Stonehenge done my way :-) !

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A mural, A poem, Art, Artistic, artistic images with poetry, Artistic moment, Arty, Caren's creative canvas and craft, Constable, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Creativity, Emulsion paint, Inspiration, John Constable's Stonehenge, Mural, Mural of Stonehenge, My Muse, My Stonehenge by Caren Taylor, Original, Painting, Poem, Poems and art, Poetry, Solstace, standing stones, Stonehenge, Unique, w, Welsh stone, Wittering of a wild woman

”…..Sometimes…..’ A poem  by ME!

Caren Taylor copyright 2014 (for both picture image and poem)

‘…..Sometimes…..’

Sometimes we need something ???

but, don’t know what it is…?

Sometimes we want something ???

but don’t know how to get it…?

Sometimes we feel something ???

but don’t know how to respond…?

Sometimes….. things just happen

And…It’s the best feeling in the World..! 🙂

—————————-CAREN TAYLOR 2014 (C)

One day…I knew I needed to paint another mural, but though I knew what I wanted, and, I had a feeling of what it should be, it just wasn’t becoming how I envisaged… in fact it was about a million miles away from making me happy! Then…a Eureka moment! Life is all about change…! So, scrap the first plan!!! Pensively, drawn from one situation to another and seeing things from two different perspectives within my head, there was only one realistic outcome to achieve my aim, I based my creative crowning glory on a Constable! An atmospheric artistic arrangement in my own colours of His ‘Stonehenge’! Painted ferociously with everyday emulsion paint in a matter of hours…when you know something is right…… go for it!!! Was I a Druid in a past life?!?…Maybe?!? Am I happy with the outcome?!? YES!!! I can stand anywhere and look into the perspective of the picture to give me perspective on life, I can sit and wonder in the forefront of my thoughts, or I can delve back and take a deeper moment of thought of what things could or should have been…! Constable’s reasons for painting his picture were his… My mural makes me muse over matters and moments of my life…for ME!

Stonehenge Mural – done my way! But, inspired by Constable!

A simple emulsion painting (using only tester pots and cheap decorating paintbrushes))  which has brightened my days for many years now – I cease to tire of it 🙂 Oh! and I also built a mini Stonehenge at the bottom of our garden, using old stone paving edge stones I dug up – a post for another time, maybe!!!

On many of my posts I have photographed my craft items on our large sofa in our back living- room, which is directly below my huge mural of my beloved Stonehenge. Our back room leads directly through to my painting/drawing/crafting workspace in the conservatory…as a south facing room, it is perfect to work in, maybe for two or three days a year!!!, making for one giant place to work and create! On some of my crafty posts, a snippet or two of the photos, may have included bits of the painting, which was unknown to the viewer …so I am now unveiling what sits above!

For whatever reason…I have been drawn to Stonehenge for years, and, was fortunate to have visited the site…on a surprise trip! – which made me doubly sure.. I must have been some kind of Druid in a past life ;-/! (for the fulfilment if being there, was just indescribable)  – it was the best thing I could ever have wished for and experienced! I have much to thank my Dearest one for, because, the experience, and, even though he didn’t understand my drive to be there… he still took me 🙂

After doing many murals both for my own children in their bedrooms as they grew up and for friend’s, and, sometimes even for their children too, over the years, I suddenly felt the urge to create one for myself!!! Not really knowing what else to add to the unveiling of my wall…I thought I would stick a poem underneath, which also seems a little disjointed from reason too! So they make a perfect coupling :-)!

One amazing purely random fact I want to share………t I have a mirror centrally placed directly opposite the painting, and, if the sun hits the mirror on the summer solstice, which it has done a couple of time over the years, it lights up My Stonehenge in the most amazing way, taking a beam of light through to the back of the painting and through the two furthest stones!

 

PS. Having first been an untitled poem by myself, I was spurred on by the lovely Mrs. P. to give it one…so, after much deliberation……….and then some more……….I came up with the apt new title of, ‘…..Sometimes…..’ 🙂

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A poem – inspired by my good friend Jackie and her wonderful photo image

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Hope, Inspiration, Photo inspired poem, Poem, Poetry, Relationships, Swam, Uncertainty

 

Jackie’s enhanced photo editing of her image

http://iamlostinthot2.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/mute-swan/

Inspired me to write a little poem……

 

Titled – ”Mute!”

 

He gazed from the window upon the Swan

So graceful and elegant – like his special …’Someone!

It appeared, fleetingly, every now and then……

Just like his special ‘Someone’ , though, he never knew when?!

One day it would make up a pair,

Just like he wanted them to share….

Until then, the Swan will carry on and drift……

Someday! Somehow!….They WILL overcome their rift!!!

 

Copyright Caren Taylor 2014

Caren’s creative canvas and craft

 

”Doorstop Dumpy” — An Elephant

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Canvas and craft, Character 'Doorstop Dumpy', Crazy doorstop, Creative craft, Creative doorstops, Cute, Doorstop Dumpies, Doorstop Dumpy, Elephant doorstop, Flowery fabric elephant, Lace trim and beads, Poem, Poetry, Unique doorstop, Wild imagination

After having ‘An elephant’ visit my site and leave a message for me I was inspired to make another creation in my ”Doorstop Dumpies” range. Taking some vibrant flowery fabric and coordinating  plain pink cotton I set about designing a pattern for my idea. See below for the end result, I have first a small poem in the style of,     ‘An Elephant’ (just not quite as good as his!) 

 ELEPHANT ”DOORSTOP DUMPY”!

‘An Elephant’ spotted a lack of his kind on my site

So, I introduce a hefty creative ”Doorstop Dumpy”

It is the largest doorstop I have in size

I do hope An Elephant has a nice surprise

She’s certainly cute and not at all grumpy

A narrow trunk and huge wafting ears

She can sit and hold back almost any door

With lace and beads adorning her head

Very pretty she looks –It must be said!

Quite a character to have on your floor!!

”Doorstop Dumpy” Elephant

”Doorstop Dumpy” Elephant

”Doorstop Dumpy” Elephant

‘Childhood Gifts’ a poem by Me

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Art, Art and nostalgia, Artist, Artistic moment, Arty, Childhood, Childhood gifts, Ink drawing, Ink sketch, Memories, Nostalgia, Original sketch, Poem, Poetry, Self portrait

 

” CHILDHOODS GIFTS’‘

How can a clown always be so happy?

The painted face beams out, our worries, none,

He gives us a gift that lasts, never gone,

Older now, I remember that chappie,

His tears not real, his pants wide and flappy,

From the high wire to net he flew as a swan,

To make us laugh louder, a joke, he’s one,

So long ago, still I wore a nappy.

 

My wrinkles still crease, thinking of his flaws,

The balloon would pop spraying out water,

Fun given to us his only main cause,

To crowd he was led, his pain, his slaughter,

He bowed once, twice and took all our applause,

Was he really happy? I ask. Daughter…?

Copyright Caren Taylor  Published 2001 A Celebration of Verse – Anchor Books

An ink sketch of my younger self by Me – from an old photograph
(wow those terry nappies were huge – thank goodness for disposables nowadays!)

Going off the size of those nappies (being a child of the 1960’s) its a wonder we ever got around crawling, let alone learn to walk in one! The photograph was taken in the front picket fenced garden at my Grandma and Grandad’s house in Gorton, Manchester, where I spent all my school holidays as you can see from being a baby until age eight. I have wonderful memories from the long summers over those early years from the rag and bone cart coming each week up the back cobbled street to fetching coal from the outdoor shed (where there lurked lots of long legged spiders -YUK – I think that is where I got my fear of spiders from). My Grandparents always had all the time in the world for me, probably because I was their only grandchild, they would play card games and dominoes each night with me, usually we played for matchsticks (Imagine letting children under five play with matches now – you would be shot) but every Friday we would play for pennies – somehow I always seemed to win on a Friday!!! Saturdays My Grandma would take me to the shops with her on the High Street, where I was allowed to play the penny one arm bandits with my winnings. My Grandma always held the money for me whilst I pulled the long arm of the machine and when the pennies were almost out she would suggest spending the rest at the corner sweet shop on the way home. Before the sweet shop we would stop at the betting shop and place my Grandad’s betting slip for the horses, that was his weekly treat my Grandma would say, then next door to my shop. I always remember the little lady in the sweet shop would give me an empty egg tray to fill in exchange for my small pile of pennies.

After lunch on a Saturday was very much set in stone at my Grandparents, My Grandad would sit transfixed watching the horse racing (in black and white – so it was hard to tell one horse from another in my eyes) holding his newspaper close at hand with all his horses circled he seemed to stop breathing as the race started, You could always tell when he hadn’t won – his glasses would fly off and there would be a crumpled piece of paper thrown onto the open fire. Sitting opposite would be my Grandma clicking away with her knitting, usually with a cigarette smouldering in her ashtray whilst she sucked on an almond and I would be happily sorting my egg tray full of flying saucers, swizzles, spangles, refreshers and dolly mixtures. I would sort out each little egg holder with a day’s worth of sweets so they would last almost until the next sweet shop visit.

Life was so simple and happy back then, summers seemed to last forever, in a really nice way. By the age of five, my Grandma had me sweeping the fires out each morning, setting the new coal in place (after I had collected it from the spider shed) and knotting rolls of newspaper ready for lighting before My Grandad came downstairs, I can still remember the first time she allowed me to light the paper knots with a match, it seemed such a big moment! Peeling potatoes in the back room in front of the fire into a big bowl of water, ”…always making sure to scrape the ‘eyes’ out of them” she would tell me. Then there was the patience hour after hour my Grandma would spend showing me how to knit, she seemed to be constantly picking my ‘dropped stitches’ up, but eventually I did learn!

I often wish I could be transported back to those days and have my Grandparents all over again. But, as is Life, time moves forward, I am just so happy to have the memories which will never leave me, Those are my childhood Gifts!