Finished commission: 'Helen's Seaside'

Fused Glass, copper and aluminium inclusions, pen, ink and salvaged fabrics stitched onto the base layer. It's a rare occasion for me to be feeling ok about something I've made. But this time, I think I do (although I did make it twice, couldn't possibly have released the version... big time technical issues)

Something just wasn't right...

... Then I realised that it was because the wall in my kitchen should be purple! Well it is now... and my knees... and left arm... and the floor.... and my dog's paw... But I am so pleased with my new purple wall. It lifts my spirits and makes me happy. With my new purple wall I feel that anything is possible... Time to stop typing Kathryn

Seed Geek

I know it's not the type of thing that most people get excited about... but I'm really loving that we are on the cusp of a new season, things are changing; a bit of a chill in the air, and that everything that I loved that was flowering is now going to seed. I think I love the seeds even more...

 I'm starting to feel quite excited about autumn now, the colours, the intensity of the light (hopefully!), wrapping up warm, snuggling in. I'm in the process of having a much-longed for woodburning stove installed. I've wanted one since forever. I'ts the first time I've ever, ever looked forward to the onset of winter (goodness me...!)

Kite (Getting told off)

 I got told off. By my mum (despite the fact that I'm 33). I must now hang my head in shame. It was because I've been harping on way too much about my love of bleakness in relation to our holiday last week. I was just trying to make the point that I had a fantastic time, and it didn't matter that the weather was unconventially cathartic, I that I actually thrive in that type of weather. But my mum has been reading my posts quite differently and said I made out that the weather was rubbish every day... well here is some proof that the sun did come out too. And so did the kites and flags...

 Kites are one of the little things in life that will always raise my spirits, no matter how low. They are poetic, graceful and powerful and harness the greatest power of all, the wind. There is nothing like the feeling of standing on a blustery beach, with the tide miles out, cocooned in layers of various technical fabrics flying a kite. If you haven't tried yet... then... well do...

(Am I out of trouble now?!)

Finished Work: Pebbles (Holderness)

My Little Tiny Rainy Day Pot

 Yes I know I like to harp on about how much I love bleak weather, hate the heat etc... but there are limits to this! Sometimes I need a break from being buffetted around by kites on sand dunes, yes it's all very wholesome and romantic, but sometimes it gets a bit much... Last week on holibobs in beautiful, beautiful Norfolk we found an unexpected little refuge in Hunstanton. A lovely little warm, contemporary ceramics-painting shop called 'Paint Me Ceramics'. We actually went in for 'Little Daughter' who desperately wanted to paint something... but it was only a matter of time before I could contain myself anymore and started painting my own little bowl too... I tried out my pebble design. It was so, so theraputic sitting in the warmth painting.  And the thing that really impressed me the most was that the owners were lovely, really knew their stuff, were happy to have a little chat about their kilns (I know, I'm such a geek... note to self: learn to talk to people about 'normal' things), and were so genuinely enthusiastic for all of their customers. I wish their were more folk like this in the world.

 Anyway. Two days later we traipsed back (me praying feverently that the firing had gone well... being hugely experienced in kiln disasters!) and our pots had just come out. They were utterly fantastic 'Little Daughter' has put hers in her bedroom were she stated that it would be safe because there is a carpet... and mine... well at the moment I just keep gazing at it and thinking... I really think I would like to do more... a much bigger one...same design. It's a really strange feeling translating a design that is so important to me into a different medium... I'm really, really pleased with it (and I'm never pleased with my own work).

I'm already planning for next time...

Things I noticed in Norfolk

Little things that I noticed whilst wondering around... Rusty, cobwebby locks and my absolute favourite shade of greyish blue...

Wobbly Fences. Love the lines...

I love the texture and composition of chicken wire. I love the fact that this is imperfect, a bit squashed. And I really love how my terrible photo create a silhouette against the sky!

The toilet window at Sandringham House (is that the correct title? Should I call it a palace?). I really liked the texture of the glass... I imagine most people are NOT taking photos of the toilet windows in this beautiful place! Note to self... try to act more normally in Royal residances...



I love this flower that was growing at the roadside outside our cottage. I love it's pinkness (is that an actual descriptive term? Hmmmm...)



Another roadside plant smothered in cobwebs, there were eggs in here too.

Another fence! God... I must be boring company...

Fishing boats... quite liking the colours and composition. It was such a cold, blustery day and this sort of 'stood out' from the bleakness (although I'm not complaining I do love bleak honestly. Says in such a way of trying to convince even herself of this fact...)

I hated this image until I played around with a little bit... Now I really like the diagonal line of crabbers (am I the only person who finds that word the tiniest bit funny?)

Now I actually don't like this image very much, there is something about the colours that I find just too heavy, but I felt a little guilty about leaving it out... and anyway might want to refer back to it at some point, so somehow it was included by the very skin of it's little teeth

A glorious rusty hole with concrete, being gradually corroded and reclaimed by the sea! Perfect! (Although a bad pic... wonder if my dad got a better one? Daaaad......)

Snapped

 When you holiday with other prolific takers-of-photos the inevitable will happen and you will caught in the act! Looking glam in waterproofs, ancient jeans and battered boots I was totally in my element. But the loveliest thing was that I didn't need to keep apologising for stopping literally every two seconds... because I wasn't the only one... This is what I was getting excited about and photographing at the time...

Beautiful rust!

Great British Seaside Holiday

 Have just got home after a week in Norfolk with my family. The car has been unpacked, washing machine whirring (sand in turn-ups on jeans... grrrr forgot about that!), post been delved through and at last I'm sat down eating buttery toast and crisps and sorting out my 465 images. Most of which are rubbish... anyway the holiday was perfect, up there in my 'top holidays of all time' list. Everything was just 'right'. The weather was delightfully challenging. A little bleak, but as I've said so many times before, I adore bleak, I love getting wrapped up, love wellies, coats, snuggling into layers. And yes, maybe there was one occasion when I was so chilled to the bones after sitting on the beach in a jumper, fleece and waterproof, with beach mats wrapped around me, that it took a skin-blistering hot bath to thaw me. But even that, now, seems cool. And yes, most of the ice-cream sellers had bailed out because of the appauling weather. And yes, we could park for free in most places because the ticket attendants had given up all hope, closed their huts and gone somewhere more sensible. But it was totally my kind of holiday, I don't need heat, or swimming pools. For me there cannot possibly be anything better than stomping through sand dunes,  flying kites and dreaming of owning little, rickety beach huts with people I love, and actually, the sun did come out on one day! And I did live a little dangerously by removing my socks!

And now I'm looking forward to climbing into my own enormous bed, with fresh white linen (line dried of course) and sleeping... Good night x

Looking Anywhere Other than Where I'm meant to...

If I didn't live with my 'head in the clouds' or basically looking anywhere other than where I'm meant to then I wouldn't notice any of these beautiful little details...