Rested and revitalised

I'm back and for a week I managed to just about escape the wettest winter here in 52 years. We went on our first family camping trip and what an adventure it was. Starting with 3 days at Tietiesbaai on the West Coast and ending further up the coast at Vensterklip just outside Elandsbaai. Two totally different experiences but the one thing that really struck me, was how being exposed to mother nature just makes you feel so much more in touch and vunerable at the same time. The only time the children stopped running, climbing and rolling down sand dunes was for food and sleep - what a joy and rare privilage!

Tietiesbaai ~ where you can camp all along the coast in many different spots some with amenities and some with none. Apparently it gets a bit crowded in the crayfish season.

SunCat

I'm going to try and shake off the winter blues. I'll be back in a week all bright eyed and bushy tailed prrrrrrrrrrr. Now - all cross your fingers, scrunch your eyes and wish for some sunny weather!

Sea Lavender

A little while ago Nicolette from devliegendekoe asked me about this plant. It's one that we all grow here at the coast because it does well - but I had no idea what it was actually called. I've now found out. This excerpt from Teleflora:

statice
THE MEANING & SYMBOLISM OF statice
Grown for both its colorful flowers and its everlasting calyx (the green leaf that encloses the flower bud), statice is also considered an herb, referred to as “sea lavender.” Statice is commonly used in dried flower arrangements as well as fresh bouquets. Its botanical name is derived from the Greek word “limonium,” meaning meadow, referring to the plants original habitat and likely why this versatile flower is also called marsh-rosemary. With a misty and seafoam appearance (two more names associated with this wildflower-like plant), in the language of flowers, statice symbolizes remembrance.

There apparently about a 120 varieties to be found around the world.
Thanks for asking Nicolette now I've learnt something too.

Sunshine on my shoulder

Today the sun really came out.

Have a great weekend!

Perception vs. Reality

Like the famous Rollingstones campaign, things at the tip of Africa aren't always what they seem. Take for instance Springday - 1 September.
This would be the perception:

This is a little repeat I designed last year - never quite finished it but maybe I should.

This would be the reality!


That is the most I've seen of Table Mountain since monday! (Lionshead by the way) Rain rain and more rain.

Saturday the weather gave us a small break...

And someone, somewhere else in the world has the rest of our beach! Global warming doesn't seem so intangible anymore.

As I promised

Here is the other piece I finished. I was inspired to try a platter by a Wonkiware platter I was given as a pressie. The one I made is from a mold. But the leaf detail is mine.


I loosely based the design on basil (ok, very loosely) and the colour is a paint-on-glaze which I'm very happy with. I'm making more but with different motives and colours. It's what I love about my monday nights ~ I get to play and just see what happens. A rare privilege.

Pinch me

It's taken me a long time to get there but here, finally is the first collection of begging bowls complete. They are pinchpots and each one would fit into your cupped hands. There was lots of experimenting. I played with two clays ~ stoneware and a pure white stoneware. I also played with underglazes of different whites. My favourite in the end being a "bone white." It just feels softer and with more empathy somehow.


I also designed an Art Nouveau inspired stamp in the process.


But wait,
there's more...
I'll show you tommorrow.