Saturday, December 29, 2012

More Flowers


Two quick photos of some garden flowers.  The top one is of a cornus that is flowering profusely at the moment as is the guaria in the lower photograph.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Photos for our Season


My Pomegranate is flowering well this season so, hopefully, there will be lots of fruit.  This quail sits by my lantern every evening acting as a look-out for his chicks.  There is one group of ten chicks but I have not been able to photograph them yet.  Soon they will be too big to be interesting.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Brush Drawings


SEASONS GREETINGS
These two brush drawings we used on some catalogue covers a long time ago.   I hope you enjoy them and that you all have a very happy and enjoyable holiday season.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Pleasant Fragrances


This lemon scented magnolia does not last long but gives a pleasant fragrance when brought indoors.  The native kanuka has only tiny flowers but the trees are just covered at this time of year.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Cloudscapes


These two cloudscapes appeared recently on a day with strong winds blowing.  The round cloud was much lower than the lighter cirrus cloud above.  Clear skys are nice but these are much more interesting.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

New Flowers


Last blog I mentioned the water lilies and how lovely they looked.  Also the roses this year are flowering profusely.  I do not remember the name of this bright yellow one.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Water Iris


The Iris by my pond are looking great this year but the strong winds are causing some damage.  The waterlilies are also flowering well.  Everything here is so dry it is nice to have the water feature to help create a small micro-climate.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Some Wildlife


This very colourful cock pheasant and its partner are about my property again this year.  The weka chick photograph was taken down in the South Island.  They are not seen near here although there are about twenty five other species of bird about at various times of the year.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Small Flowers


The Forget-me-Not is now well finished with the Velcro-like seeds sticking to clothing and being carried elsewhere in the garden.  The Lobelia is still flowering well and looks great by my entrance.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Textures


When the sun is in the right place I am amazed at the texture of this sawn wood.  It is a small area of cladding on my house and is a wonderful addition to the other materials used.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Lanterns


These two home made lanterns have been in my garden for a long time.  The top one has a ceramic cube for the light with found items and stones to make a tall lantern.  The lower one is all ceramic except for the stone it is sitting on.  It was made in three parts and fired in our anagama kiln.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Macro Images.


The Iris are flowering well this year and I have been trying out the Macro function on my camera.  Hope you enjoy seeing these pictures.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Wildflowers


After the Wildflower Sculptural Festival I thought a couple of wildflower pictures would be appropriate.

Friday, November 16, 2012

More Fun from the WSF


This beautiful stainless steel screen was created by David Trubridge and his team.  It was difficult to photograph in full daylight so I went back to try this evening shot which I think gives a better impression.  The "Rocket" was a fun construction made by several of the artists and was to be filled with straw and lit after dark.  It was too close to trees and the grass was so dry it was decided it would be too dangerous so the event did not happen.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

More Sculpture from WSF


These two works are by Ricks Terstappen and they were just wonderful.  The motorbike was titled "Prototype".  The "Jandals" (called thongs or flip flops in some countries) were huge, almost two meters long, but their size does not show very well in this photograph.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Sculptures from the Wildflower Exhibition


These two pieces, the Kiwi and the Rooster, are by Jeff Thomson who works mainly with corrugated iron. Jeff has exhibited regularly in Germany so some of you may recognise his work. I particularly like the rooster.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Wildflower Sculptural Festival


Tonight the Wildflower Sculptural Festival opens and runs through to Sunday 11th. November.  It is held in very beautiful gardens with many varied and interesting exhibits.  This is the first time I have been invited to exhibit and it will be interesting to compare the interest shown to ceramics, metal,wooden and other types of sculptures.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Flowers


The flowers on the Rowan tree have been lovely but, unfortunately, we have very hungry birds around here and I seldom see any bright red berries.  This pink manuka is also flowering well.  It will feed the bees but not the birds.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

It is Not Autumn


It is not autumn in New Zealand yet I found these multi-coloured leaves yesterday.  I am not sure of the name of the shrub they came from but it is probably a native of this country.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Pictures from Home


This season has been great for the Dogwoods as well as unusual lighting.  The rainbow between the old acacia and the gum trees during a light shower was a recent event.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Arthur's Pass


Many times I have driven through Arthur's Pass between Christchurch and the West Coast of the South Island and every time it is different.  The Rata in flower in Summer, the waterfalls and shingle slides after heavy rain which can be at any time of the year.  It is always spectacular.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Spring Winds.


Although autumn is long past the leaves are still blowing about with the very strong winds we are experiencing.  I do not usually burn leaves but the smoke from some incense make me wonder whether that is not what I should have done.

Friday, October 19, 2012

A Lovely Fountain and Flower


This lovely fountain is in Okayama in Japan.  It puts the local one outside our library to shame.  The magnolia have been flowering beautifully this season as have my dogwoods and blossom trees.

Monday, October 15, 2012

More Panoramic Pictures


I thought I should show you the back of the house which, unlike most places, is just as clean lined as the front.  Form the gateway the property looks very large and the house and workshop are barely visible with only a minimal track for a driveway.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Panorama Pictures of Kamaka House and Workshop


Two panoramic pictures of the house and workshop taken recently.  The wide images give a better impression of how these buildings look than wide angle or standard lenses can ever give. The gardens are looking especially pretty with blossoms and new leaves on the trees.