Woah, a busy few days carpe-ing the diem with my delightfully crazy aunt who came to stay (and then a couple of days at work). I love my aunt. Having a vegetarian to stay (aka a herbivore, in the Toddler Twinnage’s very carefully considered opinion after I explained that we wouldn’t be eating any meat/fish for a few days) was a happy excuse to cook lots and lots of curry stuffed with veg and chickpeas, and to drink sparkling wine and talk about love. Not that vegetarians/herbivores have a monopoly on wine or love, but that’s just how we rolled.
The Toddler Twinnage adore my aunt so much that they showed her all nine squillion pages of their various dinosaur books one by one, with detailed questioning of her understanding of each picture, just to make sure that she was paying due attention. Trust me, they wouldn’t do that for just any old visitor.
We also went out to admire the summer, and meander for miles through the countryside with the Toddler Twinnage on their balance bikes. I’m writing this whilst the rain is pouring in through the pesky cracks in the roof, but for a few days, summer looked like this:-
Actually I was quite pleased with this picture, so I posted it on my personal Facebook page, at which point my artist friend Caroline Fox Betts took a liking to the image and decided to paint it. Want to see something wonderful? Seriously? Well look at these images. (She hasn’t quite finished, but like me, she wants to show you work in progress.)
So she began with an image on a screen plus a blank canvas.
And then she began to work, adding broad areas of colour and mood:-
And then, the beginnings of some detail;-
And then this!
Isn’t it fabulous? She says it’s not quite finished because she’s waiting for the paint to harden before she adds highlights, but isn’t it still just full of light and warmth and lazy days? Man, I wish I could paint. If you’re looking for the creator of this wonderfulness, Caroline is at cfoxbetts@gmail.com . And she’s at carolinefox.com, too.
Talking of works in progress, we now have a lawn for the crazy-house-project. It’s a little uneven, a little weedy, just like every real lawn that’s ever been under my care, and it’s involved about a billion crochet stitches, but it’s done. More photos coming…
Why am I not surprised your aunt is a little crazy? Isn’t it wonderful to see a work in progress? Your friend is very good with the bristles and colours! I’m glad to hear the lawn is a real lawn – it will make your creation more – er – real …….. 🙂
I love the fact that she saw your photo and wanted to paint it. But what I can’t get over apart from how great it is , is how quickly she has created it. You captured a great shot and she has brought her own vision to it. Wonderful both of you and thanks for sharing the progress I love that
Thank you Phil for giving me the basis for this painting. I love your knitting and crochet in progress pictures and am constantly inspired by you. x
That is just the perfect summer picture, and what a wonderful painting that is going to be!
Very interesting to see how this painting was made. We need these images of summer when she shows her face so rarely!
I always have wanted a crazy aunt. Lucky you. The painting is full of life. Lovely.
We vego’s tend to have the Wine, philosophy and love corner covered most of the time (when we are tipsy, waxing lyrical and surrendering ourselves to the adoration of small children). You can find us cycling through wheat-fields with gay abandon (while the farmer is priming his shotgun and hitching up “Ole Betsy” the tractor for a hippy hunt…) and wearing big floppy hats and diaphanous creations of linen and cheesecloth…OR you can find us wearing what was first come to hand when we get out of bed and procrastinating the need to get off ones derriere and get back to the mountain of creating that needs to still be accomplished on this (sodding) anime toy. Glad you had a few days off. I don’t have any vego aunts to come visit me and take my mind off “it”. I guess I just have to get back to work. I love that your friend caught that light in your photo. Is she giving you the painting? If so, you can take it down off the wall and stare at it with manic eyes come winter and nature doing it’s worst and the toddler twinnage “rooning” the house all around you and remember those moments “REMEMBER THOSE MOMENTS!” 😉
Wow, that painting is incredible!! Your friend is very talented! xx
Caroline’s painting is really great.
That is really pretty!
Your Aunt sounds like a delightful lady.
Your friend is very talented.
🙂