Thursday, December 26, 2024

SURPRISES.

 

Tottie. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this, freedom from work and flying to Western Australia. I’ve never been out of Europe, and to be down under during their summer has got to be experienced even with all those spiders and snakes. Charley has insisted that I stay with them in Bunbury and that I keep my arrival a secret from Tom. I can’t wait to see the look on his face.


Tom. There's something afoot, I can tell. Christmas day was fine no nasty surprises there, too much food and insufficient discipline to resist it, but Charley just loves a surprise and I think it has something to do with our planned trip to Bremer Bay. I’ve had a look on line, and the latest thing on offer was whale watching day trips. That's eight hours at sea, fifty miles off shore and the Southern Ocean can be rough. I really don’t want to spend a day feeling sick with a boatload of whale hunting tourists. I may have to grin and bear it. Another piece of my artwork was hung shortly before Christmas, a present from Charley to Lara for their 25th anniversary. The needlework still life I consider to be one of my best, and I’m delighted it now hangs in their home. There are quite a few other works here, which makes the place feel even more like a home from home, but it’s the back of the kitchen door, a piece of artwork in itself, where my height is recorded along with the children and other friends that really places me here.


   

Friday, December 20, 2024

TOTTIE AND ME.

 

I thought I might have heard from Tottie by now since I’d given her my address before leaving. She must have worked out her notice, and she had mentioned something about researching for a book. Most likely she’s gone into hibernation for the winter and I can’t blame her for that. I suppose I was a bit grumpy during the summer months with her constant dropping in, but now I find I quite miss her showing interest in what I’m up to. I had hoped in my absence she might head down to London and do a little article on my latest show, but not a word. Then I tell myself, why would she be interested beyond her work? I think I was reading too much into this friendship and yet she was full of questions about Charley and his family.

My visit to WA is already half way through, the time has been well spent with this my second family. The sketch pad is filling up, the stitching is my constant companion, and I even managed to sell a few of my old paintings that remained from previous exhibitions I’ve had in WA. A trip down to Walpole and the giant Tingle trees meant I could once again say hello to these most impressive of trees.

 


I have in the past spent hours sitting quietly sketching them, and during one very still early morning I could swear I heard them talking in a low mumble. This time I felt sure they knew I had returned, and yet I hear you ask could know that. Well if I felt it that’s good enough for me. I knew from the outset this trip would be a great mixture of emotional reunions and equally difficult goodbyes, but I am so glad I took that opportunity when it presented itself as doable. I feared that the heat of summer would increase my hot flushes, but they seem to have been within bounds, and there has always been the pool or ocean to cool off in. Hopefully in the New Year I will have plenty of opportunities to swim again in the cooler Southern Ocean when we head off to Bremmer Bay for a week. It must be fifteen years since I’ve been there, the first time I stayed on the campsite and received my first experience of a bull ant bight, not one to be repeated. Later trips gave rise to several oils, all of which  sold.








Christmas is likely to be a much larger gathering than I’m used to, and a big contrast to a quiet day without presents, spent with my brother in Cornwall. Hear the decorations are up; lights on the tree and presents under, wreaths at the windows and homemade Christmas pudding hanging in the larder. The organisation has been ordered and a drive to keep things simple is our goal. Thankfully the temperature that are now in the mid 30’s are due to abate and drop back to a pleasant 24 on the day.


Meanwhile I continue stitching and am nearing the completion of another rather complex stump work ticking sampler. I am constantly trying to push the boundaries and this example is the first that has taken on a totally symmetrical form. The initial idea was to have two birds perched on the entrance post of a house, but since the stitching of these samplers is a slow process the chances are that it will always become complex as all good samplers should.