Happy Winter Solstice. A celebration day for me – a pause day. This is when it appears that the sun itself takes a pause and for a few days the days/nights stay constant and then slowly and surely the light starts to return and the days, minute by minute get longer. The “worst” is over. Ha! Easy for me to say now that I don’t live in Ontario anymore, where harsh weather in January masks the progress.
Looking at my post from a year ago, I’m doing exactly what I was doing then. I’ve finished up my painting and other projects, photographed and framed, tidied and cleaned The Bunkie Study to transform it into The Bunkie Guest House in anticipation of Steve and the grand dogs arriving for a few days at Christmas. Last year I showed and telled my geometric paintings (see A Compass, A Ruler and a Pencil…and Colour). This year, after some months of creative pause, I returned to them this fall. I never really know what kind of art I’m going to do next – one day I wake up and decide that it’s time to draw, or use acrylics, or loose watercolour, abstract or realistic, whatever, the urge just comes. But this new year I know will bring more of these geometrics as the idea downloads of pattern and colour just keep coming, often in dreams, and I have lots more projects in mind.
So here’s my Solstice show and tell. May you all embrace and enjoy your creativity, however it shows up for you, as the light slowly starts to return.
And a moon phase calendar gift for a friend who is as entranced by the moon as I am…
It’s Winter Solstice today, December 21st, and greetings on this shortest day/longest night of the year. A special day – the turning of the light. It’s also time to clean up my studio, put things away and transform the space into a guest room for the holidays. I thought I’d show and tell the art I’ve been making this past season in The Bunkie Studio. Something different.
This grid is the geometric construction of the Torus design, made with compass, ruler and pencil. Add designs created of colour. One basic pattern, infinite variations. Meditation with the eyes open.
And then of course there is Nature’s own geometric art – these patterns are everywhere:
July 4, 2011 was the day I arrived in Canada after four years of living in the Philippines, to start a completely new adventure on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The move was a long time coming and I have always loved it here. I felt at home here on the island long before I even made the move, in those years of frequent visits when I always had to leave in the end to go “home”. This final move was a true homecoming.
Eleven years ago, when we moved into this house, the back garden was a blank slate, just a bare rectangle surrounded by a wooden fence. The first thing built was the GreenHouse – a dream of mine since forever, then all the stone work on the patios replacing big concrete slabs, then digging up the sod to build flower beds, installing new fences and planting area along one side of the house, shaded by wooden lattice. The buildings were repainted. Later came the really big project, the huge pergola patio that stretches along the side of the house. And along the way, planting, planting and replanting – trees, shrubs, perennials, vines. The garden is filled with bees, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects, hummingbirds and other birds that pop in to check things out. It’s been an ongoing project of love – a refuge, retreat and a place of ever-changing eye candy.
So this is what our 11-year old garden looks like now – in summer, along with some “before” shots:
The first garden project 2011 – the GreenHouse along with the very beginnings of my fuchsia collection202220222011 Beginning the hardscaping of the blank canvas in the backyard. The Bunkie Studio where I hang out is on the left.20222011 The side of the house I call the Summer Greenhouse. Benching and staging for the fuchsias during the summer shaded by lattice.The Fuchsia Ranch 2013 in the “Summer Greenhouse” I only have a few fuchsias left in the collection. Last year’s two heatwaves wiped out or damaged most of those remaining.Outside The Bunkie 20122022Planted trees, Coral Bark Maple and Cryptomeria 2012Trees – 10 Years Later and still growing fastView from the GreenHouse 2012 – planting begun2022 view from the GreenHouseFront of the house – 2012Front Garden Summer 2022Completed pergola 20142022 – 4 different honeysuckle vines, Japanese maples and, of course, fuchsias
Hanging out in the jungle garden is so relaxing, even the neighbour’s cat, Little Black Cat, aka Cricket, is enjoying making herself quite at home. Or, depending on point of view, taking over. “Give me back my seat!”
Dennis – 11 years old. Loving Summer in the Garden 2022
But peace in the garden for Dennis was not to last. Then came the cousins. Oh, no!…
Steve had a job in Nanaimo this month and stayed with us during the weekdays for three weeks, bringing his little animal family and leaving the grand-dog, Rosie, and grand-cat, Sox, in our care during the day while he worked. A vacation for them outside in the jungle garden and it was fun hanging out with them all day. And all was well – Dennis turned out to be quite gracious about the visitors.
RosieSox
It took a long time coming this year but summer finally arrived, well into July. It had been unusually cool and rainy for months and months. Complaints were muted though as we all remember the horror show of last summer with its record heat, drought and fires. Now is the time to move outside and enjoy the warmth and beauty of this very special place.
