I Bring You Flowers and Art

 

The florist's are selling their uplifiting spring bulbs already.

I really liked this watering can planter filled with pink Hyacinths.

The words on the can say:

La Vie en Rose

Bleu Ciel

Plein de Soleil

Meaning:

Seeing life through rose-tinted glasses

Blue Sky

Lots of Sunshine

That first phrase, is best described as living with an attitude or outlook of positivity.

Trying to see the beauty in the everyday,

rather like when you first fall in love!

On January 6th, which is the Epiphany, it's tradition to eat a Galette des Rois.

They come in different forms, but the most delicious one is made with flaky pastry

and a ground almond filling.

There is always a tiny 'king' statue or similar figurine somewhere in the filling.

The person who gets the slice with the tiny king gets to wear the crown

and is king, or queen, for the day!

We had a few light snowfalls at the beginning of the month

and after watching the beautiful flakes float lazily from the sky,

I noticed my little glass dish of marbles catching the reflections from

the crochet cloth below.

Early one morning, there were beautiful pink and blue colours in the sunrise

and I ran out on the end of my balcony to capture them.

Can you see the tiny bird in the distance flying high? 

It's very small, but if you click on the photo, you will see it better.

I set off for a walk to the higher part of my neighbourhood.

I love passing these tall poplar trees on the way.

The branches are still bare so early in the year, but look at that blue sky!

When I walk uphill for about half an hour, I can reach some fields.

They were quite muddy, so I only stayed at the edge to see the view on the mountains.

After a period of misty and fairly warm days, it became much colder again

bringing a big drop in temperatures, to about 2C in the daytime and below zero at night.

A few days of cold wind, blew the grey skies away and we are experiencing blue skies

and sunny days. It's so uplifting, don't you think?

A cheerful collage of yellow Primula flowers on my spring cloth.

Little sunshine flowers that remind us that days are getting longer and we shall soon

have gained a whole hour of daylight since the winter equinox on December 21st.

My deep red velvety Amaryllis gave me twelve beautiful big blooms

over a long period.

I love having these plants in my home over Christmas and the new year.

Now it is the turn of the pink striped Amaryllis.

It's so elegant and somehow feminine and delicate.

This is the very first bud.

Then a second one opened on the other side.

Here they are both together with two more buds to open up.

"Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees"

Lawrence Weschler

I've always enjoyed creating the abstract quality of subjects to concentrate on shape and colour,

and in this case, flow.

This is the brochure of a wonderful Van Gogh Alive art exhibition

which is on show in Lausanne.

I loved it so much that I went to see it twice!

If you are a Van Gogh fan, you will love this exhibition.

Here is Van Gogh's bedroom which he painted when he was living in Arles in 1888.

His beautiful Iris

The Almond Blossom which he painted to celebrate the birth of his nephew,

also named Vincent, to his brother Theo and his wife Johanna.

Theo was an art dealer in Paris.

He was a good brother to Vincent, encouraging him in his art and helping him financially.

This was one of Van Gogh's Starry Night paintings.

It looks slightly blurred because the images are moving with shooting stars.

I'm showing it because of the sheer and beautiful intensity of the the famous blue

that Van Gogh liked to use.

The self-portrait in this collage is one of my favourite ones he painted.

The manner in which this exhibition is presented is difficult to explain, so I'm including two links

for you to see for yourself. The first one is here

in Lausanne

The second one is a longer YouTube clip is from the

Atelier des Lumières in Paris

I preferred the chosen classical music in Lausanne.

The whole show lasts for 45 minutes.

It's tragic that Van Gogh remained virtually unknown until after his death.

He died, far too young, at only thirty-seven

but he painted more than 2.100 works of art.

Some of Vincent's quotations were projected onto the walls and my favourite one is this:

" I dream my paintings and then I paint my dreams."

Thank you, Vincent Van Gogh, for painting your dreams and sharing them with us.

If you like Van Gogh's paintings, 

please go and see this immersive art exhibition.

You will come out of it transformed.

Amaryllis

Full of promise

Such elegant lines

Ethereal

Daintiness against the light

Pure petal poetry

Beauty in every detail

and from all angles.

Amaryllis

in Greek 'amarysso'

means sparkling.

A flower name poetically used to mean

'a simple shepherdess or country girl'

A name often given to country girls in classic literary works

of Virgil and Ovid.

Every year before Christmas,

I choose one, sometimes two, beautiful Amaryllis bulbs

to flower in my home.

So far, this particular colouring, which flowered

for over a month on two stems, is my favourite.

Happy New Year 2017!

On this first day of the New Year

I wish you Beauty

Confidence in what lies ahead

even when it's still shrouded in mystery

May there always be a light shining in the darkness, 

however small.

Remember

the sun also sets on the most difficult of days.

and a new day dawns at the break of day

which brings us all a new beginning.

Discover new paths

even when they go uphill

those are the most rewarding!

Delight in the sparkles that come our way

and take the time to linger as glorious colours and patterns

enter into our line of vision.

Let the light come into our homes and into our hearts

Remaining supple when the wind suddenly changes direction

Unexpected happenings in life allow us to really see the essential

and invite us to change our priorities and adapt.

We learn resilience.

But most of all,

just love life and it loves you right back!

***

Not only is a new year a total mystery, but it is also full of new energy

waiting to carry us forward to new adventures.

Let's live them!

Wishing you all a New Year full of peace in your hearts

and the capacity to rejoice in all the little and wonderful instances

that are given along the way.

Snug at Home in December

During the month of December, it's so nice to enjoy time at home.

Taking the time to notice the play of light and shadows in the entrance of my apartment.

Noticing the colour of the wood on my chair and the butterfly cushion.

Moving in closer, to see the Chinese lanterns that I love to keep in a vase at this time of the year.

The little dove wall hanging given to me by a good friend

and the tiny doll in a rocking chair given to me some years' ago

by a charming American lady called Belle, who used to paint

dolls' faces and dress the dolls.

When I made my bed in the morning sunlight, I enjoyed bathing

in that gentle light and was reminded of the book

that I want to finish reading during the holiday period.

Since Christmas is coming, it's the perfect time to get out my blue Mason Cash

mixing bowl and make some cookie dough for gingerbread men.

I froze most of the dough to bake these cookies fresh just before Christmas

... but I had to bake a few to taste, just to make sure they were spicy enough!

The pretty tea-cloth is a gift from my son who bought it when he visited

Windsor Castle recently!

I hadn't made rum balls for a few years, so decided it was time to make them again.

They're also in the freezer!

Then I made some chocolate truffles.

Oh my! They were too good to keep out, so I ate two and froze the others! 

I also made two other kinds of cookie dough that I've been making since my children were small.

Everything will be baked at the last minute so that it's extra fresh.

My little branch elves have found a special place on my small round table.

I bought them years ago in a craft market and they come out every year

to warm themselves by candlelight.

December is also the month for crocheting decorations.

This year, I found some glitter yarn in different colours and decided to make trees.

I like to try out different patterns and also use old favourites like the snowflakes

in this posting from 2012.

I love the atmosphere of lighted candles, the smell of baking, 

the inevitable mess of strewn yarns and my crochet hooks -

 it reminds me of when my children were little and I was always so busy

 preparing decorations and gifts and making our home inviting and full of 

the delicious aromas of baking!

The heartbeat of my neighbourhood

With all these inside activities, it good to remember to get out at different moments

during the day.

Sometimes, when I notice a special lighting outside, I like to take my camera

and catch a sunset.

From my local park, I can see the tip of the faraway mountains

 and connect with the neighbourhood in which I am living.

When I look at my street already in darkness, I see how all the buildings have joined up

as one connected scene, how the lights have come on in certain homes

and how friendly it all feels.

Although I have no close friends in the area, in this evening lighting, 

I feel a oneness with all I see

and how the rays of the setting sun bring us all together.

I return home to my small, snug apartment and feel contentment.

The lights on the small, real Christmas tree bring joy and warmth to this hanging heart.

I also think of those who once shared my life and are no longer there.

Remembering them brings them close again.

The heart is in their memory.

As we come to the end of this year, it is good to remember how we can become

more conscious and aware human beings.

Each one of us can do our part to protect our planet for future generations.

The tiny fir tree decorated for Christmas is watered regularly

and I will plant it outside so that it can grow bigger.

Forests and all trees are the lungs of the Earth

We need them to survive and they slow down global warming.

They need protecting.

Why not plant a tree in memory of a loved one today?

Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances,

may this holiday period be gentle to you.

For those who celebrate Christmas, may it be meaningful and joyful.

I am taking a blog break, probably until some time in January.

In the meantime,

take care!