High tides

After the flood warnings, everyone waited and watched as the highest tide came rushing into the estuary. It was such a windy cold day and the whole of the shore was soon covered in water. The water rushed on to flood fields and it was obvious there was going to be a possible risk of it breaking over onto the railway lines and onto the road.

 

This is an average sized tide, the view from my house across the estuary.

 

This is the day of the huge tide, the railway bridge to the right and you can see the water flooding in. It did break the boundary line of the shore and the trains had to be cancelled because of the water on the lines. The high tides continued for about a week and then I ventured down on to the shore for a walk and curious to see what might have been left .

There was lots to choose from, so many pieces of seaweeds, lots of mermaids purses and black mussel shells, lots of red berries! I have been for a second walk and so I now have two collections to choose from. The sand has shifted around in the tidal river and we found some pretty pieces of china too, one with a bird on which I have plans for.

I have been drawing this little group.

 

And a lovely piece of blue and white china.

 

Today I added the final touches. It is painted with a number 4 sable brush and acrylic inks. The real berries and the seaweed have now wrinkled and dried up. I really like this piece of china with all the texture from spending years in the salty sea water on the shore.

It is cold but I was so happy to see the first snowdrops on my garden, white buds about to burst, a lovely sight. Meanwhile a vase of red tulips and daffodils on my kitchen table, a present from my sister, signalling spring is not so far away. We had a walk in sunshine yesterday, such a welcome after the wet and grey days. I have been delving in my seashore bags and I have washed some more objects for a new drawing, they do not smell too nice but I have definitely found such interesting things to keep me busy. Perhaps I am just easily pleased. Hope everyone is keeping warm! Thank you for the lovely comments and your New Year Wishes. There has been lots of visitors to my blog, people enjoying lots of my old posts, why not say hello? See you soon, Millyx

 

 

A New Year

Happy New Year. It has been such a wet stormy day here. A chance to sit and draw by the fire. I decided to draw one of the objects I found on the shore on Boxing Day. We went for a long walk and I collected a bag full of treasures. There was so much to choose from after the high tides, long wavy lines of tangled grasses and seaweed and feathers with so many other objects left behind on the shore.

I loved poking around, seeing all the different objects but my most exciting finds were not one but three great examples of this black mermaids purse. It was a lucky day as I found yellow and brown ones too, the ones with long thin twisting and curling strands. I found plenty to inspire me including some beautiful feathers, pieces of seaweed and brown and blackened oak leaves. Then I think I must have picked up about thirty red berries, many of them going black after their journey to the tide line!

I eventually washed my bag full of treasures and now my visitors have gone home, we are back to normal quiet time so I have been drawing one of the large black mermaids purse. I have gone big, much bigger then my usual life size drawings because the days are so dark. I used inks and a dip in pen, perfect way to relax. A board on my knee, paper and a jar of ink and watching the lines create the artwork.

I am trying out something else new today. A blog app to post from my iPad. All the time it takes me to post, I am hoping this may turn out to be the answer! This is to be a more adventurous me, so I am also hoping this blog post works. I do not take part in many of the social media, as I feel my time is precious and I want to use it for drawing and making and being creative. And to use my time for getting outside in the fresh air and walking and noticing and seeing all the countryside and nature around me.

So today it might be a wet grey day here, this photograph taken around 1pm, as the tide covered the shore and the clouds formed a blanket over the hills. There is such a bright and exciting feeling at the thought of a new year, my head is filled with so many ideas, creative ideas and projects. We went for a walk on Sunday high up on the moors and we stood and looked at a beautiful rainbow in the sky, like a message, life is magical if you know where to look.

Hope you all have a Magical 2014. See you all soon. Millyx