Summer or no summer

Shells from the beach

The month of January should be the hottest time in summer, but not this year.

We are still having strong winds like we normally get in spring and summer storms with lots of rain.

The vegetable garden is not producing a lot, we have no beans yet and the cucumbers are just coming into flower.

Luckily we eating our potatoes and one apple tree is producing a good crop, so coming week I can bottle some apple sauce.

I started a part time job picking strawberries 3 times a week. The strawberries are grown hydroponic on bench height, so easy on my back. The picking only last for 2  to 3 hours in the morning, because after the picking the strawberries are getting packed and delivered to the customers.

The picking job will last till the beginning of May.

The Nelson area were I live is for many a holiday spot and the beaches are always popular with swimmers and water sports.
Most beaches have lovely shady spots under the big pohutukawa trees, the New Zealand Christmas tree, now in flower with big red fluffy flowers.
I love these big beautiful trees and for me they symbolize summer with lazy afternoons swimming and reading a good book in their shade.

The native pohutukawa tree in flower

Ollie our dog got his favourite toy for Christmas and he is unpacking his tennis balls out of the wrapping wearing his little Santa suit.

Ollie unpacking his tennis balls.

Beach in Golden Bay

I started the art sessions after the Christmas break in the rest home and hospital and we painted watercolour butterflies and a background with charcoal.

Two lovely ladies in Motueka donated lots of art materials for me to use and here we are using the watercolour paints and the paper. So a big thank you!

Art session in the hospital

I am part of Sunday Sketches

A drawing from the past

Quite a few years ago I made this charcoal drawing of a Maori lady I met in Picton on the top of the South Island. 

Her story was remarkable.

I don't know her name anymore and she never saw this drawing.

Together with her son she owned a little tourist shop and when I walked in I was straight away captured by her presence, her aura of wisdom and grace. In Maori language this is called "Mana".

I approached her and told her she looked beautiful.
She had a moko tattooed on her chin and I asked her if I could take a photograph of her, so I could later sketch her.
She agreed to the photograph and then she told me her story:

"I was married to a Pakeha man [meaning white man] for many years, but then I had an horrendous accident and nearly died. I still have a scar on my forehead from this accident.
I decided that when I would live, I would have a moko tattooed on my face, because I was given another chance of life.
I lived and recovered from the accident and got a moko.
My husband didn't like it and he told me he couldn't wake up every morning next to me and look at the moko on my face, so he left me.
But I know that I had to be true to myself for what  I believed in and to this day I never regretted my decision".

I really admired her to do what was right for her and a few weeks later I did the charcoal drawing of her.
She was one of those people you meet on your way for a just a moment in time, but as a gift of wisdom.
I am part of Sunday Sketches.

Water colour Art for children

This week was a full week of teaching art.

On Monday I taught an art class at the mental health center and on Tuesday afternoon it was the home school children's art workshop, I finished the week on Thursday teaching at the rest home.

I really enjoy teaching and thinking of new projects and different techniques for each group.

I research the internet and pinterest for inspiration and ideas, for the children's art workshop this week we painted butterflies with watercolour and used charcoal to draw a night sky.

For inspiration I made a sample and told the children a little story about a colourful butterfly fluttering in a dark night sky looking at the moon. There is always colour and light in our life even when things can look a bit gray and dark.

The children enjoyed the two different mediums to create one artwork.

                    

the sample

                                               

I am part of Sunday Sketches