth looked mighty sharp and those eyes seriously beady!

Great fun charging around a Museum with a young escort and then the day's fun just kept on coming as I took him on a whistle-stop tour of my favourite city. Best bit for probably both of us was him discovering just how fun it is to chase pigeons (or chippins as he kept calling them!) - especially when they have been so foolish enough as to gather in a flock in the middle of a nice bit of grass.

Taking time to see life through a child's eyes is such powerful therapy. Their speed at digesting all they take in seems somehow to assist in your own slowing which is rather a contradiction! Away from the stresses of work and the continual battle to keep the house clean and tidy and manage the 'to do' list, it seems we finally allow ourselves a little moment to just stop and watch and smile.

Monday's relaxation had helped pave the way to allowing this stepping back off the treadmill.

Today, however, threatens a return as I drift around the house attempting to achieve everything while not accomplishing much. Relax Lisa, for tis your summer holiday (even if it is raining AGAIN!).

Ode to Indolence

Ah, who would have thought that weather most foul could have brought forth such a day of delicious indolence.

Today, my brave Knights and I were to do battle with tourists a plenty at ye Olde Castle of Warwick; but we were defeated at first hurdle by a most malicious drizzle. For who wouldst pay good coinage to become dreched in England's fair yet damp mistings. Tourist battle may only be undertaken with full sunshine beating its fists upon one's breast; or else one risks a melancholy most terrible to drown the pleasures like a poor, helpless butterfly trapped in a raindrop.

We ventured instead closer to home and partook of light refreshment at local a Costa-lry before raising the home drawbridge, prepared to sit out the weather and its foul scourge of a siege.

Fortified by a roasted fowl and crispy pommes de terre, we spent the afternoon in a state of blissful indolence. The young Knight fought Monsters Inc, while the fair maiden and he of the shining armour took refuge in great literature - for had not the mighty river at last delivered her Creativity missives and did he not discover some light-hearted romance to gladden his heart?

Ah... the delights of a British summer.

Here comes summer...

Well, this is it, the sun is out. I dug out the flip flop sandals today, pulled on a surf chick skirt and top and strutted my stuff in the sunshine. Having fallen into bed at 10pm last night (on a Friday - how sad!), I was up with the lark (or maybe it was a pigeon) and out in the garden. Channel surfing the other night, I stumbled upon the Chelsea Flower Show and something that none other than Ken Livingstone said really got me thinking. He was discussing the therapeutic powers of gardening. So, I approached the weeding this morning from a different tack - this was not painful chore, it was relaxation. And, do you know what? He was right. Well done Ken, all those years in politics not wasted... I had a very pleasant potter and admittedly a small skirmish with the bindweed which had sent in reinforcements while my back was turned, but I soon sent it scuttling back under cover. Soon I'm off out again to allow someone else to unleash their creativity on me for a change - having a hair cut! Living la vida loca!