I’ve been framed!
I just can’t do any framing without thinking of Cheech & Chong and the song ‘I’ve been framed’ from the film ‘Up in Smoke’. What’s really been happening has been cruddy weather (it is winter after all) so it was an easy decision to spend a day reframing my ‘Lockdown Flower’ collage pieces. It’s a day well spent – radio on and getting what needed to be done, done.
That’s all my work (almost) from the ‘Lockdown Flowers’ series framed. The photographs used on these collage pieces were taken during the lockdowns of 2020, when only walks for exercise were aloud under the restrictions. The weather that spring was fantastic and the spring bloom made the walks colourful among the bleak outlook of the pandemic. It also allowed me to enjoy taking photographs of the blossom in the local park and gardens. Of course there was then an extended period of time being indoors, so I continued to create collage and paper to be drawn, painted and printed on. The result when the photographs and collage paper were combined was a series of pieces that I titled ‘Lockdown Flowers’. They are now framed and ready to be shown in galleries or art fairs.
We’re into it now!
The distraction of Christmas has passed and we enter the deep end of winter. Strangely I haven’t minded the weather too much, this time of year does have its plusses – less traffic, people, free parking in many carparks…there are more but their just not leaping at me right now! At this point it seems like a fair trade off, especially if you have waterproof trousers, a snood, hot water bottle and enjoyment of storms and hail.
Surf check / storm watch without leaving the car.
Surf and work
Work in the surfboard factory continues regardless of winter. Of course it does now it is expected, rather than surprising that on any given day someone is in the water. And if it’s the weekend with the sun out, everyone is in the water…and they’re all on some kind of craft, even the most unsuitable of vehicles find their way into the ocean. There is an element of entertainment in the aqua circus as long as you're not in the path of the wayward missiles.
Beach clowns stretch it out before entering ocean big top.
Despite the short daylight hours and near permanent grey veil shielding the sun, there is still colour in the OM surfboard factory. The cold has crept in and the paint takes longer to dry, but this just leaves extra time between paint coats to plan an escape route! It’s not that bad, it’s still good to be involved with making surfboards and there is a laugh to be had, but if there is surf, or the light is good…even it isn’t, I want to be out with my camera or drawing at home.
Colour from the factory.
Away from the app led cluster movement there is still the odd pocket of quality waves out there with few around. Winter helps, no doubt in summer the crowd saturation would spill into the corners. It’s not surprising that the second shot has few surfers in the water, it was early, cold and a long wait between sets. Nonetheless, Fistral carpark was filling and the froth was ready to spill into the sea.
Perfect winter conditions.
Cold Fistral Beach, waiting to be invaded.
That’s it! More than a weeks worth, but that’s how it is. No posts for the next few weeks, I’ve got a little trip away with my camera, and when I’m away from the studio I leave it all behind me – my phone is only for calls and messages. Until next time!
