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bye bye 2010
I snapped this sunset over a week ago when Ireland was tucked up under a blanket of snow and ice. The extreme weather brought with it a couple of problems for us and other people we knew, but we pulled through and were luckier than many. Overall I had a quiet, enjoyable holiday with my husband and parents. I’m grateful for the fine hospitality and good company we experienced. 2010 is pulling away from the station and I’m waving my hat at 2011. Every day, no matter the date, is an opportunity for change. I hope you enjoy all your wished-for changes, and cope with any daunting surprises during 2011.
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swivelling on the year’s axis
I purchased this candle-holder and holiday decoration this winter. It’s a star entirely made of beads, and it’s been hanging in my dining room window for a couple of weeks. Today I lit a votive candle, placed it inside the star and took pictures of it illuminated by the Solstice sun. It’s quite a special day since it’s a full moon with a lunar eclipse on the solstice. I’m glad to celebrate the passing of the shortest day and to welcome back longer days. It’s been a cold and tough winter by Irish standards, and we’re not out of it yet, but I often feel optimistic on the winter solstice.…
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Mise en abyme
This is a set of Matryoshka dolls, or Russian nesting dolls, I bought recently at the craft fair in Galway (they are from Minsk). I’ve always wanted at least one set, because there is something about the self-similarity aspect of the dolls that appeal to me a great deal. I was introduced to the concept of fractals by Martin, quite soon after we met. Martin was an engineering student at the time, and loved the elegance of fractal mathematics and the Mandelbrot set in particular. When I saw the recursive patterns printed as images it immediately reminded me of the artwork by M.C. Escher. When I was a kid a…
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going monochrome
I’ve been experimenting with changing some of my recent photographs of trees to black and white, and taking a slightly arty style. In some of them I’m using sepia tones. I start with the base image, go with my instinct about which filter works best and start building layers of effects. Of all the creative work I do artwork and photography are probably the most satisfying. I lose massive chunks of time when I get involved in it because it absorbs my attention completely. It’s also the work that has no pressure attached: I do it simply for my pleasure. I’ve mentioned before that woods and forests are where I…
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first frost
These are leaves coated in the first frost of autumn. Every year I’m struck by the fact that frost and/or ice can transform the ordinary into something beautiful while also causing us bother. At least it contains the potential for joy, even if it makes us curse.
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getting up
I woke up this morning out of unpleasant dreams with a headache. The house was chilly as the heating had only kicked on. I didn’t feel well, and the bed was warm. I lingered a little longer than usual under the cosy covers until Minnie the dog starting shuffling about nosily in her “where’s my walk?” routine. Eventually, I got myself up and out to the woods. My mood was sliding toward glum, partly because of how I was feeling, the overcast sky and damp, cold air. The light was not great for photographs, especially compared to yesterday. Then, I looked up at the clouds and noticed it wasn’t uniform.…
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back in the woods
This morning we had the first frost of autumn. My car was a icicle (or a carcicle as I call it), and my dog Minnie waited impatiently for me to defrost the windows before we drove to the woods. It was blindingly sunny. The azure skies were scrubbed of clouds. A low mist clung to the undergrowth, and ice sparkled on fading flowers and dying leaves. My favourite autumnal weather. Even though I’ve only been away from the woods for a few days it’s remarkable how quickly change takes place at this time of the year. Holly berries have appeared in great scarlet clusters. Most of the trees are sporting…
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old school
A common topic of discussion about writing is whether one writes longhand or favours a computer. In my case it’s a combination of both. I took this picture this morning. In my hand I’m holding my current favourite pen of choice, the Mitsubishi Uniball Jetstream. The pen writes smoothly, the ink dries quickly and there are no clumps. It’s also an easy pen to find. I have several of them in my house at any one point. The biggest problem I think is that they run out quickly, but that might be because I’m writing longhand a lot more at the moment. Currently I’m writing several pages of longhand –…
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two nobles
There are a lot of Holly trees my local woods. Not that you’d notice during the summer, when the other trees flounce about in their finery. Lately, I’ve noticed Holly’s re-emergence as one of the dominant personalities of the woodlands as we spin further into autumn. The above photograph is of a Holly tree growing under an Oak which I took yesterday. In Irish lore there were four classifications of trees, the highest being Airig Fedo, or Nobles of the Wood. There were seven trees in that caste, including Oak and Holly. As I considered the mythology of trees, as well as this image of the two nobles standing beside…
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capturing the spirit
The weather in the West of Ireland could best be described as mercurial today. As I type the wind whips the trees in my back garden and stampedes piebald clouds. A sudden, violent deluge of rain has just ended. Looking out a window at the front of my house I see sunlight streaming through an aquamarine scrap of sky. It’s a day of squalls and sun linked by rainbows. Earlier, I found one of those favourable, magical periods in between the cloudbursts to walk my dog in the woods. As usual I was taking photographs. As much as I love woodlands they are one of the most difficult landscapes to…
