hyacinth

Harmony in nature

/ Robert / 7 Comments
Harmony in nature, abstract mixed media

Last Saturday, having gazed at the bookcase from my chair, I was inspired to create something using three ceramic pieces modelled on nature. A leaf, a shell adorned cornucopia, and a hyacinth leaf vase.

I arranged and drew around the objects in pencil then ink. I decided on purple for the cornucopia using the colour of mussel shell for inspiration, predictably green for the leaf, and finally orange for the vase.

On Sunday, I thought the shapes I had chosen worked well together as there was movement between them from the colours intermingling. Wishing to add depth and luminance, I added yellow washes to the orange and green and redid the ink outline.

After deciding the abstract picture was called harmony in nature, I added three black undulating lines to ground and orientate the central image.

A piece

/ Robert / 6 Comments

  
While preparing breakfast this morning the smell of bacon frying brought back a childhood memory from 1970’s England. A time of vibrant colours, heady music and my Granddad’s quiet, gentle nature. My Mom’s family were from Smethwick (pronounced Smerrick), a Black Country town to the west of Birmingham. I remembered asking my Mom if I could have “a piece in the dip”. She would dip one side of a slice of white bread into the juices from the Sunday roast. I would add ground white pepper, fold the bread in half and savour each mouthful of this prized gastronomic delight. Me and my brothers would also enjoy a “piece” spread with dripping later in the week. This time honoured tradition began for me in my Nan’s house. 

Looking back I have realised that this was a rare glimpse into 1940’s. The kitchen had an enamelled gas stove, crock sink, wooden drainingboard and faded toile de jouy wallpaper. 

Why the Sylvac Hyacinth vases? My Nan had one just like the one at the back, it sat proudly on the sill of the bay window of her home in The Oval, Smethwick, West Midlands, UK. 

Related
More about my accent can be found here Evolution of my accent
More Black Country words and meanings: Black Country Dialect

Classic Black Country sayings: Black Country Sayings