Lisbon

July 13, 2016

The smell of sardines on the barbecue, brightly coloured garlands hanging across winding alleyways, beautiful tiled walls and rickety trams. All these things I associate with my week in Lisbon this June.

I visited with my family and we did so much, rather than list everything in my journal, I've chosen a few images and put together short descriptions of our wanderings.

Our apartment was halfway up a steep alleyway in Lisbon's Alfama district, from our apartments pretty terrace we could see terracotta rooftops, tall chimneys and colourful flowers on balconies. We could also see the water. This view was from a platform round the corner, historic tram 28 winds through the district.

Colourful Pena Palace is a main stop on a day trip to Sintra. It's roughly 45 minutes by train and then a bus ride away unless you're particularly fit and a fan of steep hills! Inside Pena Palace are ornately decorated rooms and it boasts spectacular views, you can see for so many miles it's unreal. The grounds are extensive and there are a lot of hidden gems to discover, it's worth arriving early with lots of energy as there is so much to see.

Belém is a pretty and leafy district a tram ride away from the city centre. Here you can find Belém Tower. When we visited it was a very hot day, my mum and I sheltered under a tree people watching while my other half Craig and my brother Matthew took photographs. Whilst in the area we ate a delicious Italian lunch, visited Jerónimos Monastery and I got my art fix at the fantastic and free Berardo Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Quinta da Regaleira is also in Sintra but we visited on a seperate day, it was my favourite place in the Lisbon area. Full of pretty plants and flowers, statues, ponds and unusual sights. There are tunnels behind waterfalls, initiation wells, hidden doorways and tall towers, it felt like we had jumped into a fairytale.

Now, I'm not a beach person. I once spent 4 weeks in Fiji where there wasn't much to do except relax by the sea and so I think I've exceeded my beach time quota. However, we did spend one day out of seven in Cascais a pretty seaside town. We spent the whole day on a lounger, I read my book (On The Road by Jack Kerouac) sipped piña colada and watched people play in the freezing cold ocean. It was pure heaven.

100 Day Project

April 30, 2016

Some time ago while spending too much time on Instagram's 'explore' page I stumbled across the 100 Day Project founded by Elle Luna. I'd been going through a bit of a difficult time with my love in hospital with excruciating pains which turned out to be kidney stones and a readmittance with a possible infection and norovirus. While at home feeling helpless I made four really quick postcards. They took a matter of minutes each and after I felt so much better, art has been my meditation and comfort for a long time. With this in mind I decided to go for it and join in with the project by making a postcard each day.

I'm amazed to have reached day twelve, already I've experienced a range of emotions with the project. I've felt stress at still drawing at 11.30pm, I've torn up a postcard and started over, I've stared at the blank paper feeling totally uninspired and I've wished I'd done one differently. I've also felt relief when one turned out better than expected, pride at seeing the collection growing and happy to have something creative to look forward to in the day.

100 days is a long time and I don't know if I'll make it until the end but so far I'm enjoying it and I hope it'll teach me to stress less with my work and enjoy the process of making something each day.

Do you find art and creativity helps when you're feeling low? Does it act as a meditation for you also?

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Drawing on Bodmin

April 10, 2016

Over Easter weekend I visited my dad in Cornwall. I took a little bottle of Indian ink and a few brushes and was excited at the opportunity of doing some drawing 'en plein air' on Bodmin Moor.

I found a quiet and secluded spot, sheltered from the elements with a view of a beautiful windswept tree. I could hear just the birds and the wind and watched as the clouds rolled on by, some full of rain and hail, others fluffy and cartoon like.

I lay down my little green mat that I take on our walks and took out my materials, including an old glass salsa jar I've repurposed as a water container. I made a few marks in my A6 postcard pad, the tree in front of me and some quick marks to suggest the rocks and stone wall.

After, I clumsily gathered my materials, juggling an ink pot and water container to another spot with a view of three trees.

I took out my larger pad and started with some broad but faded marks before attempting the trees, I managed two before hearing my phone ring, my dad, other half and brother had finished exploring the nearby quarry I'd sent them to and were impatient for lunch, I quickly started on the third tree before my dad appeared. I asked him to take a few photos of me drawing before I packed my things away.

I could have easily stayed all day, though the weather wouldn't have allowed it. The beautiful peace and tranquility that comes from being creative in the wild, drawing directly from nature cannot be bettered.