My week :Reflections on life!

It has been a week packed with strong emotions.

A friend who is a gardener is ill.

Gardeners form good friendships with their fellows.

Therefore something like this is deeply felt.

From experience I know it is better to carry on in your own garden and gain solace from this.

A garden demands us to look to the future and nourish what we have.

I have received news this week of the workshop at Palmstead to be held in January 2018.

I look forward to seeing my old friends.

My recent visit to Patchings Art Festival revived my interest in coloured pencils.

Perhaps I will join the Coloured Pencil Society. 

Again this was an opportunity to meet old friends.

When life  throws sadness your way it is good to remember the numerous contacts and benefits a hobby or occupation brings.

It also gives continuity in a chaotic world.

It helps us to become centered again and find the energy that is necessary to carry on.

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk

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Capturing colour.

This week I went to Patchings Art  Festival. 

One of the talks that excited me most was about colour.

I have used Derwent Colouring pencils in my work for years.

They have just launched a new collection.

The talk was based on this.

Landscape art was the reference point.

Colour changes in its appearance as it recedes into the distance.

The artist  must try to capture this.

Vivid hues occur in the foreground , while muted colour appear in the distance.

Derwent tackles this with the range of colours it produces.

Sunlight will affect the appearance of shades of colour.

Light and dark must also form part of the story.

Malcolm Cudmore gave an excellent talk.

This is my new  interest.

It is filling my life with positive thoughts.

I just wish i had not waited so long to take this new direction in my life.

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk

 

 

 

Gardening for health–and lots of it!

Roses in my garden June 2017!

During recent weeks I have been quite ill in hospital.

The first thing I did on returning home was to go in my garden.

I felt more relaxed immediately.

In the days that followed I sat among my plants and enjoyed the sunshine. Eventually I was able to potter to get my energy levels back.

Sadly stress returned in getting the right aftercare.

Some of these problems were immense.

I sat in my garden to think the problems through.

A visit to Easton Walled Garden to see the Sweet Pea

Event with friend gave temporary relief.

Now that things have settled down I watched the  Hampton Court Flower Show.

Life today is full of conflict, aggression, frustration and poor moral.

To return to a more reasonable  life it is necessary to escape of environment.

Gardening does this.

The physical exercise helps break down tension.

The beauty of the plants gives hope and calm.

Long may  we  continue to appreciate that a calmer ,happier life is what we should be aiming for.

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk

 

 

 

A new presence !

This week I was contacted by Spun Gold TV to see if I would put forward my Courtyard Garden  for a tv programme.

They were also interested in other gardens on my website.

This will depend on how the client feels.

After 12 years in the business of design it is super to have this type of recognition.

A garden may not fit the bill for the very particular image of TV..

It may not look good at the time of filming.

Perhaps the character has changed over the years.

Perhaps it does not fit the brief.

Then again the client may not want a film crew in their private space.

All this adds up to the beauty of a garden is in the eye of the beholder.

Yours may not make onto TV–but the chances are it is beautiful in your eyes!

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk