wash day

painting by Anji Allen

Oh my goodness the rain has been something shocking - it was dark and grey when we woke up and it rained solidly all day. This would normally be absolutely fine (it is Ireland after all) but my tumble drier has broken and drying anything outdoors is really a non-runner at this time of year. So the stoves were lit and the house ended up swathed in laundry in various stages of drying. I think Anji Allen's painting of sheets and towels and kettles and teacups sums up 'wash day' here very nicely!

happy weekend

A city garden by James McIntosh Patrick

We are here again, Friday. The weekend stretches out like a lazy cat, all as yet unspent, all to look forward to. And we have the added pleasure of Hallowe'en break from school. As these mornings darken and it's so much harder to wake and get out of bed and get the day started, it will be nice to have a few days where there is no pressure and if another half hour slumbering is needed, then so be it. Yes, October days are shortening and darkening, leading us to winter and the need to nestle in. I'm nothing like the busy artist's wife with her laundry drying on leafless trees- she's making good use of her autumn days! I do like the light in this painting, exactly right for this time of year. Happy weekend!

This weekend I'd like to make these cupcakes, read more of The Little Friend and try this recipe from the always delicious Green Kitchen Stories

homing instinct

I love where we live and would be hard pressed to leave but there's something about artist Stacey Durand's painted houses and their odd angles which are attractive.

earl grey or builders?

Today I am in need of a cup of tea from one of these gorgeous teapots...

... and in one of these dinky tea cups...

look here for more of Becca Stadtlander's work

what are you afraid of?

William asked to paint this morning. He got out his watercolours, filled a cup with water, found his sketch book and painted. He painted with no thoughts of 'what if this goes wrong'. He painted with no thoughts of 'what if no-one likes this'. He put the brush on the page and made his mark, no hesitating, no doubting. As he mixed colours trying to find the best one for a volcano he talked about why Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear. He wondered if it was because Vincent thought he wasn't very good at painting. I watched him silently hoping that he would never lose his ability to create without fear of judgement, fear of being wrong, fear of self doubt.

Paintings

On this wild and stormy day when the rain and wind are battering the front door we need something peaceful and soothing; some soup puttering on the stove, some fragrant gingerbread in the oven and some paintings by Cathy Cullis just to bring us a little peace, you understand.

A woman's prerogative...

...is to change her mind. A shudder runs through even the hardiest of husbands who are well used to their wives humming and hawing and endless mind-changing. But I think it's for the best. No, really I do. We had decided to use Blue Winged Teal in the new bedroom. And in fact we did - painting quite a few walls with it until I changed my mind (ahem) and pretty much decided I hated Blue Winged Teal and really, what were we thinking using such a colour... Luckily it didn't take too much persuasion to change to Stone-Dark-Warm instead - a much nicer colour - one which will go with the floor (Felt) and the cream woodwork. So we are on the home stretch with this bedroom and bathroom addition of ours. It will be such a welcome space- giving those of us who need to play on the floor all the room they want and those of us who really just need quiet to practice piano a welcome break from interested (but noisy) audiences.

The Painted House supply paint rollers which you can use to paint patterns onto walls, fabric, wood, paper- just about anything in fact. How fabulous are they? Especially for those of us who love the look of a papered wall but don't necessarily have the budget. Have a look at their shop here

Winifred Nicholson

I have to admit there are certain colours I turn to again and again and in the garden I love to see blues, purples and whites along with bright zaps of green. So these flower pictures by Winifred Nicholson tick all the right boxes. I especially love the feeling of that paper wrapped around the primulas - so light, fresh and bright. And I really wish I had a flower table like the one below. Sadly with the change in season nearly upon us the garden is on the wane, although at the minute there are plenty of white Japanese anemone and spiky blue eryngium-a bumblebee favourite- to lift the heart.

This morning at Sheridan's market I bought some ripe apricots to make Diana Henry's apricot and lavender jam (from her gorgeous Salt Sugar Smoke). I am hoping it will capture the last fleeting scents of summer as we head slowly towards autumn.If you need some end-of-summer reading you could try The Wild Places by nature writer Robert Macfarlane. As the evenings darken it has been my companion, bewitching, inspiring and entrancing me with its beautiful words...

Roland Collins

If you like the work of Eric Ravilious or John Piper there's every chance you will love the work of Roland Collins too. There's something fresh and cheerful about his paintings- you can almost smell the rain in the air gathering around that lovely grey flint house or a salty sea tang, maybe mixed with some smoke belching from that tug, or perhaps a drifted conversation with words caught by a shore breeze...