Dusseldorf and Schloss Burg

Over the weekend we made our first visit to Germany, Dusseldorf specifically, to visit friends. They were fabulous hosts and took us out and about despite all the snow. It was very brief but a lovely introduction to Germany. I was embarrassed though, my worst effort ever in speaking the language of another country, it was so easy to fall into letting my friends communicate for me, I'm not used to having someone with me who speaks the language! Instead though I felt I was probably a bit of a rude tourist to not put more effort in 'bitte verzeih mir Deutschland!'

Courtyard view inside Schloss Burg 

We took a day trip to Schloss Burg, a 12th Century castle. Its quite extensive with various areas devoted to displays and quite a labyrinth of stair cases and walkways between. As you can see from the snow, it was quite a cold day, so first stop was for hot lunch, overlooking the snow covered valley below. Then lots of poking around the castle. For more gorgeous photos of the castle check out Crafted by Carly's photos, one of my hosts, who wrote a lovely post about our day out.  

I love looking at Horses and Dogs in paintings. These guys were to the side of a very large image of a joust. The one under the striped cover just looks so comical, and his companion seems to be eyeing him sideways with embarrassment.

found Wally

Horses in full flight in paintings and drawings are a beauty to behold. I'm not a horsey person in real life, truth is they kind of scare me with their sheer scale, but they have such a magnificent physique to draw and paint. 

not great photo quality, this mural of a medieval chase scene ran around the upper walls of a hall

This is how I'd one day like to see my painting and craft room looking. Our house has a very long hall and little storage, and I think a whole length of these apothecary drawers would look fantastic, would have to be organised though, imagine if you couldn't remember what drawer you put something in?

There was a small display of historical, regional handicrafts. The intricacies of these embroidered tapes is amazing, how long it would have taken to make such decoration by hand. I think I shall adopt the use of the German word 'Bandmuster' to describe them, sounds so much more fitting and grand than the English 'tape'. Reminds me of the terrific Swedish word I learnt for knitting 'Stickning'

Bandmuster: from the Wuppertal region

There was a large calligraphy document, which I seem to recall I was first attracted to by the beautiful writing, and secondly by a description of the content of the document. So I have it in mind that I wanted to translate it when I got home, but no recollection of why. When I get round to it I'll probably find out I've photographed a very fancy fire drill instruction sheet. 

detail of the document

Moving through a foyer between display rooms, this fellow had been demoted to holding a brochure stand, seemed a little degrading for a former fighting knight?

cigars, cigarettes....

 There was a small area focused around hunting tools, bows and knives, with an animal diorama, featuring native owls, deer and....the elusive Vampire bear. I love taxidermy animals, and I love spending hours sketching them in museums, and have been very fortunate in the last couple of years to visit Natural History Museums in Portugal, UK, Ireland, Finland, Italy and Sweden. The naturally posed ones make great drawing opportunities, but nothing beats the comedic value of a stuffed animal with incorrectly fitted teeth. I laughed my way around the Natural History Museum in Florence, as it was case after case of animals with whopping great ferocious teeth, even a Vole in attack mode, I can't help but wonder if the same taxidermist prepared this fellow.

I wish my brother George was here - who said taxidermists don't have a sense of humour

Giggling over, we escaped the Vampire bear and headed back out in the cold, and back home for a lovely cup of tea.

Add more of Germany to my list of places I want to visit.

PS - want to see some more teeth?

this fellow lives in Helsinki Natural History Museum,
I love his blusher too

this smiley fellow lives in Florence Natural History Museum

Finished the Xmas felties

Back in September I posted about starting this kit of Christmas decorations from a craft magazine, I had intentions of them being used as part of my parcel gift wrapping, and featuring on my tree - but a visit home to Australia threw me off the Christmas track, flitting from 40 degrees back to 3 will do that to you. To be honest, my brain was scrambled for two weeks from jet lag when I got back to the UK too, and then it was Christmas. 

I'm glad I got back to them in January and finished them though, and they are all packed up with the Christmas decorations now, ready to come out next Christmas

such a simple little kit of contents and instructions to produce so much detail

I love the little stitched on hearts and heart buttons

I really love them, the colours, all the detail in each one, and yet they really were quite simple and most enjoyable to make. Must flag this one in my brain for future use. I could see little booties, bears and pacifiers all strung on a ribbon for new baby bunting,  bright coloured globes strung on a black chord for party decorations. 

Definitely one to park for possible future crafting. 

What I should be doing

This post is about a painting I completed a couple of years ago now, although it doesn't feel that long ago! I was very excited at the time, it was my first completed portrait painting, of my gorgeous and cheeky pal Sally. Ultimately portrait painting is what I would really like to succeed at artistically, and this one is a good likeness and more importantly I feel captured her spirit. So why then have I not completed another one since?

'I can be angelic' 2011

Why do I put painting at the end of my list of priorities? Maybe because I think of it as a completely self indulgent activity? or the fear of how bad it could go? sheer laziness? how after working on something for hours or days and knowing its not great but a stepping stone, someone looks at it for a minute and points out the faults, which of course I can see, but its ten times more crushing when it's so quickly dismissed. To be fair that's mostly in my head, what I think people viewing on line are thinking, or can also be me the next day when with fresh eyes it looks even worse! Certainly I'm extremely hesitant to post anything on line that I'm not happy with, which is probably a block in itself.

really happy with achieving a likeness without falling into photo realism

I have more time available to me to paint currently than I have ever had before, and possibly will again until my official retirement, so what's it going to take to get me to consistently sit at the easel? I already rearranged my working area to one I thought would be more conducive, and it at least succeeded in stopping my desk being the dumping surface when I get in the door. Yet I haven't done a days painting since!

I am so frustrated with myself. When I was working I found that being enrolled in a regular evening class helped, as it was a commitment of the class time, plus 'homework'. I currently don't live a very routine life though, travelling with my husband on business, away for 185 nights last year, which is a great opportunity but hard to build routines around.

Perhaps there's an on line group of people I could join in place of a class, struggling with similar issues, but although I'm gaining some comfort about blogging I'm not a great one for getting involved with strangers on line, I quickly start to see the stereotype characters of a group; the bully, the time waster, the know it all, the self obsessed. At least in a real class room once you've identified them you can choose to physically remove yourself to the other side of the room, in a chat room there is no escape!

this was painted from a photo, but the position of the arms captures the sitters personality

Well this post has really been a brain dump, thinking out loud, perhaps getting all the excuses out in writing might help. I think I might also go and have this painting framed so I see it regularly, perhaps seeing Sally every day will be the inspiration I need?  Maybe for balance I should also put up one of my disasters, just where I can see it! 

I'd love to hear suggestions from others about how to work painting into my routine as a priority, as regularly as doing the washing!

Trying to catch up!

Well the small intended break got away from me, but lets hope thanks to some new technology and cold wet weather that creative happenings can get underway.

I did get some knitting done for Christmas gifts, only one of which I actually got around to taking a photo. One gift was a men's cowl, most of which was knitted in the hour and half drive to our Christmas get together, and having arrived early I managed to finish it in the car park in the extra 25mins! There were also a pair of fingerless mittens, knitted in Rowan Kidsilk Haze months ago, but stitched together enroute to lunch! After last years panic knitting in the week upto Christmas I was going to be so organised this year, but, well there's always next year!

The excellent quick one, completed in an hour, was this scarf - knitted in Rowan Kidsilk Creative. I have looked at these type of yarns many times and never been convinced they were for people who could actually knit, but being able to produce a reasonable gift in an hour is pretty convincing. I still no honestly don't know if I like it or not, but thousands of people have knitted them according to Ravelry- so I'm just hoping my sister-in-law does like it.

 

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a creative New Year

 

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