:: art in the early evening sunshine ::

we live a short drive away from this bountiful beach, literally covered in driftwood and pumice.  We do our best to make excuses to have to get over there for a forage and scavenge on a reasonably regular basis.

As the sun slowly slips lower in the sky there are beautiful plays of light and once the treasures have been found, my mind begins to want to play with what's around me. 

"L.O.V.E." in driftwood on the dune has been in existence for over two months now, with only the occasional need to repair.  It can been seen from the road, is made of natural material and is over a metre and a half tall.  I smile when I see it and I hope others do, too.

:: Geometric Art ::

As well as Spring heralding all kinds of wonderful outdoor activities, I have been working away at an assignment for my Course in Rudolf Steiner Education.  

12-petalled flower

This is how mathematics for classes 5/6 in a Steiner (or Waldorf) school is learnt - using art to access the learning.

nest of polygons

Each piece required an extremely high degree of accuracy and precision in order to create the result.

12-pointed star

I thoroughly enjoyed all the challenges we were presented and loved using colour to bring the maths to life.  Colouring each piece became meditative and quite soothing - in contrast to the exacting nature of the process of calculating and creating the shapes.

cascading squares

I don't remember my maths classes being anything like this...do you?

:: the small things - a good place to begin ::

On our way home from milking a neighbour's beautiful Dexter cow, Lady,  in our very pre-loved farm vehicle (old truck!), chattering excitedly, making plans for the rest of the day, we rumble along the gravel road past this ditch (or culvert is the correct term, I think), running gently alongside, shaded by tall, bare poplars...just quietly, serenely doing its own thing.

There was occasion to stop beside it last week and I could observe for a few moments.

For me, it is enchantingly special and soooo inspiring...the bands of colour harmoniously sitting side by side; the texture of the mosses and tiny grasses, stones, twigs, leaves earth, pondweed; the glassy-smooth plane of the slip of visible water reflecting harshly in just that minute window/mirror the world outside of this mini-cosmos.

A little inspiration to help me along the way.

What things are inspiring to you?

when life is art

is the best frame I have for so far showing nothing tangible that I can blog about presently.

When I cast my mind back over the time since I last posted, I realise that I have indeed been creating a solid foundation for the new life we have here at Possum Bend.

I have attended two block courses for my Course in Rudolf Steiner Education (CRSE) in charming Havelock North, completed my first assignment, begun a crochet blanket for Phoebe's birthday this year (don't whisper a word!) using the African Flower hexagon, woven baskets from the packing material our furniture arrived in, made an 'Easter' EGG - out of grape vine prunings which hangs out on our deck, had a family holiday in Thailand, helped with a sick Grandmother, made the most of our Autumn Harvest, gardened in the gaps between the downpours and woven in Phoebe's education!

I am looking forward to finding some moments to post again soon...

new moon in aries

and what a good time to begin a new initiative...
...last year I studied the Certificate III Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft at Byron Bay Regional Comminity College, Mullumbimby, NSW, Australia, and was inspired by the many ways I found art beginning to touch me.  I spent a dedicated year turning over rock after rock and finding much I'm wanting to investigate further.
...this year I am now in Northern Hawke's Bay, NZ, on a tiny farmlet, just us, no college down the road, no village of people all around...now we have cows and sheep and possums and fantails and kereru for company.  This year I've chosen to study the Certificate in Rudolf Steiner Education part-time as a support to my development as a home educator to our young daughter.
I intend to post my art life here.