Musings – Page 12 – Summerhouse Art

Our Own Private Jungle

Posted on October 8, 2009January 16, 2015 by Helen

We’re lucky to have this little greenhouse attached just off the back of our bedroom. Unheated, it is only really useful in the summer. But in the summer a lot of my houseplants go for a little vacation here. At first I thought that all that light would be good but soon discovered that it was actually too much of a good thing. It faces west and the hot afternoon sun was too strong for the jades and even the cacti.

Little Buddha shrine under the Christmas Cactus

Being garage “sailors”, we soon collected the perfect foil for the sun and made my plants very very happy. Bamboo blinds cover the windows and on the ceiling we have stapled a collection of rattan beach mats, most found at sales and some for only a couple of dollars in Chinatown.

When I move the plants out to the greenhouse, suddenly the rest of the house seems to somehow feel bigger and lighter. In the greenhouse they are all packed in together. Gazing out of the bedroom, it seems like we have our own private jungle.

The only problem is that plants left in here tend to get huge. The jade hardly fits through a doorway anymore.

The ever growing Jade plant in the shaded corner of the greenhouse

Then there is the added problem of what to do with Jade plant prunings.

Jade plant cuttings waiting for new homes

Well, you can’t just throw them out can you? Well, I don’t seem to be able to. I pot them up so there’s always a bunch of new little jade plants coming up in the summer. Luckily I’ve managed to give a few away. I tell people, to entice them, that in Feng Shui jades are “money plants” and they must have some to attract money into their homes. Seems to work. Hey, everything needs a little “marketing”.

Just a preview of December's big show — Just a preview of December’s big show

As for the Christmas Cactus, well, as you can see it loves the space, popping out a few blooms for my benefit. It’ll really go crazy just before Christmas. The spider plant, which usually resides in the studio, also vacationed in the greenhouse. It has grown abundantly and I wonder how it’ll fit back in the studio again.

But the nights are growing colder and soon my little jungle will have to move back into the house. Somehow I’ll have to squeeze them through the doorways and into corners all over the house. Then the house will feel like a jungle. But through the colder, grayer days of winter that’ll be kind of nice too.

The End of Garage Sailing Season

Posted on September 19, 2009January 16, 2015 by Helen

Today, after checking the paper for garage sale ads and noticing so little out there, we have not gone out garage sailing. We’ve decided what is there is so far apart that it would waste gas, so it looks like last week was our last outing. And last week we went all over and spent a dollar, just a dollar. Got 5 CDs but found nothing else we could really use.

So today as a little wrap up, I thought I’d show the sights, the fun stuff, we’ve enjoyed along the way to sales. Because part of the fun of cruising around looking for garage sales is the stuff you run into along the way.

This is something we spied, drove past and backed up again to see it. OK we’re old hippies and here was this van, that just expressed those days. It was flower painted, a VW van known as Hippie haulers in those days, but the bumper had such a fun message. Had to get a photo.

Then one morning we came across this veggie garden out in the street, on the boulevard, in the front yard. Something that’s becoming a trend is growing your own food and getting rid of front lawns. Whoever grew this certainly had green thumbs. Everything was just totally and abundantly sprawling almost over the curb!

Potatoes and squash sprawling over the curb

Now, we’ve always had a thing about Jaguars, the cars that is, especially the one that Morse drove in the Inspector Morse Mysteries. There is just something about a Jag, the old ones especially.

They have a beautiful design to them, lots of curves, and to us, they just suit having people in them. That’s something to notice, whether a car actually looks good with a human in it. So many new cars don’t, people look proportionately wrong or squashed or maybe the car looks so aerodynamic that you only notice that. Anyway, we came across the Jag Show in Oak Bay one afternoon.

We tried to make our little Subaru look like a Jag one morning this summer but these were the real thing.

That’s Will with his choice. I guess, as artists, we are just attracted to this car that is itself a work of art, right down to the hood ornament.

Sculpted right down to the hood ornament

All summer we’ve tried to take in Jazz in the Park. Often during intermission we wander around Beacon Hill Park taking in the sights. Now what is it about a duck with it’s bottom pointing up as it looks for food underwater that I just can’t resist taking a photo?

And this photo, of the trees, just behind the bandshell, brought to mind Emily Carr, an eccentric, now finally famous, local artist and writer.

If you’ve never heard of her, you must look her up. She’s been an inspiration to me most of my life. I love all of her work but the trees she painted are my favourites. Just looking at these trees you can see how she felt moved to capture the flow, the strength and beauty of these coastal trees.

So that’s it, a hodge podge of our little travels. The garage sailing season is over and that time will now be spent on other things, like work in the studio on mosaics or work on sculpture. Or maybe finishing up projects started and forgotten over the summer. An end to one season and the start of another.

I Can See Clearly Now

Posted on September 7, 2009January 16, 2015 by Helen

I can see clearly now, the hedge is down…well about 2 or more feet anyway. Ok I stuck that song in your head now didn’t I? Couldn’t resist it.
I’ve had that song in my head all week as I watched that hedge get trimmed.

My view for many long months went from my kitchen window and then smacked abruptly 20 feet later right into the hedge.

Oh sure, you could see the sky and the sunset above it but it was not enough. No I wanted more. I wanted to finally seeing the distant mauve hills of Sooke that are miles and miles away.

Now I know it’s supposed to be kilometres being Canadian and all, but how does kilometres and kilometres away sound? Metric is not poetic, although in this case it rhymes.
You can just barely make the hills out, in this photo, but let me tell you, in the winter, when all the leaves are gone, and it’s cold and wet, this view is worth a million bucks to me.

So it’s not an ocean view or anything really magnificent or earthshaking but I need it. I need to see that distance on the horizon. There is something about being able to see for a long distance that is somehow calming, and hopeful at the same time. Maybe the hedge makes me feel claustrophobic? Like I’m boxed in with no where to go, no future? I don’t know.

But next time to you go the ocean, or you stand out on top of a hill where you can see for a long distance, pay attention to how you feel. There is something physical that happens, to me, anyway. I just naturally take a deep breath and let it out slowly and my stomach and the rest of my body just relaxes. And crazy as it sounds, to me, if I can see the distance I feel like I can see my future much more clearly.

Now if only I could convince the guys to cut it down just a couple more feet…..

Summers End and Thoughts About Time and Energy

Posted on August 31, 2009 by Helen

I wonder if everyone feels just a bit disappointed every year at the end of the garden season. I know I do. So many things that I had planned to do never actually happened. No time. Not enough energy either.

The hostas are wrapping it up for another year

Last night as I watered I noticed the hostas are starting to fade. Summer has rushed by as though on fast forward. But for the most part we have enjoyed our little garden.

The Fuschia is in it's prime — The Fuscia is in it's prime

The fuscia is gorgeous now, the grapes are starting to turn and the gooseneck loostrife is the best it’s ever been.

The day lilies, now almost finished and slumping, flower stalks dried out, were beautiful in their prime back in July. The unknown groups of purple flowered plants are now standing sporting only seed pods.

Earlier they were a riot of purple around the garden

I am of two minds as to what to do about spent plants. On one hand I want to have a tidy garden and cut out or pull out all of this spent plant life. But I have noticed in past years that the birds do enjoy eating these seeds throughout the winter, benefitting from my negligence.

We had plans to find more plants that flowered all the way to September. Unfortunately, only the solitary dahlia survived the winter here, which had us lose quite a few plants, like the hebe. Somehow we never got around to finding all those plants although we did find a few like the maidenhair fern.

But now our inexperience and lack of time have caught up with us.

I know I have to accept the fact that summer is almost over. Plants set seed, die off, they have no regrets. They have done their jobs. But I, not ready for it to end, still wish for a green and flowering garden. Ah well, time to accept reality.

And maybe it’s also time, if we had any, to start thinking ahead to next summer and make some solid plans to get the plants we didn’t get this summer. After all we’ll have all winter to make plans. Or so we hope.

But time, time and energy, those are harder things to get. By the time summer is over I have generally run out of energy. I’ve come to the conclusion that the only people who have those wonderful luxuries of time and energy to spend extravagantly on their gardens don’t have so many other things they also want to do. Like teaching mosaics, making art projects and sculptures, participating in and preparing for art shows, or building a business, not to mention reading, dinner parties with friends, garage sailing, too much to list.

Maybe I should spend some time this winter thinking about how to have a garden that looks green and wonderful all summer without needing so much time and energy. Should I should switch to more bushes? Or more perennials? But I know what we really need are perennials that bloom at different times over the length of summer.

Or maybe I need to think about the fact that energy and time are limited, especially if you want to do other things besides garden. I’m one of those people who wants it all. But the end of the summer in the garden is teaching me that I must prioritize, compromise and reassess what I really need against what I want. Ah, maybe that’s the answer or at least a path to explore.

A Clutter of Hearts

Posted on July 10, 2009January 16, 2015 by Helen

I’m looking forward to this weekend. We’ve had quite a busy time for the last few weeks and have missed our usual garage sailing. We’re feeling the effects of withdrawal I think. So tomorrow we’ll be off and out of here, ready to roll. The weather is beautiful, sunny, with a breeze.

The last time we went out garage sailing I found this little heart box with Betty Boop on a motorcycle.

She’ll get a top spot in my collection of heart shaped boxes. Which brings me, nice little segue here, don’t you think, to collecting. Now, we have a few collections. We have collection of elephant ornaments, decorative tins, boxes and fans, just to name a few. I even have a ridiculous amount of Santa Clauses, which I lovingly unpack every year at the appropriate time and display. Then I lovingly repack them in tissue and old plastic grocery bags in about 5 or 6 boxes all marked “Santas”. But you’ll have to wait till Christmas to see those. The other collections I’m planning on sharing before too long. As I said to my sons, one day this will all be yours. Not sure if they were impressed but at least they got the humour.

Why do I have a collection of hearts? I really don’t know. They aren’t worth anything, and even as collectibles will probably never be worth much. Most are thrift shop and garage sale finds.

Like most collections you start with one thing and like a magpie you find yourself attracted to another thing and that leads to finding another thing and another and another and before you know it, you have a collection. No real reason. Just fun. Am I just an accumulator in this world where “clutter” is a dirty word? Probably. Or is it because I just enjoy something beautiful or even kitschy? Or is it because I am an artist and I can appreciate all this art on odd little things like tins and boxes. Or maybe is it because I can appreciate all the different ways you can sculpt an elephant ornament? Yup to all of those, I think.

The heart boxes are all displayed in one corner of our kitchen. Now there is a reason why they are displayed there. That corner, according to Feng Shui, when I was into Feng Shui, is the part of the house that is for the relationships, marriage and friends. It just seemed fitting to put hearts there, the time honored symbol of love. And many of these heart boxes have been given to me by people I love and who have enjoyed a bit of the thrill of collecting, just for me.

My usual chair in the kitchen is opposite this wall so I can look over my collection of hearts everyday. I never tire of it. It gives me a sense of happiness, pure joy. I love seeing the way they all relate and yet are all so different. I still enjoy studying each one. It’s like celebrating Valentine’s Day every day. And why not?

Visitors fall into two groups when it comes to our collections. Those who think life should be lived minimally with no clutter and disapprove and those who enjoy the crazy interesting things that they can look at and enjoy. Or to put it more simply those who care about dust and those who don’t. Unfortunately, some people only see collections as dust collectors, clutter and mess. All I can say is, you don’t know what you’re missing. And as for dusting, well, I dust if I have to, but I’d rather be making art or enjoying my collections.

Finding the Wonderful, Whimsical, Just Silly and Fun

Posted on June 5, 2009January 16, 2015 by Helen

Sometimes I think that garage sailing is the most fun when you find the unexpected, whimsical, odd or wonderful. As in odd juxtapositions of the beautiful and spiritual with the junk. For instance, we were out looking for good stuff and wandered into a flea market given by the Tai Chi society here in Victoria. And there, amongst all the dribs and drabs of goodies was this wonderful shrine.

It was beautiful, replete with offerings of fruit carefully piled up in bowls.

Another day, over in the Vic West area of Victoria, we found this rather whimsical and thought provoking and well, just silly front yard sculpture. A bike supposedly growing out of the rock? Or had it dissolved into the rock? Who knows but obviously someone was having some fun and having a creative moment.

A bike "set in stone". — A bike “set in stone”.

And I have to admit I rather liked this sign. I sometimes feel like my garden is an Experimental Dandelion Farm too. Too bad the sign wasn’t part of the garage sale offerings or I would have snapped it up.

As for fun, we always find that we just can’t ever pass up an opportunity to pet a dog. And this one has the facial expression down to an art.

Who can resist those ” pet me, pet me” eyes. Not us.

A Bit of Magic

Posted on April 30, 2009January 16, 2015 by Helen

Today, a bit of magic happened. I was out walking, with my little digital camera in my bag, getting some exercise. I’m sorely in need of exercise and walking is my favorite.

I like to take photos of whatever catches my eye as I walk. Today it was a little grouping of daffodils and polyanthus in a front yard. As I was bent down framing the shot I heard someone singing in Italian. I looked up and on the roof were three roofers, one, the singer, a young man in a hoody and baseball cap was singing in the most beautiful tenor in Italian, as he handed the tiles to the other fellow who was nailing tiles down. I stood and listened until he finished the song. It was beautiful! I applauded when he was done and he bowed to me from the roof and said “Thank you”. polyanthus

I walked on and thought how wonderful, what a gift I had been given on my walk.
As I continued further around the corner from the roofers, I found, all nicely stacked, a group of long twigs, cuttings from someone’s pruning. Perfect for making obelisks to hold the garden plantings we are planning. We have little room left and we want to grow things like melon and squash and have decided to grow up instead of letting them sprawl all over the lawn this year. I had just thought of needing some good supports and here they were, stacked and ready for recycling pickup by the municipality. Free for the taking!

So now that I am home again, with my cup of Typhoo tea, I need a bit more Italian music so I’m listening to Andrea Bocelli, a lucky CD find at a garage sale last summer. Italian is such a wonderful language, musical already. I wish now I’d said “Bella, bella” to the singing roofer.

I feel lucky today and rich. I’m rich with all the things I find on my wanderings and our summers garage sailing. The digital camera was a $20 find, actually the second one we found at garage sales. I love digital cameras! No longer bound by running out of film or the cost of developing, I am now free to take photos of whatever I fancy. I now have a photo journal of walks. I like the idea of recycling and finding everything I could possibly need at a fraction of the price and very often free. The world is an abundant place I tell everyone, as long as you don’t mind second hand.

And now, accompanied by Adrea Bocelli, I am about to start a new sculpture. I’ve been inspired by plant life and especially grape leaves. I’m planning an architectural detail that I will sculpt and then have my son Eric cast it in cast stone. And today, thanks to the singing roofer, I’m feeling lucky and inspired and abundant!