Monday, April 16, 2012

Spring is Progressing

Usually when I take photos on the moor, I’m with Brian, but yesterday Terri Windling and I took a drive over the moor to see how spring was progressing further afield than Chagford. It was progressing beautifully, I’m happy to report. We stopped at an interesting site called (I believe) Foals Arrishes. It is a series of what must have been pens and runs for livestock, sheep, horses, cows, etc. but it has always been intriguing in design. The wonderful horizontal tree has been a feature of this particular landscape for as long as I have been driving over the moor. It is interesting in any season but I think that Spring, with leaves just beginning to come out must be the most beautiful of all.



We stopped for coffee, which we had in a lovely garden at the back of the Green Ginger Cafe. This little duck sat very contentedly right near our feet, waiting, I suppose, for crumbs. Unfortunately, we didn’t share and he eventually got up in disgust and wandered away to a more promising table of customers.



I was in the front garden this morning and made an interesting discovery. Now I know who has been taking the fish from our pond - and here I was blaming Buster!


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Work in Progress

Saturday
Here is a photo of the piece I’m working on at the moment. It’s at the stage when I’m trying to decide if I like her hair this dark - it certainly stands out this way - or if I want to change it completely and give her very light blond hair to match her outfit or go light red. I think I like it this way. Hmmmm …I’ll keep you posted. 



Sunday 
I just felt that there was something wrong with the black hair. There was too much of a contrast between the clothing and her hair when it was so dark. I tried red and light golden red and finally decided on this very pale blond. I think it gives the ethereal quality to her that I was looking for - so - blond she is. 



Monday 
A few final touches and I think she’ll be finished. It’s always so interesting to me to have a figure“need” to change just when I think I’ve basically completed it. I was happy with the black hair until I walked away from it for a night and came back with a fresh eye in the morning. Then it was easy to see that I wasn’t going to achieve the effect I wanted until I changed the hair. Now she has the ethereal look I was going for in the first place.