Life at Kerjacob .

Life at Kerjacob .

Friday 29 March 2013

Starting painting again - the creative process.






So, when I've not been busy sorting, laundering and ironing napkins 
I've started a new painting.






I haven't done any serious painting since being so ill
at the end of last year.
Starting a new piece is never easy after a break, for me
 that's four months.
Any of you who do art of any kind will know
 that the creative process is not easy.
The ideas must be there, if not it just doesn't happen.
Not with any meaning that is.
Its called INSPIRATION.







I know that some people think that if you have an artistic mind
 it just happens but it really isn't like that !

Sometimes for me that piece of blank paper or canvas
can be  unnerving.
I cannot produce work that means something at the
drop of a hat.
Something has to happen within me to make it worth doing.








The work I've been doing since last summer ( what summer ? ) has been
based on old walls, the decay and wear and tear
that to me are wonderful.









I love the layering that happens over many, many years.
Time and neglect causes damage and colours fade
 and almost disappear.








I keep a constant look out for old walls and paintwork that have suffered
 decay and damage, what is left is what I love
 I spend hours layering thin coats
of  colour washes over and over, rubbing back
 and working to get the subtle effects that I want.







This latest piece is based on an old internal wall
that has suffered from damp.
The wall had once been decorated but over the years
colours have faded and nearly disappeared .
Some attempt has been made to rescue bits but lots have nearly gone now.







So it will be on to the next piece over the weekend.
We have very cold weather here now and in fact
 it has ben snowing this morning.
Later the wood stove will be lit and the next piece of white paper
will be there in front of me.






.

Monday 25 March 2013

Monogrammed napkins.


Today I have been sorting, ironing and folding napkins.
I have been collecting them for some time to
take to a vintage textile fair in May.




There are 3 of these.



Duck egg, white and red beautiful - 10 in total.

T




Four white with blue and yellow border.





Close up of monogram





Four huge napkins - beautiful.





This one I bought for Mr P - his initials.





Five of these - VA.






Four huge napkins - MG.








I've just realised that I've forgotten to photograph six beautiful 
napkins with a red monogram of BR.

I'll post a photograph of them in the next few days.


************

ps.
 If there are any here that you are interested in
please let me know.



Thursday 21 March 2013

CATS - beautiful and some different.



So last week it was dogs, this week it is cats.
There were just so many beautiful ones and a few, which to me,
where pretty strange.








What did strike me was how happy most of the cats
were to be photographed.





Seems to me that this is all part of the character of the cats.
They just seem to know that they are beautiful, clever and wise.





All the cats seem to be adored by their owners and most seemed to be happy to be
looked at by the judges.
Off course there were a few exceptions who didn't like it !







Some were just so pretty.






Some breeds I've never seen before.







Some, like the ones below, which I found very strange.





How many of you remember Bagpuss ?
The one below reminded me of him but Emily wasn't there !






The one below was greatly admired by so many people, it was marked like a leopard.











Some with amazing eyes !




All the cats were wonderful in their own special way and I left with a smile on my face
and no cat, don't think my cats would have been impressed nor would Mr P.

                                   



Saturday 16 March 2013

Utterly adorable and hard to resist.



Last Sunday was yet another grey day here.
There were no brocantes to go to and I
wanted to go out and to take photographs.


Gorgeous little Jack Russel puppy.


So off I went to a cat and dog show.
It was really a cat show but there were dog, puppies, llamas, rabbits etc.








Some of the puppies were just so adorable that it was difficult to resist.
I did hold, I did stroke, I did cuddle but managed to let my head rule my heart.





The children who were there had a wonderful time
 and it was good to watch their faces.





Its not easy to get animals to pose and this pair remained always
 with one turned to the camera and one turned away !





What a beautiful gentle face.








 These darlings just ignored all the attention and cuddled up together fast asleep.








As I was leaving the adorable Jack Russel was getting ready
to go on to a new life.
He'd been bought by a lady who was just totally in love !
It was easy to see why.



Tuesday 12 March 2013

Blizzards and 18 cms of snow !




So, on Saturday we had 15 degrees, sunshine and blue skies.

Yesterday torrential rain then in the afternoon it snowed.
IT SNOWED  for the rest of the day and the night
and the temperature was - 4 degrees.









In total we had 18 cms of snow.



Icicles from the roof.


I'm staying near to the wood stove, poor Mr P is due to drive to St Malo to get the ferry
tonight helping a friend to move their goods to Gloucester.

Poor him !





Some of my spring flowers that were brave enough to come out are now under deep snow.

Poor them too !

Saturday 9 March 2013

Counting on Numbers.



I continue to add to my number collection ( when I remember )
These are the latest that I've seen.



Typical enamel number plate. Paris.



Ceramic plate. Antibes.





Original idea - don't think I'll see the same again.





Simple but effective- mass produced.


Love the simplicity of this and the different tones of grey.

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Its all in the detail !



These are some more of the photographs that I thought you'd want to see.



Lovely statue of a cat in a wall niche - Antibes.





House sign - isn't it great !




Pebble paths all through the town - beautiful.





Mosaic above a church doorway -Le Cannet.





Little light hole above a doorway - Antibes.





I LOVE this door - would like to do the same here.




The roots of the ivy are growing !





How many cats live here I wonder ? Antibes.




Just love the green pots.


Would like to have brought this home with me.





I love anenomes.


So much choice in the markets.




The lounge in our apartment, Cannes.



One type of many dried mushrooms for sale.




A surprise at every turn - sculpture.

A real delight was to visit the Maeght Foundation which is a wonderful gallery near the beautiful village of St Paul de Vence.




Stained glass  - Maeght Foundation, St Paul de Vence.





Chagall - detail. Maeght Foundation

Chagall detail - Maeght Foundation.




Bonnard - detail, Maeght Foundation.