back to blogWooo day 9 is chocolate egg days! — at Cape Cornwall.
Day 9 and the wind is howling and the rain is lashing it down and the house is cold from a lack is sunshine. Today I didn’t venture out! Instead I ate eggs and did a little bit of painting but mainly I just looked out thinking blimey wonder what it’s like when there’s a proper storm! I really needed to go to the shops as well as the wine has run out 😫 Thank goodness there’s still G&T to be had 🤪
Rain and more rain — at Cape Cornwall.
More rain and now a howling wind 😫 — at Cape Cornwall.
I promise to venture out tomorrow whatever the weather for more tales from Brisons Veor.
So instead I paint sunshine! — at Cape Cornwall.
More sunshine! — at Cape Cornwall.
And now the darkness has crept back into the paintings 😱 — at Cape Cornwall.
Day 10 of captivity at Brisons Veor 😂 — at Cape Cornwall.
Day 10 and jeez the weather has not improved. Currently sat here with a blankie round my knees 😂
Woken up by the gulls this morning and the rain.— at Cape Cornwall.
Day started off with a pootle down the track to the end of cape Cornwall and man was it blowing like crazy. So much so decided against climbing up to the coast guards as didn’t think I’d make it in one piece!
Blimey it’s a wee bit blustery out there today! — at Cape Cornwall.
Instead I walked round to Porthledden cove which is sheltered from the wind but haven’t yet made it down in to the beach as it is soooo slippery in walking boots. Anyhoo enough about the practicalities of footwear... I saw two seals! Yay both hunting in the water and then one of them just lazed about floating and yawning on his back. I sat there in my waterproofs for ages just watching them and a flock of oyster catchers on the rocks.
I also spied some runners coming down from Kenidjack castle ruins in the cliff tops. Something Cornwall has in common with Yorkshire - nutters bounding up hills in all kinds of weather just in shorts and t-shirts! Why? And how do they do that?
There is a seal there... also see the castle ruins? That’s where I first spotted the runners and their pooch... nutters! — at Cape Cornwall.
No not a black dot it’s a seal! — at Cape Cornwall.
By the time I’d walked back to the car park at cape Cornwall these runners were just making their way up to the chimney stack with a dog in tow who looked pretty muddy and also looked like he could do that all over again. The runners didn’t look quite so fresh! Equally muddy though!
Brrrr and as I stood there in my artic Parker, hat, waterproof trousers and gloves the 3 runners made it to the top of cape Cornwall. The dog was bounding up there... they weren’t 😝 — at Cape Cornwall.
So today’s paintings are dark and so very different to a couple of days ago! Loving how the weather is having such a dramatic effect on my work.
Oh the darkness... it’s definitely the weather and not the entire series of Harry Potter which I’ve just watched over the last week 😬 — at Cape Cornwall.
Right I have now filled all the battens - time to move stuff to the other studio. — at Cape Cornwall.
Now it’s time for some hot chocolate and a book whilst listening to the wind howl outside. 😬
Day 11 at Brisons Veor — at Cape Cornwall.
Day 11 was going to be a lazy day reading my scandi noir which I now feel big and brave enough to read now that the mister is due to join me 😂. But the sun came out so I went and played on the beach and then came home and played with my paints!
The sun is out... — at Cape Cornwall.
And now it’s not but some nutter is still swimming in that man made pool 😬 — at Cape Cornwall.
Really love how I set out with an idea in my head of what I want to put down on paper with these small works and they turn into something completely different. These ones were supposed to be representing the sun washed blues, greys, purples and greens you see on cliffs in the sun.. they turned into weather instead!
Also noticed how my painting have moved back to completely covering all the paper whereas earlier in the residency I was really liking the effect of the white paper peaking through.
Changing light — at Cape Cornwall.
Had another pootle on cape clear and up and across the other side where you can really see how the sea is eroding the land. Was a bit scary in a few places especially when the wind started to blow.
Erm okay so cyclonic and thundery means it may be a bit rough tonight I guess? 😵 — at Cape Cornwall.
Where’s the path gone??? — at Cape Cornwall.
Also saw the seals again this evening. Once you know where and what time to look you can’t miss them.
Oh and I’ve managed to buy the worst bottle of wine ever but there is no way I’m going back up that hill.... and no tonic left for the G... 😩
Day 12 at Brisons Veor
Day 12 and I’m joined by the mister so get to do the walking touring round cape Cornwall again with him.
Woke up to some big waves and a sea fret which ended up in a painting! Not much painting done today mainly chimney and wildlife spotting. Saw seals, choughs and gannets who seemed to be enjoying this wilder weather more than us humans.
Big waves!
Sea fret inspired painting.
Still the day’s walking ended in trying out two of the four pubs in St Just! Now home to try and warm up!
Aww grumpy donkey eventually let me stroke his lovely ears.
View of cape Cornwall from Kenidjack castle.
Some local brew!
Sea is still pretty choppy but turning out to be a lovely sunset.
Day 13 and my residency is almost at an end. Tomorrow will be very much spent packing things up ready for an early start back to Yorkshire on Saturday.
Today however I spent the day being a tourist and went and did the galleries in St Ives which was absolutely lovely once we managed to park up. Jeez I’d completely forgotten how bonkers it is to even drive in St Ives town but the parking signs actually sent us down routes which our Zafira struggled to squeeze through 😬. Take my advice park at the top and just resign yourself to walking up those hills! Note St Ives does have some steep hills... 😩
More Hepworths. — at Cape Cornwall.
And back home to do a little more painting. — at Cape Cornwall.
Talking of wind... the coast guards say to expect a gale force 8 tonight so we’re battening down the hatches and hoping the car doesn’t get blown out to sea! Gale force 8 is pretty big winds right...? 😵
Last day at Brisons Veor — at Cape Cornwall.
Day 14 and it’s packing up day. Well it would have been if I didn’t manage to squeeze a bit of last minute painting in there! That’s basically what I’ve been doing and putting the house back together again. Oh and watching that gale force 8 arriving 💨😬
Oh that gale force 8 has just arrived! — at Cape Cornwall.
Last minute painting... — at Cape Cornwall.
And the wall is now full! — at Cape Cornwall.
Blimey those bathers are back again. — at Cape Cornwall.
House returned back to normal. — at Cape Cornwall.
It has been a fabulous two weeks here which I’ve really enjoyed sharing with you. A big thanks goes to the National Trust who allowed me to stay in this beautiful part of the world.
Any artists, writers, composers who need some space to explore ideas then I would highly recommend Brisons Veor. All the information is on the website - just google Brisons Veor. Applications are competitive and there is interest from all over the world so don’t despair if you don’t get in the first time round - try again, I did!
Tara for now - next time you hear from me I’ll be back in sunny old Yorkshire!
