Hazy Moon

Here is a monochromatic scene spotted through my kitchen window a couple of nights ago. A full moon softened by high cloud, peeks shyly from behind the macrocarpa.

Here's a lovely set of Tao words from Delwyn's blog, "A Hazy Moon" which was in my mind as I looked at this moonscape. She accompanies them with some of her own stunning imges here.

Show by example

Lead by behaviour

Inspire by content

Teach without words

Be useful without action,

based in the beauty,

serenity,

and

now.

You're OK

I've just spent a delightful six minutes.

It was a little like RWP's wonderful Easter virtual choir, yet it's quite different.

Go here to read and listen to the making of a very special song.

Please?

I think you'll like it!

Another great find from Flatattack. Thanks guys!

Still Life

In the tradition of the Dutch Still Life masters, we have set ourselves up a 'still life' to paint. We've begun with a large box painted black inside, and, with a view to alluding to the traditional 'vanitas' theme (all earthly things are but vanity - meaningless), brought a few things from home to arrange.

But when I took the photo, I was surprised to see just how much like a painting it looks already.

We are attempting to build up the painting in layers, but as this method traditionally used oil paint, have had to adapt it to acrylics. I'm sceptical of the chances of success, but I'll give it a go.

Sadly, oils are not used in my class because of the fumes and cost, so I may finish this off at home. It seems a pity not to do the best job I can on such an inspiring scene!

Meet Max

... Limax maximus, actually. And although you may not want to meet him, I was delighted to make his* acquaintance a few minutes ago when I took out the scraps to the compost heap. Along with his entourage of minute cream friends, and providing moist protection for a worm, he was resting on the underside of the compost bin lid.

Slugs in general don't interest me much, but I quite like nice big robust species like Max, and I consider his leopard spots quite delightful. He is also called the Great Grey slug or, unsurprisingly, the Leopard slug.

They have been accidentally introduced to many places other than native Europe and are now found in many countries all over the world, so Wiki tells me.

Wikki also tells me that they hang in trees when they mate, and they are the only slug species that do.

And apparently they are also good at learning new things, and have been used in experiments exploring learning behaviour.

* or her. Slugs are hermaphrodites, and have both sex organs.

Graphite tonal drawings of hands

Quotes from James Ormsby, my tutor:

"Life drawings is the bootcamp of art. ... it's the 'no bullshit' zone ... An artist is judged on the quality of his [or her] life drawing portfolio."

We have begun the week plunging straight in. Why prevaricate? - we have a lot to cover in one term. Homework: twenty graphite tonal drawings of hands. Phew.

Here's a beginning. The resolved ones took me more than an hour each.

Click image to enlarge.

Mollie and Me

A couple of days ago it was my Mother's Birthday. Well, it would have been if she was still alive. She was always pleased that it was on the Queen's 'real' Birthday; April the 21st, not the one we celebrate.

Here she is with me on her lap. I'm sitting up pretty well, and on solids, so that means it's 1956, probably lunchtime on a clear, bright day in mid winter. I expect it started with a crackling frost because Mum has her mid-calf warm skirt on.

We are on the verandah of the Napier Road house, and behind Dad's back would be the old orchard that my parents bought along with the house section, and that was eventually sold to pay the mortgage off. The river ran behind the house, (except we always referred to it as 'the creek') and I used to lie in bed and listen to the pukeko swamp hens and morepork owls in the willows that lined the banks. These days there's a tidy walkway and the river is constrained and isn't allowed to flood any more, like all the Hawkes Bay rivers. It's ironical, really, because it was the repeated flooding and deposition of that wonderful fertile silt that formed the Heretaunga Plains in the first place, and made it possible to grow the wonderful cornucopia of fruit and vegetables that are produced here still. Every year Mum would preserve dozens of 'Agee' jars of tomatoes and pears and golden queen peaches for the cupboard. They would sit up in the top cupboards like rows of red and cream and gold suns, trapped behind glass and shining like the hot summer days to tide us over the winter.

And blackbirds too.