Monday 31 October 2011

Week 43

My week 43 double page is beautifully detailed as I worked with a number three sable brush to put in every tiny little shape.  We had a huge tide last Thursday which covered the shore.  I ran to the station with a camera to record this sight.  I could not believe how quickly it crept across the grass and covered the land with water.  Then on Friday it came again with the forecast to be even bigger.  We went down to watch this tide as it gushed into the tidal pool, burst over the banks and soon covered the grassy shore again. It made me think of the people who have watched their homes carried along by the force of the sea water, to watch its strength and power and speed is to understand how this can so easily happen.   It was just after noon when the tide was at its height. It had burst over the limestone barrier and so close to the fence where we stood and watched, the railway line a few feet away.
 Later in the afternoon I returned to see what I might find to draw. The ground was wet, flooded areas and large pools everywhere I walked.  I traced my path along the banking of the tidal river, I was now walking on places that were totally underwater a few hours earlier.  I could hear the constant sound of trickling water, water running back off the banks, water running in many different directions as it drained off the grassy shore.  At places it dripped, huge dripping waterfalls, and deep gullies were carved into the soggy sand.  More erosion, the once grass banking dropping off into the sand and the sea creeping nearer to the railway line.  The need for the limestone barriers never more apparent.





The above pictures were on Thursday. I wanted you to see how close it came to the railway line and the gate as you enter the shore. Now for the tide on Friday with a clearer day to see the views.
As I wandered on the shore I could see it had been swept clean,  the places I usually cross and my normal little pathways had mostly been altered and changed by this sea water and all its power.  Just like a new hairstyle,  the grass seemed as if it had been combed  with brylcreemed waves,  this wiped away my familiarity and I had to choose new foot paths on my walk.  I found a jelly fish abandoned by the tide and larger clumps of seaweed ripped from their roots.   The pieces I collected were left tangled in the grass right against the fence on the boundaries of the shore.  I liked their details,  they seemed so small from out of  the vast sea.  I choose them for their shape and I gave them lots of time as I recorded them over the next three days. 
I used black Indian ink and a little white acrylic ink for the feather. The orange, brown and yellow made the colours of the seaweed and black Indian ink and green for the other piece.  I don't know if you are supposed to mix these inks with the Indian ink but I did.  I worked carefully,  I felt they deserved to be treated like special treasures after witnessing their life in the sea.


Hope you enjoy week 43. Thank you for your lovely comments. 
I did actually draw the little branch of the red berries and will try to find more shells, in reply to the comment.                                 Millyx

Please go and see the beautiful website of http://www.peonyandsage.com/ and see some of my drawings on the fabrics.  See my side bar.
  

12 comments:

martinealison said...

Je suis très impressionnée ma chère Millie par l'ensemble de vos photos... le spectacle de la nature, avec ses grandes marée devait être étonnant... Merci pour ce partage photographique.
Votre travail est toujours aussi fascinant et d'une grande délicatesse.
Gros bisous

Melody said...

Wow, the details are wonderful! I can almost smell the seaweed! (that's a good thing by the way, in case that's a confusing comment! :)))))
The pictures are amazing, i love the one with the clouds reflecting on the water by the grass.
I have a whole lot of respect for the power of water... beautiful but scary at times! :))

Frances said...

Milly, you are so kind to show us your photos from those two days with such different weather.

I do like the mood of that watery day, but also feel energetic uplift from the pictures with the white puffy clouds accenting that gorgeous blue sky.

Your week 43 images really appear like sentinels standing guard on the pages of your book. Very graceful sentinels!

This year is so quickly leaving us. We have had some very strange weather here in New York, with heavy wet snow falling while tree branches are still filled with with green leaves. Not what nature traditionally has provided.

Happy Halloween to you, and also best wishes for All Saints Day. xo

Susan Scheid said...

Ah, beautiful. And I love the photos of the tide, as well. This summer, we stayed at water's edge in Maine, and I was fascinated by the tides. (If you're curious about that coastline, the post can be found here)

Acornmoon said...

I enjoyed seeing your photographs of a coastline which is familiar to me and yet ever changing. Such a beautiful serene place and yet that serenity can be so treacherous.

Now I am going to admire your fabrics!

Diana said...

beautiful Milly, your treasures are amazing. Lovely lovely work. I enjoyed seeing your bunny material too. take care, love,Diana

Windsongs and Wordhoards said...

The seaweed is especially beautifully painted, I love the way you sculpt it with the inks...
And those are some seriously high tides aren't they! Blimey!
I can't believe your're up to the mid forties already, only a few more weeks to go... you will have another really beautiful record of a year on the shore, a real treasure... I've really enjoyed seeing every one of them so far :)

Tammie Lee said...

absolutely gorgeous, both your art and your landscapes. you work with such a tiny brush, you must have very steady hands!

wandering said...

Wonderful pages, I like them very much. Seeing the see come in like that always sends shivers down my spine. So much force.

bubblemunch said...

After so long away from blogging, I had forgotten how much I used to adore visiting your blog. The way you capture nature is as inspirational as nature itself! :-)

Marqueta (Mar-kee-ta) G. said...

You have such a way of making the sea and its treasures come to life! Your fabrics are wonderful, too; congratulations on having your own line!

I had never heard of acrylic ink until I read about it here~ thank you for introducing me to a new medium.

Love,

Marqueta

Teresa said...

Gorgeous!!!