A short course in Cumbria

1 greystoke green
Greystoke Village

The sun was shining when I arrived in the village but thereafter it mostly rained.  It was after all the Lake District but it didn’t worry me on this visit as the course I was on was indoors at the Cycle Cafe  –  http://www.quirkyworkshops.co.uk

I was on a wood engraving course and it was brilliant!  Here is some of my work.  I should point out that all of the wood blocks we worked on were very small, about 2″ x 1″.

Now that I’m home again I need to buy some tools so that I can continue.  Wish me luck!

A May Day Walk

breagh lane

One minute it was raining, then hailstones, then the sun came out!  At that point I decided it was time I went for my walk.  What’s that expression, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing?  On with the big coat then, well, the wind is rolling in from the north west and it feels like it’s only 7 or 8 degrees.  I remind myself that it is only 8 weeks until the longest day, the summer solstice!

Anyway, I’m off for my walk.  Walking is such great exercise not just for physical benefit but for clearing the head.  I recently hurt my back, the third time this year, and it has been difficult to establish a routine.  However after a couple of weeks on medication and rest my physio suggested it was time to stop taking the tablets and to get moving again and to walk at least twice a day for 30 minutes each time.  I’ve been doing just that for a week now and at last I’m feeling so much better.  I’ve just increased the 30 minutes up to 40 minutes and I shall now be striding out for longer with each walk.

Of course it hasn’t been as straightforward as hurting my back, for in March my dear mother passed away and I’m still trying to come to terms with that loss.

I put my head down and walk like this until I move away from the main road and the traffic.  Then it’s into the lane and I slow my pace going up the slight incline.  On either side of me the rain is still dripping off the trees and into the puddles and I feel my mood change.  I push my hood back and my depression is swept away by the wind.  It’s time to start making plans again.

Apologies to Mister Mondrian

I recently began a course to learn about woodblock printing.  It only lasted for a couple of days but it was amazing in that I have rediscovered my passion for working in the Arts.  In my early years I had always loved the work of the artist Piet Mondrian and I decided that I would like to produce a woodblock print along the lines of one of his paintings.

Black borders or grey borders?  I’m still not sure and although my technical abilities are at this stage still those of the amateur the joy of learning is still there.  On top of that I really must buy myself a decent camera and learn how to use it properly.

A walk?

Since the beginning of the New Year I have been reading about the steps I should be taking to increase my fitness after hurting my back.  Part of my plan is to start walking regularly, something I used to do everyday when I was in full time employment; I walked in my morning break, at lunch time and regularly walked to and from work when the weather was reasonable.  However since retirement over a year ago my routines have changed.  For sometime now I have only been walking occasionally; this had to change and so for a few days now I have been building up my fitness with morning exercises AND going out for a walk everyday.  It hasn’t been easy but not because I’m not motivated but because the weather here has been so very poor.

However I have set myself a goal and even though the wind has been blowing since early morning and it has been raining AGAIN I did leave home to stride along some of the local lanes.

breagh lane 210116
Muddy puddles and hay

On these islands of Britain and Ireland there are many ways to describe a walk.  Today’s walk wasn’t a bimble or a dander or a doddle or even a soodle; I have heard that if I were a Scot I might say that I was spangin’, walking vigorously.  Way to go!