You got me singing the blues...

Well, not you exactly. Something else. Something a little too touchy at the moment to write here.

For a few weeks there, things were feeling pretty sad here at La Rivière. This thing (read: me) was anyway.

Strangely enough, I've never, EVER associated the colour blue with sadness. It's a colour that fills me with Peace and even Joy. Blue is the colour I paint most. So this calligraphy is a far cry from expressing sadness.

Actually, it was born, so to speak, while I was cheerfully listening to 'Annie's Song' by John Denver. The secret's out. Now you know I was brought up on country and western music. I'm a grown up 41 year old now, so I can stand tall in front of you contemporary melomaniacs and say this at the top of my voice… without flinching. (OMG I just  admitted this in front of all 1609706 people who read this blog: CRINGE, I SAY, CRINGE!).  You may remember from this post then, that I'm a closet John Denver lover. Closet, that is, if you aren't within earshot; which technically spans a 2km radius around my atelier.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. At a loss for inspiration and chortling out YOU FILL UP MY SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENSES LIKE A SLEEPY BLUE OCEAN!!!

Then it hit me. I grabbed an old door; one I had been turning around and around for weeks wondering if we were really destined to work together, ripped out my gesso and pallet knife then started whipping up a storm.

Literally. 

A très blue one.

LIKE A NIGHT IN THE RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN. Yeah! That's it! SPLASH went the Lectoure blue pigment. FLASH went the indigo ink - like drops racing down a window pane.

LIKE THE MOUNTAINS IN SPRIIIIIIIIIIING TIIIIIIIIIIIME. Hmmm - it's nearly Autumn. Bugger it! I'll 'live' a little and make the final touch flame red!! Et TAC ;-)

Now that I've calmed down somewhat. 

I'm curious. About YOU!

How does colour affect your emotions? 

Do certain colours pull you up out of your socks or others sink you down further?

Do you associate certain colours with certain states of being? 

Just asking. 

Sorta wondering if I'm the only  crazy out here…

Love :)

A heart of Courage: giveaway

Have you ever noticed that when you finally bite the bullet and do something you've been dying to do but dreading internally, for fear of being out of your league, too big for your boots, or just plain not up to grade, that things just fall into place?

Over at Annie Blogs you can win one of my 'Key to Courage' hearts above if you leave a comment on her blog answering one not so tiny question: 'What does courage mean to you?' 

To me courage means daring to believe you're bigger than you feel inside, and stepping out even if you aren't completely sure you have what it takes to make the jump . It means not asking permission for believing in yourself.

Courage to me means: 

Daring to be the change I want to see in the world!

(thank you Gandhi!)

And you? What's courage to you? Go and tell Annie here then come back and share with me

Sending out some bursts of courage to you all till next time

Love

Shedding a little light on the subject: a makeshift tutorial on what to do with an old shell and a piece of driftwood

Given that:

a) Homeschooling has hexed my mind into a seething pit of viscious French verbs and evil rules of grammar, exhausting all form of creativity in the process,

and 

b) Time has packed its bags and left La Rivière in disgust

then

in a desperate bid to think of ANYTHING something remotely interesting for a blog post, I have resorted to carrying the camera with me about the house hoping to find gold in an unsuspecting moment! 

EUREKA!!!

I've come up with an idea for you. Well it will be interesting to YOU, if you too happen to have the following:

1. a bare wall from which protrude unsightly electrical wires topped with a builder's light socket (mine was in the bathroom for example), 
2. a spare shell purchased years before at a brocante  
3. a forlorn piece of driftwood lying around. 

Take said piece of driftwood and cut a slit through the middle lengthways, nearly to the end, so the shell sits comfortably but firmly. Honestly possums, it has to sit there for a long time, maybe even years (if you're lucky), before your bulb blows, so give it a comfy seat. My chosen piece of driftwood was already conveniently formed that way but I figured out how to replicate it in case I wanted a second bathroom sconce.

Drill a small hole diagonally through the wood at the back (behind the shell of course) for the electrical wire to pass through. Take a small screw thread, about 1cm high and fix it onto the top of your wood, over the hole. This is what you will screw your light socket onto.  

You can't see how it is used in this photo as we are in a rented house and I didn't bother to take the ugly light fitting off completely (This is duly explained by yours truly being too lazy to go downstairs and switch of the electricity main when she's all excited about having a quick fix light on the wall two flights' up). I just hid it behind the shell, on top of the new light socket I've screwed into the wood. However, for your own home I strongly recommend you drill the hole through the wood so the wall wiring can be integrated up through your sconce.  

If you want yours to look prettier, I suggest you DON'T LOSE PATIENCE like me and, unlike me, DO take the time to make the notch that is needed to insert your wall bracket into the back of the  driftwood, rather than fixing it rapidly to the bottom in a very non professional manner.  

OK - it's only a quickie idea. But it works out well on a bathroom wall.

Don't you think?

Righto possums, I'd better race off and think of another quickie lighting idea for my atelier, the last idea I had hasn't worked at all and the dark October evenings are finally drawing in. 

Bisous to all I haven't seen lately.

I'll be back!

xxx

A little inspiration to get on your bike...

These final days of warm sunshine mean I'm still trying to fit in as much painting as I can after the homeschooling finishes for the day. Coincidentally, I shall be racing off on my poor, neglected mountain bike later to run some errands since I conveniently blew a car tyre last night racing messmonster number two home from singing and don't have a spare.

Just in case you weren't feeling too energetic at the moment. I thought this short video of gorgeous French women pedalling might inspire you.


Contrex - Ma Contrexpérience - 97s from Marcel on Vimeo.

So whadaya reckon? It really made me smile!! Sigh, my 'errand' ride is likely to be much less interesting.

Have a great weekend. I'd better get that pedalling in quick. Dinner out tonight and tomorrow night make for tight pants!
Much love

Silence of Ange um… Angels

Silence.

The word of Angels

Each beat of their eyelashes

Is a symphony

I know an 'Ange' who stays silent for ages. Days pass. A whole month even. Why entire seasons can change before you get word from her. 

That usually means she's been a busy Ange. 

Let's look on it as a blessing ;-)

I've put a couple of new pieces up in my Etsy shop. 

The rest are waiting patiently for me to get my camera out. 

Looking forward to beating my wings

Getting a bit of air

and flying your way.

Peace to you all :)

Heck, to me too!

Homeschooling is in full swing

There is laughter in the Autumn air