Springtime !

cold nights and frozen mornings have at last given way to warmth and sunshine... I even saw an artist sitting on a bench down by the river painting ! cherry blossom and magnolia trees beginning to show forth their flowers like nightlights against a dark hedge, or candlflames against a deep blue sky...what have you seen ?

during those few days of lovely sunshine last week I saw beautiful snowdrops and daffodils, as well as all the blossom on our almond tree down the bottom of the garden... but my greatest delight was the group of purple crocus near th front door... as they reminded me straight away of my son as a baby, just beginning to crawl and explore everything... and as soon as he say the grou[ of putple crocus in the middle of his grandparents lawn, of course he began crawling up towards them... only to stop in sudden amazement as he got near enough to notice their brilliant orange centres ! I shall never forget the look on his face : "Oh mummy LOOK...." such excitement awe and wonder ! I can hardly believe Iam now an octogenarian... and I hope I never loose that sense of awe and wonder at the beautiful creation we can enjoy all around us here in Wivenhoe... I hope you enjoy the wonder of Springtime this year too :)

Surprise

Yes... I know its long after Christmas, and Lent begins next week... But... I recently read a rport from Medecins Sans Frontieres that echoed a letter from the Church Mission Society where both organisations were surprised to find the chaos and humanitarian chrisis unfolding again in Sudan and Darfur is not being mentioned in the media at all and too many government cuts in aid recently have severely exacerbated the trauma being inflicted on so many people in this region of Africa... Hence this prayer painting... which I painted well over a decade ago during a similar crisis in Darfur and Sudan...

Our Amazing Doggiewog

Some of you have seen my daughter with her assistance dog since they have both recently come here to live with me...Her dog is very friendly, but when wearing her "assistance dog" outfit she is clearly working ! and needs to be left to get on with her job. Its been quite a revelation for me to see just how sensitive and helpful a dog like this can be... maybe one day I will beocme well trained enough to take her out for a walk too :}... but that is probably some long time in the future! [ dont they say its difficult to teach san old dog new tricks ? Well, I suppose as I'm now an octogenerian, that refers to me :{ OOps !! Oh dear...

Wivenhoe Art Trail 15 - 19th November 2024

A special Reminder... if you are like me and were busy with other things and didnt realise time was slipping away well into November ! And the Art Trail is THIS WEEKEND ..... Dont Miss it !!! Go to the website: www.wivenhoearttrail.com for a video of the wide ranging art-work on display and for sale, ready for Christmas gifts a map of the participating artists is there for you to download

Big Butterfly Count begins today

will you spend about 15 mins a day to sit and watch out for butterflies ?? Ive been doing this each July for several years now, and I find it verfy peaceful sitting quietly in the garden looking out for butterflies fluttering by and recording how many Ive seen on the website...sadly, like the bees around here, there are fewer each year... but I usually see one or two that are new to me, and that makes it so worthwhile, as well as the joy of seeing familiar beauties fluttering by... This year Ive decided to download the Big Butterfly Count App, and it looks so much easier to record the butterflies. Do download it and see for yourself :) I have been trying to add / upload a photo onto this blog, but there must be some mistake as no link is available... usually I can search here for one of my photos... but all I get this morning is a blank page coming up on the screen : so sorry !

Refugee Week _ 17th to 23rd June

This painting:Indigo Crucifixion was painted a few years ago when IS was in the news and their flags [top left of the painting ] were a common feature in the media together with photos of crowds of refugees having to flee their homes and seeking asylum in Europe and wherever they felt they might find a safe haven. [follow the painting down the left hand side...] 

You may remember the panic as small boats began crossing the Mediterranean, and later on, the Channel, as refugees began arriving in what felt like a never-ending stream... This reminded me of the "White Crucifixion" painted about 75 years ago by Chagall as Jewish refugees were fleeing during the Holocaust. Chagall had painted the figure of Christ on the cross wearing a Jewish Prayer-shawl to identify him with those fleeing as synagogues were being plundered of sacred scrolls and homes destroyed whilst some fortunate refugees had managed to board a boat, probably bound for Palestine... 

My father (who was in the Royal Navy during World War II)  had told me, as a young child, how he had been on board a ship sent in convoy to protect these refugees... but as the Luftwaffe bombs hurtled down, both his ship and the refugee ship were hit. He told me how he had been trying to swim to safety, dodging the burning debris ! / hardly a good bedtime story for a young girl... but he suffered terribly form flashbacks... and I also picked up his nightmares ! [my poor mother had to cope with two traumatised members of the family] 

 These memories never left me, and returned with full force when I saw Chagall's painting together with all the photos of fleeing refugees 75 years later. I found myself walking along the Estuary at Brightlingsea, and watching a small ferryboat struggling against the waves as it battled the wind and currents both going against it as it made its way towards shore... 

I began to wonder "what if... 

what if that little boat were bringing a small group of refugees here, and instead of landing in Dover, they had lost their way and were landing up here in Brightlingsea... ? 

How would we welcome them ?? ... 

 That became the inspiration for my painting : Indigo Crucifixion... 

How did we treat Jewish refugees? ... and now ? 75 years later, how are we treating Assylum Seekers today ??