Week 37

Another week and here we have my double page for week 37.  As I went for my walk on Saturday morning I was able to draw and paint for the rest of the day and finish off today.  It is painted with my acrylic inks and a number 1 and number 5 sable brush.  My palette was red, sepia, blue, yellow ochre and white.  I will show you some of the work in progress as I painted at the kitchen table.
I was quite pleased to find some new seaweed,  the big flat burgundy and pink piece, and also the delicate pale pink pieces, as there was a  huge amount to choose from after the full moon and high tides.  And a new subject for my page is the hairy caterpillar.  Also I added a tiny pink shell and the lovely long wavy  maroon seaweed with the bubbly shapes.  Of course I collected some lovely feathers and other objects including many red berries but decided on these to make the page.

I went for my walk on Saturday morning, it was fine,  so I thought.  I had only been there a few minutes and it started spitting!  My hood was pulled up and off I went to see what I might find.  I saw a huge hairy caterpillar cross my path,  the size of my finger.  Later I kept thinking  I should have had the caterpillar but didn't know how I could carry it.   The camera was getting wet,  that was in my pocket and I only had a plastic bag.  A caterpillar needs to be carried carefully and I really had to watch where I was walking.  Water was running off  the banks as a waterfall,  fast running water as it ran back into the tidal river.  Everywhere was so wet and slippery.  Where is all this water going to go as the tide is coming in shortly.   The sky was full of fast moving clouds, the views were changing,  first you see the hills then it all disappears as showers race across the land.  Did I mention how wet I am getting,  it is pouring down with huge droplets.  I pretend not to notice and just keep walking. 
I admire the wire fence hanging with seaweed like a piece of art.  I watch the birds flock together and land on the piece of sand,  obviously not happy in  this weather, the screeching sounds they were making as they circled above.  Long orange slugs were sliding through the grass and then I found another hairy caterpillar crawling towards the water.  I decided to save it,  I wrapped it in the chocolate wrapper by making an envelope and  thought it could come and live in my garden.  Shortly afterwards I found a third caterpillar, this one very wet with big droplets of rain collected  on the hairs on its body.  So he joined his friend in the chocolate envelope.

My friend the swan looked so beautiful and elegant. I was amazed how clean and white she was on this wet and dirty place. We enjoyed each others company as she followed me,  as she swam and I walked. I thought we were all alone but the loud bang of a gun has me jumping, somewhere hidden a wildfowler was shooting at the ducks. No wonder I didn't see any ducks today!  The sky was constantly changing, rain and then signs of a brighter day as the blue sky appeared behind the rain clouds.  As I opened the gate to leave the shore I had to balance on a stone in a puddle,  not that it mattered as I was already very wet.  I had enjoyed my two hour walk, fresh air and the glimpse of a beautiful rainbow. I was heading home to my own rainbow of inks to paint my page.  Thank you for the comments, it is always lovely to find them. I will leave you with some photographs of my walk.                Millyx
p.s. the caterpillars had blackberry leaves for lunch and are now living in my garden.


week 37.