Healing with horticulture.

This week I have been researching how a hospice can help people.

It has long been known that plants help you to recover from lines.

Matthew Wilson designed a Chelsea Garden that has been transferred to a hospice on  the Isle of Wight.

The powerful effect of vivid planting is super.

A pond gives a tranquil touch.

Undulating boards provide rhythm.

I am sure the sense of smell is also stimulated.

We now look to more normal remedies to give solace and relaxation in difficult times.

Linking these events to Nature must be a great idea.

 

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk

Art has many types–but no hierarchy.

My recent encounters at art classes has made me think about the many different forms of art.

Garden design involves looking at structures, colour, form and texture.

The skill of recognising and capturing this in a drawing cannot be overestimated.

What of the artist who commits the same view onto paper?

The two activities are similar.

However, artist like to ponder at the detail and subtle differences.

Designers work faster . They  not only look at what is, but what is possible.

Both are creative processes and neither is a highe r process than the other.

Two different mindsets are involved.

I found it hard to focus on what I saw.

My mind wants to take a critical look at what I see.

A good art teacher is one who recognises how a pupil  sees a landscape and carefully suggests new ideas and techniques.

Patience  and understanding is needed on both sides.

I will continue with my efforts to use another medium.

However, I know the people who are best to show me how to do this.

 

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk

The treasures of Tatton.

Have just watched Tatton.

I am still recovering from my illness.

However, I gained some positive  stimulus from this flower show.

Metal structures are still in.

So are gravel paths, flower beds and large boulders.

My Gravel Garden is like this.

Natural Planting completes the picture.

The young designers showed us the way to a different future.

The winner said strongly that garden designers should design the garden they are pleased with.

YES  YES Yes — even when you have a domineering client that wants to push health and safety aside.

We are professionals and need to be treated as such.

This has done my confidence the world of good.

And now— back to the sofa to rest!

 

www.annesmithdesigns.co.uk

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

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

A change in direction .

I have has my business 12 years this month.
Anne smith designs started in 2005.

There has been a recession since then.

I changed the structure 4 years ago to concentrate on design only.
This was good move.

Now I would like to change again.

I wrote recently of the fact that it is not possible now to control the product.

I would like to explore the field of art.

However, contact with two art teachers was not that good.
One was very critical
The other was very unreliable.
AT the Chatsworth Show I met Gillian Beale.
She ran an art class.

She has set up her own art school at Doddington/lincs.
This week I visited her.
She is a woman of vision.

She was understanding of my situation.
I am talkative and suffer from hearing loss.
She has assured me that she can help me discover the relaxation and concentration of art.

I am so glad.

So this week i am going to the RA Summer Exhibition.
Later in the month I will go over to Doddington.

Designers work alone.
However i am looking forward to seeing how I get on in a different situation.
Like all things doing the research is very important.

I hope that my efforts will be rewarded.

Wish me luck!!

Controlling the product. The dog who wags the tail.

This week at Chatsworth I met a retired food product designer.
There are many similarities in the work including :
the client brief, research, exploring the parameters, risk assessment, health and safety,exploring ideas, the concept design,delivering the design.

It was great for me to have this conversation, as I work alone.

I got a new perspective on how major,unseen forces are at hand.
I knew a little of the as i did food technology as part of my biology degree.

It seems that the food industry itself has major hidden agenda.
For example , salt and sugar content.
Some food labels want their own image to be paramount.

In the end the product may be a very watered down example of the original.
This can be very hard to take.

I have recently had a similar experience.
The care garden started as a super project.
Lots of ideas were discussed.
Health and safety regulations were explored.
Contacts were approached.

Suddenly all this changed!!
Health and safety went out of the window.
Major construction details were just ignored.
All decisions came down to costs.

The result would have been a very poor product.

Garden Designers should take control of the product.
If clients want ” cut -price ‘products they should go to cut- price suppliers.

The dignity of the profession needs to be protected.

As does the wonderful occupation that is Garden Design!