A challenge! What would you make for...

This portrait was taken by Julia Margaret Cameron whose work I'm quite mad for at the moment. It's of Ellen Terry, one of our most revered English actresses, taken when she was a free-spirited 16 year old, already married to the painter, George Frederick Watts.

To read more about Ellen, may I recommend Michael Holroyd's excellent , 'A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and Their Remarkable Families' which I enjoyed immensely last summer.




I have a fancy to display some more photographs from time to time so this may become an occasional series. Now, I wonder, what could or would I make for Ellen?

Sketchbook scenes: some days just aren't meant to be...

Lost interest...

Eye went wrong...

So then I copied - after Van Gogh.




If days are going wrong, I know I can always turn to Vincent! The original is on page 30 of 'Van Gogh: The Master Draughtsman' by Sjraar van Heugten or can be viewed here.

Looking for 'it'!

'Celebrate'

This is the first necklace that I've completed in nearly two years, hence the title 'Celebrate'. I'm not sure I like it, but I guess it's a start. I've forgotten so much; from wire wrapping to how to set up a photo & handle the Nikon! It's rather disturbing & I feel like I've made a clumsy hash of climbing what is a relatively small hill.

One thing is certain though. My tastes have changed and I don't have the techniques to produce what I want to make. So, deep breath, I've got to work out what 'it' is and how I can arrive at & attain this nebulous concept. Ah, the 'it-ness' of things; isn't that what all creatives are chasing?

'Celebrate' features cube beads by Melanie Moertel and Ice beads & ceramic charms by Emma Ralph.

A recipe for happiness? 5 journals + 2 vanity cases + 2 rolls of pens + 1 watercolour box = a distinct possibility!

I owe Ricë Freeman-Zachery a debt of gratitude for introducing me to the enchanting film above via her scintilating blog, Notes from the Voodoo Cafe. Ken Carbone has me itching to open up my pen & pencil rolls and work in one of the Moleskines which I keep by my bed in a vanity case from Cath Kidston. In another case, I've got all manner of journal goodies such as glue, papers, photo corners, ink pads, pens, masking tape, etc, etc.

I'm a portable gal, so why on earth do I have agoraphobia? Still, where there's life, there's hope which is something to hold on to. Oooh, I'm being positive :-)

If you want to listen to something smoothly intelligent, may I recommend this programme about Richard Buckminster Fuller. What a mind! And what a story! This is the type of broadcast that BBC Radio 4 excels at. A little treat!

Apologies that the image has been cropped so drastically. I can't make the file any smaller, so please click on it to see the full stamp. Coolsville IMHO!

Some favourite 'Bucky' quotes coming up:

'Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.'

'I'm not a genius. I'm just a tremendous bundle of experience.'

'How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else.'

'Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.'

'Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking.'

Who did what, why & what for?

'Vision of the Sermon' by Paul Gauguin

'Breton Women in the Meadow' by Emile Bernard

Don't listen to Mother; red & green should always be seen ;-) Here's another in a short series of posts inspired by the red & greeness of my blog which I hope to overhaul as soon as I've finished drawing up my list of excuses not to do things.

Allow me to show you another pair of favourite paintings which happen to be linked by an argument about development. Gauguin's masterpiece has stimulated my thoughts ever since I first came across it as a teenager, back in the mists of time, annals of history, etc, etc. It's not only the move towards an abstract form ( if someone I know is struggling with abstract art, I always refer them to these two paintings as a starter) that fascinates me. It's such an arresting puzzle; what is this painting about? I won't pontificate about my thoughts because I believe it's what a painting says to YOU, dear reader, that's important. Don't let other people's opinions get in the way of your own, she says offering an opinion!! I like a bit of hypocrisy on the side ;-)

On to the argument of which, of course, Gauguin had many. It's to do with those age old combatants, inspiration and plagiarism. I suppose that this one has a slightly more positive slant, in that it could be argued that someone 'borrowed' an idea and truly ran with it? But as I said before, I offer no personal opinion myself. To read more about this particular argument, why not take a squint at this article from 2005.

PS. Whilst you're here, let us not forget the influenence of Japanese prints ( please see my earlier post below) upon such artists as Gauguin, Bernard & Van Gogh...