The light and the dark

 The weather has turned towards winter. It has clearly decided to leave thoughts of summer behind and instead, make us all consider again the wintering, the closing down, the quietening.

The sun isn't actually rising where we are until almost 8am now, yet we still get up to go walking around 6.30am, which is relatively dark but with the sky beginning to lighten.

Here are some photos from around 7am during the week. I love the moodiness and the light and the shadows.

Mid afternoon sky on a wander to Sandside.

And then today. We slept in and went walking about 7.30am and were rewarded with the soft pink sky.

Which became a big blue sky... the light!

And sparkling reflections on a lochan.

So much variety, so much beauty in the dark and the light. The Highlands continue to surprise and delight.

Sunny as it was, the wind made it feel quite chilly; it still had the hint of winter about it...

Hame activity and the light...

 Part of the Hame exhibition is about exploring notions of home with visitors to the gallery. Each week I will pose a different question; and after the Museum closes for the week on Saturday, I will collect the postcards that have been written on, and bring them home to stitch a book. All going well, on Monday I will return the book to the exhibition as a guide for the current week's question and participants. 

Plan A. Today is Sunday and I am yet to stitch the book!

That is in part because we have been replacing a kitchen bench, sink, tap and cupboards all week and are just putting the finishing touches on it. Almost there and then back to the book-stitching

Week 1's question was this:

And the absolute joy I experienced as I went through the responses was wonderful. Here is a smattering of the types of things folk wrote:

I received about 22 cards, so the book will have a nice feel to it once it is done. Stay tuned.

We have managed to walk each morning and the walks have been more valued than usual as we have otherwise been inside working on the kitchen, so it has been lovely that the weather and light have rewarded our early morning wanderings.

This is the gentle morning pink light, just to the edges of the glowing sunrise which follows.

With the sun just beginning to rise.

And almost up and over!

A great way to start the day.

Prints and magic by the sea

Whenever we spend time in Scotland I catch myself saying over and over 'the light, the light!!"

The light there is magical and stops me in my tracks time and again.  I feel the same way when we visit the Maroochy River for our mini-breaks.

Each and every time I look up from the couch - I say "oh, look what the light's doing now" kind of thing. Here are a few examples...

And onto the water...

Can you believe this??? Reflected sunset reflected onto the water.

The morning we said farewell.

 And then lucky me.  I was at home on Saturday doing a few bits (washing those tea towels!!!) whilst B was at the studio.  He was printing his 3D plates and was doing really well. You know when you hit the groove and things get into a rhythm and it all just happens?  He was doing great prints and sending me photos and I said - if you get bored, feel free to print mine - and he did!!!

I am so grateful because they are really good prints.  I would have mucked around for ages and wasted paper and ink and not ended up with as many goodies as I did had I done it myself.

 So on Sunday I returned the favour and printed the titles on the front, and the postcard and press on the back; on both mine and his - team effort!

Light

And because you travel for work and don't always get to make, sometimes you just have to find the lovely beautiful art-filled moments some other way.

We turned the lights off the other night; and this wee woven basket with twinkle lights was still on. I was captivated by its beauty - its shadows and its simple woven magic.

I am grateful for moments like these...

Living an art life

You know you live with an artist when...

You are sitting down together writing list at the kitchen bench and you go "Quick, can you take photo of the pen shadows???"

As it was last week.  Barry and I sitting together writing a list, in the kitchen, under the 5-light kitchen bench light.

The photos are a bit blurry as we tried to get closer and closer, but you can see what stopped us and made us smile.

And the best bit - Barry saw that the gap in my palm had become a shining heart...

I love that we can be busily focused on stuff, and then completely distracted by moments of shadows and light and art!