Such a treat to watch bees buzz around the tall globe thistle 🙂
These delightful post-it note drawings sat by the side of the path between railway and houses in Belper today. Wisely, they'd chosen a shady spot on this scorching day. Crouching to photograph them I wondered at the event of their creation - a guessing game? something to delight a child? to while away a bus journey, illustrate a conversation? Literally 'throw away' drawings on post-it notes, momentary, speedy while also showing a confidence with line and proportion. I'm a fan of the artist.
The addition of a googly-eye gives an air of intent to the stegosaurus - it's going places. The brachiosaurus has appears wistful, looking back at where it's been.
They make a balanced team.
A few months ago I left a packet of sunflower seeds in the stairway of Haarlem Artspace (where I have a studio) inviting others to pick a seed and grow a sunflower. I staged it as a competition of sorts - envisaging studio holders planting our sunflowers in the flowerbed by the studio building and watching as each grew into itself with its own special attribute.
At the moment mine stands alone, though I'm hopeful my sunflower will have company.
It grew on my studio windowsill for a month or so and 7 days ago I planted it out. I've been grateful for the rain that has fallen this week and today went to check on the beautiful and hopeful flower-bud that is forming. I'll have bated breath until it flowers.
Tomorrow I am providing homemade vegan victorian sponge and ginger nut biscuits to celebrate the sunflower and my intention of joining studio holders in a communal flowery endeavour. It's not quite taken off this time, there is always next year...
The lavender I planted on Doris Hardy's grave is flourishing. I visited for frequent waterings during dry April and hardly at all in wet May. Today, in glorious sunshine, I went to admire the lavender's abundant flower-heads and watched ants doing their communal thing on the warmed concrete of Doris's, her aunt Mary's and grandmother Sarah's grave.
Have yet to sit and spin using a spindle by the grave, a nod to the word 'spinster' etched into the stone - I plan to do this on Friday.
This grave in Wirksworth Cemetery, Derbyshire fascinates me. Doris Hardy was added to the side of this grand gravestone and the first thing we know after her name is that she was a SPINSTER (in text that's on a right leaning wonk). Who buried her here? Who didn't take enough care over the text? Why is her marital (lack of) status so important?
Delving on Ancestry I discovered that Doris was born in 1894, the first child of Henry and Alice. She had four sisters and one brother and two siblings who died. Her family had deep connections to Derbyshire and the local area. She is buried with her grandmother Sarah who died in 1905, and aunt Mary (also a spinster) who died in 1934.
The grave was covered in overgrowth so one Sunday in April I spent an afternoon clearing weeds and intended to scatter bee friendly seeds and plant native plants. I soon discovered concrete under my trowel and was disappointed but wondered if I'd find any further clues about Doris and her family in it's surface. I did not.
Taking the seeds away I returned the following week and planted lavender in a soil filled circular hole within the concrete. Disappointed again as this hole was a tube as far as I could reach and felt sorry for the lavender knowing it's roots will be restricted. It's been a dry April so I've returned often to water the plant and help it settle into it's unpromising spot.
Ideas are forming and I plan to research Doris further to understand more about her life.
