Autumn and Winter brings beautiful light over the landscape

The sun of high summer gives clear blue skies and little shadow, but when the sun is lower in the sky and you are more aware of the break of the day and the setting of the sun, it provides endless variations in colour and light in the sky.  Those brighter autumn and winter days sparkle as light filters through the hedges and trees with a soft warmth.  I walked the breakwater at Bude early one morning last week as the sun was just rising. It rises over the back of the town and the sun shone down over the beach and this early warmth created a lovely distant mist.

Daybreak and mist from the breakwater, Bude

 

A natural Man Mermaid? – Bude has a Merman!

Maybe summer isn’t over after all.  After days of either cold wind or rain, we can finally get out for nice evening stroll. I do believe Bude has a natural Merman!!  From a certain angle this rock off Wrangle Point ( slightly north of crooklets beach) certainly has the look of one.  What do you think?

Wrangle Merman

There was also a beautiful sunset.  We thought we had missed it as it dipped behind the cloud, but by the time we had got on top of the cliff, it appeared again before quickly dropping off the horizon.

Sun dropping off Wrangle Point. click to enlarge

 

 

Get into the sea!!

I have not painted for the last 6 weeks and it has been a welcomed break.  There have been weddings, festivals, and parties to go to and although we haven’t ventured far, when the weather is fine I am in holiday mode.  With the sea temperature rising, it has been glorious to get into the water again and there has been some great surf the last few days.  Once I get in the water, I can’t wait to go in again. I am disappointed though by the lack of swimmers who are au naturel  - not literally in the buff, but definately without a wetsuit.  10 years ago, no-one wore a wetsuit unless you were a serious surfer.  Now those to be seen entering the water in a bikini, swimsuit or shorts are in the minority and can be counted on one hand.  It is a great shame as they are missing out on a vital connection with the ocean.  When you immerse yourself in seawater your skin absorbs minerals from the sea and after a few days your skins becomes beautifully soft and moisturized.  I have not needed the cocoa butter for the past week. You also feel far more vitalised.  Ok… there maybe an initial sharp intake of breath, but the water soon starts to feel great and when you walk back out through the shallows it feels as warm as bath water. So this post is to encourage everyone to … Get into the sea!!

 

A Wedding turns out to be a good selling point

When I went to Bude Castle today to collect my paintings I discovered I had sold five which have all gone to homes where they will be enjoyed and provide people memories of their time in Bude.  What I didn’t bargain for, is another marketing angle which has a wonderful story.  The exhibition room is a beautiful space and is also used increasingly for weddings. Two weeks ago the father of the bride, bought his daughter one my paintings which depicted the North Cornish Coast and provided them with a wonderful memento of the day as I believe they came from Yorkshire.

It is not a particularly old building, but the setting is wonderful.  Above is a photo of Bude Castle from the front, but what you cannot see is what is behind it and to the side.  Directly behind it are the river, sand dunes and the beach which can all be viewed from the restaurant.  To the side is the Bude Canal.  The whole area is quite unique and has been renovated over the last decade preserving its heritage, but also making it very accessible and usable for everyone and all sorts of events.

 

Two paintings sold at exhibition

Wow!  Did I get a lovely surprise today….. Two of my paintings at the “An Eye To Cornwall” exhibition have sold, and they are the biggest ones too.  I feel mixed emotions.  These two paintings were my most recent and I was not really ready to part with them.  Having put so much time, energy and emotion into painting them, I was still quite attached to them.  In common with many painters, each new painting is always the best!!         My one regret is that I didn’t put SAE’s on the back so that purchasers can let me know where the paintings have gone, so if you are reading this and you kindly bought “Dancing Surf on an Incoming Tide” or “The Brilliance of Gorse 2 – Wanson Mouth”, would you please drop me an email or a note to let me know.  The purchasers must have been visitors to the area, as the paintings have been taken down and replaced with two others.

 

More Paintings- “An Eye to Cornwall”

Dimity, Widemouth Bay

It takes time to get all this internet stuff sorted, so sorry for the unprofessional disjointed way I have presented it.  Its a case of finding time to edit, crop and present pictures of my paintings.  Some of the following are some of the smaller paintings on show, but with no less impact.  One is the largest at  I wonder how they reproduce in your eyes and how they compare in real life.

Windblown Gorse in a Cornish Hedge

Summer Warmth

Dancing Surf on an Incoming Tide 100cm square

 

“An Eye to Cornwall”

Short break over, it was all systems go to get my paintings together for Stephanie Meads to hang the exhibition at the Willoughby Gallery at the Castle, Bude. Cornwall.  Entitled “An Eye to Cornwall”, it showcases the work of four cornish painters,  Tom Henderson Smith, Liz Cleves, Shelagh May and myself, Sue Read.  I have included some of the paintings on show below.

Oil and Acrylic on Linen canvas 80cm x 50cm

Northcott Mouth, Oil, Ink and Acrylic 50cm sq

 

 

 

 

 

A day to cherish – our wedding street party!!

Our street party for the Royal Wedding was the most amazing day.. After watching the TV coverage and dashing to friends to catch some of it, the road closure signs were put out and it was all go from the minute the bell was rung up and down the street.  Everyone was out, carrying their tables, flowers, food, chairs and helping their neighbours set up.

Pinning down the cloths

Friends and family joined in and there was a wonderful atmosphere on a beautiful day, as we all shared our scones, cakes and sandwiches along with stories of old as people took in the memory and history boards of the road that had been put together.  There had never been as street party here before and it will certainly not be the last. Residents made the effort to talk to as many different people as possible, with new friendships being formed and for some, old friends rediscovered. The triumph of the day had to be  the entertainment provided by residents, Dick and Ann Dingle who played accordian and guitar all afternoon.

By Golly, I do believe Kim has a cup of tea in her hand.

The cutting of the Wedding Cake for all to share

Music has a way of lifting the spirit like nothing else and it was a “party” in the true sense of the word. A perfect way to celebrate where young and old got together and where bonds of friendship will bind us together in the true sense of neighbourliness.  The  tables weren’t cleared off the road until 8′ish  as the last embers of the barbeque died down.  Talk was of making it an annual event, or at least for next year for the Diamond Jubilee.

 

Summers early arrival, an Anniversary and we meet a Gentleman of the Road

The weekend has brought the most fab weather.  Clear blue skies, sparkling seas and our 28th wedding anniversary!!  A seafood lunch and 2 glasses of sauvignon blanc at lunchtime overlooking Summerleaze beach here in Bude ( should have taken my camera!) made for a perfect way to spend it . We have had another warmer summer-like day today, to kick start the tourist season with Easter approaching next weekend.  Certainly for the past two or three years we have had our summer in the late Spring, so we are hoping this pattern is not being repeated this year!  Six more months of this please!!  It’s always lovely to meet new people too and Don got talking to a “gentleman of the road” – Thomas.  He is a regular summer visitor to Bude and frequents the beach where he plays backgammon with the local kids and stays whatever the weather.  A friend fixed his trolley last year when the wheel became wobbly and its still in one piece. He has some great stories to tell and although he chooses to live an alternative life, I hope people don’t judge him by it as he is very friendly.

 

Glorious sunshine, glorious bunting

Preparations are well under way for the street party we are organising for the forthcoming Royal Wedding of William and Kate. We had a wonderful turn out on Sunday afternoon for bunting making with people digging out some fabulous fabrics from their attics and all ages were busy cutting out pennants, glueing, and stapling.

At a rough estimate we made 150 metres of the most colourful bunting to decorate our street.  We finished off with the last bottle of my elderflower champagne. It seems the whole street will be out looking for elderflowers come June to make their own. It was a great way to get people together and was a great way to kickstart the event as people swapped stories about who lived in the road and what it was like in years gone by. Our next quest is to get together some history.  There should be plenty as there are over 80 houses in the road with the earliest dating from 1901.