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Monthly Archives: January 2014

Studio Snow Day

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by pat in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

It is very rare we get even a single white flake falling in this part of the southern coastal countryside, but today was the exception to the rule.

The path from my house to my studio covered in icy pellets.

The path from my house to my studio covered in icy pellets.

Still, I made it across the garden and up the snow-covered steps to my studio to work.  Even the birds and squirrels who normally chatted with me as I made the trek, cup in hand, had deserted the bushes and trees. Everything was heavy with ice and solemnly quiet.

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From the studio porch. Not a bird in sight.

But, as usual, when I entered the studio to work it was grand.

I am working on three new canvases now, each related to art museums I have visited.  It has been months of steady work, and now I am in the final phase of all three…my favorite part after struggling through the difficult middle stage.

My studio in winter.

My studio in winter.

There is nothing like a warm cozy studio with work going well on that rare wintry day with snow. Life is good.

 

Sissinghurst Gardens 2013

25 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by pat in England, Gardens, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Kent, Sissinghurst Castle

My inaugural post on this blog was about Sissinghurst Castle Gardens.  I visited there a few years ago, and after a visit this past summer, it remains one of my favorite gardens in England. I thought with the east coast blanketed by snow and frigid temperatures this week, it was the perfect time to visit an English garden, and Sissinghurst deserved a second post.

The library at Sissinghurst with Vita's portrait over the fireplace. Photo by me.

The library at Sissinghurst with Vita’s portrait over the fireplace. Photo by me.

Vita Sackville-West, the renowned poet and writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, diplomat and author, began the transformation of the house and gardens in the 1930s.

photo by me

photo by me

It was a labour of love.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Harold was the architect, and Vita orchestrated the romance of the garden.

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Both partners input shows very well in the well-organized garden rooms overwhelmed by color and shape and magnificent blooms. It takes an army of gardeners to manage it all.

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The gardens are famous for Vita’s White Garden, which she wrote about in her diaries.

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It is thought to be the first truly planned out white garden, and it is one my favorite “rooms”.  I would love to see it in the moonlight at its most dramatic.

An entry into the white garden. Photo by me.

An entry into the white garden. Photo by me.

You are able to go up in the tower on winding stone steps, past Vita’s study, to the very top for magnificent views.

The tower from the White Garden. Photo by me

The tower from the White Garden. Photo by me

And along the way, are clips of poems and writings of both Harold and Vita about the planning and transformation of the garden. It was very inspirational and creative.

At the top of the tower. Photo of me by a friend.

At the top of the tower. Photo of me by my dear friend.

And the views from the rooftop were incredible.

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IMG_8709The orchard, from above and a more intimate view…

IMG_8710IMG_8701Because the walls hold the warmth in, there is a great variety of plants familiar to those who garden in the southern locations of the U.S.

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We walked for hours, and although much seemed familiar, there were always new surprises.

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Even with a stop for lunch in the garden at the coffee shop, and a gift shop/ice cream break, it was hours spent in the actual garden rooms.

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This is one of the first years I remember seeing sprinklers moved around many of the gardens.  It was a dry, warm summer in England by their standards.

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The herb room was one of my favorites, with well-marked plants revealing the actual appearance of these famous herbs that we often only see dried in spice jars.

The center of the herb garden. Photo by me

The center of the herb garden. Photo by me

I love Sissinghurst.  Would love to visit it in every season.

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Morgan Motors in Great Malvern

17 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by pat in England, Travel, Uncategorized

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Tags

cars, Malvern UK, Morgan, sports car

After driving through the Cotswolds’ countryside last summer at the end of our British holiday, we had a night booked in a hotel near Tewkesbury.  As we took our exit from the motorway, My Beloved Brit noticed a sign for Great Malvern. “That’s where Morgans are made!” he excitedly exclaimed.  I saw a day trip in our future.

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The only way I knew the Morgan is from NCIS, the tv crime drama.  Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, the character played by David McCallum, has a Morgan…a classic British car, with a great history of style…which the character restored himself.

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MBB called the Morgan headquarters, and found out we could get on a factory tour the next morning.

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Driving the back roads through the Malverns, which are lovely rolling hills, we found the sign for the showroom on the backside of the town of Great Malvern.

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When we entered the Visitors Center, it was jammed. Many of the visitors were from Norway and had brought their Morgans to the factory as part of an annual rally.

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The guided tour was long (2 hours), but MBB was in heaven.

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I must admit, seeing a car built by hand and not on a mechanized assembly line was quite a treat.

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It is one of the oldest sports car companies in the world, and although they have modernized somewhat, the tradition of handwork is still strong.

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The factory had back orders on the books for the next four months.

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But even greater than that, they have an apprentice program where youth are brought in for four years.  They go to college for classes one day a week.  The other four days are at the factory learning to be craftsmen. Hopefully they work up through the ranks learning new skills and become seasoned car builders.

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This is the part of the British education system that I think we could learn from.  Trades are still an option in the school system.

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There were very few women on the lot except in the offices, and stitching the upholstery.  That is traditional too, it seems.

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But it is a tight-knit group and as our tour ended we saw groups of workers sitting on the floor or out in picnic kiosks having their lunch, often bread and apples and cheese, and most likely talking about the weekend soccer match.

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The whole operation is so very British.

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We were able to see cars being made start to finish.

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From the first frame,

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to the upholstery and finishing

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and the last paint job.

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A very interesting day.

 

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