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| Sunrise Ohope Beach. 6.7.14 |
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| An hour after sunrise, Ohope Beach 6.7.14 |
Monday, 7 July 2014
Ohope Beach
More gorgeousness. Let me know when you want me to stop.
Thursday, 3 July 2014
Sitting Knitting
... on the beach at Ohope on World Knitting in Public Day a couple of weeks ago.
However, is it counted as 'public' when you have to wait for the only other person on the beach to walk the 15 minutes to get to you, to take your photo?
However, is it counted as 'public' when you have to wait for the only other person on the beach to walk the 15 minutes to get to you, to take your photo?
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Ohope Beach - the Golden Hour
Just in case you were wondering, Ohope (Or-hor-pay), where I am house- and pet-sitting at the moment, is about 90 minutes traveling southeast(ish) from my home in Tauranga. It is in the North Island of New Zealand, still on the same big bay - the Bay of Plenty - named by Captain James Cook in 1769, because the Maori were very generous here and he was able to resupply his ship with provisions.
Although it was rather chilly this afternoon, I ventured out with the dogs. I'm glad I did because the clouds looked fantastic as the sun went down. It was hard to pick the best three images.
Since I was away
... A lot has happened.
A friend found out she had cancer, and died about four weeks ago. Undiagnosed, she was her usual bright and vivacious self at Aftermas on the 25th January. Four months later, gone...
Another two friends have separated.
On the plus side, my daughter, after months and months of applications and interviews, has found a temporary job in a local cafe, and so is at least beginning to get financial again.
And we have had the builders in.
And as if there wasn't enough going on, I have set myself a place for my next exhibition: At home here at TLVD mansion.
SO! Still to go: gallery spotlights and new pull-down stairs to the attic bedroom (so the entrance hall can be uncluttered for visitors).
And, as if that wasn't enough still I have been here at beautiful Ohope Beach, house- and pet-sitting for nearly five weeks, a week to go. Walking 90 minutes a day on the beach, painting the Godwit Series works in the middle of the day.
And, after I get home to Tauranga at the end of next week, it will be only three weeks until my exhibition!
Whew!
A friend found out she had cancer, and died about four weeks ago. Undiagnosed, she was her usual bright and vivacious self at Aftermas on the 25th January. Four months later, gone...
Another two friends have separated.
On the plus side, my daughter, after months and months of applications and interviews, has found a temporary job in a local cafe, and so is at least beginning to get financial again.
New skylights (replacing old leaky ones) in the bathroom and kitchen. New ceiling in the bathroom and kitchen.
New shower.
New iron over about a 6th of the roof.
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| New skylights |
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| Plastering the new ceiling |
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| New shower |
And as if there wasn't enough going on, I have set myself a place for my next exhibition: At home here at TLVD mansion.
SO! Still to go: gallery spotlights and new pull-down stairs to the attic bedroom (so the entrance hall can be uncluttered for visitors).
And I have set myself a date for the opening for my exhibition: 1st August.
So! I've been madly organising lighting, and sparkies and builders and plumbers and getting quotes and stoking the media sites and visiting the framers....
And, as if that wasn't enough still I have been here at beautiful Ohope Beach, house- and pet-sitting for nearly five weeks, a week to go. Walking 90 minutes a day on the beach, painting the Godwit Series works in the middle of the day.
And, after I get home to Tauranga at the end of next week, it will be only three weeks until my exhibition!
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| Oystercatcher on Ohope Beach. |
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| Midwinter dawn on Ohope Beach with Zoe and Reisha |
Whew!
Friday, 20 June 2014
Birdy Thoughts
I was reading a book (this one) yesterday, and the author quoted the first two lines from a poem by Emily Dickinson:
"Hope is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul"...
It seemed lovely to me so I jotted it down. Later I found myself wondering how the rest of the poem went, and, feeling inspired by all the painting I've been doing, found myself jotting my own version, rather than look it up on Google.
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
Fear is the thing with scales
That coils in a hole.
Courage is that with fur and teeth
That sits atop a hill.
And Love combines them all
Ground to power in its mill.
An image to go with it, is this one from Leunig:
"Hope is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul"...
It seemed lovely to me so I jotted it down. Later I found myself wondering how the rest of the poem went, and, feeling inspired by all the painting I've been doing, found myself jotting my own version, rather than look it up on Google.
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
Fear is the thing with scales
That coils in a hole.
Courage is that with fur and teeth
That sits atop a hill.
And Love combines them all
Ground to power in its mill.
An image to go with it, is this one from Leunig:
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Pure Water from a Billboard
Imagine living in Lima - a city located in a part of Peru so dry it receives less than 1 inch of rainfall a year.
Yet, tantalisingly, the the humid air above you is full of moisture, if only you could get it.
The University of Engineering and Technology of Peru, in an attempt to encourage young people to pursue engineering careers, have come up with a cool idea.
A simple reverse-osmosis condenser in a billboard-sized structure has been constructed and delivers pure drinking water into 20-litre tanks.
Here is the original article.
Yet, tantalisingly, the the humid air above you is full of moisture, if only you could get it.
The University of Engineering and Technology of Peru, in an attempt to encourage young people to pursue engineering careers, have come up with a cool idea.
A simple reverse-osmosis condenser in a billboard-sized structure has been constructed and delivers pure drinking water into 20-litre tanks.
Here is the original article.
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Co2 is winning, humans are losing.
This time last year the CO2 in our atmosphere reached 400 ppm.
This is the same as it was about 5 - 3 million years ago in the pliocene age. You know, the one when we had vast tundra-like areas, and animals were much bigger, the climate warmer, and there was much less summer ice at the poles.
Since we have Cee O two-ed ourselves here* in only about 200 years, the world weather systems and climate now has to catch up with this new atmosphere.
You will probably be around to watch it begin.
Dr Maureen Raymo explains the implications:
The carbon dioxide levels in our Earth's atmosphere have increased more than 20% in my lifetime.
Might it be a REALLY good time to go on a LOW CARB(on) diet!?
I'm getting my bike out of the shed. It will be good for my fitness too!
More here
*and we continue to pump 2% more CO2 every year.
This is the same as it was about 5 - 3 million years ago in the pliocene age. You know, the one when we had vast tundra-like areas, and animals were much bigger, the climate warmer, and there was much less summer ice at the poles.
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| Artist's impression. |
Since we have Cee O two-ed ourselves here* in only about 200 years, the world weather systems and climate now has to catch up with this new atmosphere.
You will probably be around to watch it begin.
Dr Maureen Raymo explains the implications:
The carbon dioxide levels in our Earth's atmosphere have increased more than 20% in my lifetime.
Might it be a REALLY good time to go on a LOW CARB(on) diet!?
I'm getting my bike out of the shed. It will be good for my fitness too!
More here
*and we continue to pump 2% more CO2 every year.
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