Appreciation

I have a new found appreciation for Alexandre Gustav Eiffel. 

The engineering of the Eiffel tower in clay has hard enough, let alone constructing it in iron work. 

I can see why it took two years to build!

Idle beat of rain

The lazy edge of summer

has been replaced by the idle beat of rain

so steady the fall

I look up to catch the feeling

 feel the wash upon my shoulders

burdening all I hold 

Turning my back  

 I gather my thoughts

through the mottled blur I step forward

moving back home to us

-----------

Schools out for summer tomorrow.

 I know my posts have been far and few these last few months. 

I have been gathering my thoughts and looking after my brood. 

Starting to play with my work and think of things of new. 

Trying not to be scared of failure and just giving it a go.

This is easier to write than do.

I will pop by through out the summer.

I am willing the rain to stop and bring instead some shine.

Good bye for now and happy summer!

x

the hay was as high as our mood....

Wild Daisy by Kate Kelleher

Beside the stream by Kate Kelleher

Daylesford Organic earlier today.

us.

the hay was as high as our mood

as we flung it by

and we kept on going for a long while

to beat of the drum in our hearts

together pounding

the time was filled with laughter and wine

as together we sat

surrounded my the meadows and flowers

of the moment

we came to wish the day of my dad

a happy one

as we raised a glass to the sun and our shadows

were there somewhere behind us

the cousins blurred around us

as we watched

touched by their love

and of that of our own, we clasped hands 

 through the golden glow of light

we return with our memories

feeling forever 

and wearing our smiles high

I am showing at The Moreton Gallery in the Cotswolds this summer

until August 17th, if you are there, be sure to pop by, it's a lovely gallery.

Be sure to also take time to visit Daylesford Organic it feels like heaven.

Happy happy Jubilee!

Artwork by Jane Perkins found via shinyslingback

I am so excited , I can't wait to see what is going to unfold over the next four days in London!

The anticipation of celebration is in the air, and we are ready to party!

Fizz is chilling, bunting is swinging, (you will laugh if you drive past my house) friends will be arriving, and we will head to London for a glimpse of the Queen upon the Thames. 

Come rain or shine we will wear a smile upon our faces and wave our flags high.

There are plans of a good old fashioned party, the neighbouring sort, we'll all bring a dish and sit upon tables, lining the streets of our home.  

We will smile to our friends and raise a glass to those present, 

and to those of you far away, 

I hope you get to see the festivities one way or another, cheers to happy days!

Long live the Queen!

Emma Cassi & Kate Kelleher Collaboration II

Emma Cassi came up with the idea to mix our talents together.

Emma made the beautiful paper and lace collages and I decorated them with painted butterflies.

Bugs are to follow, some time soon.

You will hear thunder and remember me.

You will hear thunder by Kate Kelleher

You will hear thunder and remember me,

And think: she wanted storms.

The rim, of the sky will be

the colour of hard crimson,

And your heart,

as it was then,

will be on fire.

You will hear thunder poem. By Anna Akhmatora

You can see another take on this poem on Anca Grays blog. 

Thank you to everyone who came by to see me at the Open Studios.

It was a brilliant weekend, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Florentine.

Spreading a little romance.

I need to say a big thank you to Patrick Simkins, Oscar Whicheloe, and Katharine Le Hardy, they all have their studios opposite or next to me. Your talent shines everyday, come and see for yourselves this weekend. 

They have answered untold questions, of which there were so many.

They have pushed me to paint, and re paint, and to keep on going.

Adding numerous colours, to keep pushing and keep questioning.

They have lent me their time and untold amount of things from their studios.

For this I am truly thankful.

Cheers to you and to a great show x

Through their eyes...

Just a little note.

We know they like to play.

Others notice they like to play.

Sometimes it is hard with young ones knowing what you can and can't do with them, 

and it is hard to judge how they will behave once you get there.

But perhaps the fact that we as parents are wondering how this is all going to pan out, 

stops us from letting them just be themselves. 

I feel often it is hard to just stand back and let them just be. 

Energy and noise in my house is fast and furious, and apparently the louder the better.

For others this can be hard to tolerate, so I try to hush them all the time.

Last weekend I took them both to the Tate Modern, 

we tread this path often, 

it's a great path for kids and adults alike.

The Turpentine Hall is immense, space for them to play with that big slope, down into the hall. 

Whhhooooosssshhhh!

(just a note, no scooters to be zoomed down the slope to unsuspecting crowds at the bottom, 

we found out to our detriment.)

You see I want to get my kids interested in art at an early age. 

Through play is the best way.

Sure they see my paintings, and they visit (very loudly) the tiny studio I rent, 

but the best bit is they get to meet everyone who is part of the studios. 

This is priceless. 

They have fallen in love with Mr Lemmon especially. 

They first met him by shouting through his key hole at him. 

I have no idea why they chose his studio above the others.

 (I was moving the car at the time.) 

I came back to see Dillon bent double at his door, yelling through the small hole. 

Mr Lemmon, who was painting quietly, shouted bogey men voices back at them to their delight. 

 When eventually he emerged, he was sporting his gas mask. Well you can imagine the shrieks of glee. He looked like he sounded. 

When he told Matilda he smelt like he looked, she wanted to smell him. (no stopping this one.) 

His studio is vibrant, magnificent canvases, energetic strokes, just the place they want to be.

He took the time to be with them and indulge them.

My thanks to Paul Lemmon who is apparently 'too cool for school'. 

Seriously come see his work. 

This weekend, details  here.

So I surpose this is it. 

Many of my friends do not take their kids to this kind of thing, because kids can test us beyond our means. 

It is tough.

I suppose also we may not have the answers, to some of the questions they might have about a cow floating in formaldehyde.

But I have to say in the last week I have been joyfully over whelmed by my kids response to taking them to the studios and their interaction with the artists there, and to the Tate where we built sculptures out of paper at the core learning center and then walked around a gallery and I listening to their response to what they saw. Dillon decided to take photos of what he saw and wanted to tell his friends about. 

They see and hear more than we give them credit for. 

They get it, 

take some time to see it through their eyes, 

it will blow you away.

And for those of you brave enough, try the  Tate Moderns musical slide, the kids will love it.

...I am building Matilda up to Damien Hurst next.

PS. 

If you want to open your kids minds to artists, 'The boy who bit Picasso' is fun and also this series of books is a good starting point.

Now go and enjoy!