April 22, 2014

Beach combing, bonfires & driftwood creations . . .

 The unexpected sunshine of the last few days was the perfect excuse to pack up a picnic and head for the beach to hunt for treasure. Beach combing has to be one of my favourite things to do.  I always go home with pockets full of jewel like sea glass, shiny pebbles & sea shells. 
 The limpet shells  (top right & bottom left) remind me of the Cornish legend of  Jan Tregeagle who was set the gloomy task of trying to empty a lake on Bodmin Moor (believed at the time to be bottomless), with a limpet shell with a hole in it. We have a much better use for the limpet shells with holes in them,  we string them into garlands for the garden!
I love driftwood and pieces find their way into some creation or another, my favourite of the moment is wee "Cloth Ears" the pup who lives in our garden!
On my beach hunt I discovered these wonderful trees clinging to the rocks, their roots curling & stretching to find a hold.  They look like there ought to be magical creatures  living in there!
There was lots of wood on the beach too, cast up during all that stormy weather earlier in the year most probably, it inspired my boy to build a beach sculpture.
 Later in the evening, once the stars were out, the driftwood sculpture became a roaring bonfire sending tiny sparks flying into a deep blue night sky.
 A glowing sunset  made a perfect end to a beautiful day, everywhere looked so magical bathed all in gold and it reminded me how lucky I am to be able to call this beautiful place, Dumfries & Galloway, home,  such a magical wee corner of Scotland!
There has been a flurry of activity here with garlands, wee boats & wind chimes being made.  I love making my wind chimes, which can be made to order and cost £14 each plus p&p.  Each chime is embellished with ribbon & shells, as the breeze catches the chime you can hear the delicate song of the shells, a peaceful sound with echoes of the seashore lingering, and as the mobile moves in the breeze it's pieces shift and change about forming beautiful sculptural shapes.

For now I am away back into the studio to work on some new driftwood creations ready for an exciting new happenig that I shall reveal very soon.

15 comments:

  1. I love beachcombing too (not to mention Dumfries and Galloway, wonderful place). Cloth Ears is adorable!

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    1. Thanks Juliet, here's to lot of Beachcombing treasure finds x

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  2. You really live in a magical place - but your creations make it even more so!

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    1. You're right Jules, It is a magical place, and we are so lucky to be here , I am endlessley thankful for the loveliness we are surrounded by. x

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  3. Lovely Ruthie, your creations are always quite amazing. I think I recognise your beach, a night time bonfire under the stars would be wonderful there.
    There's a wonderful walk down your way in next month's Newton Stewart Walkfest from
    Gull Craig to Brighouse Bay, trouble is it's fully subscribed so I'm booking myself as a reserve for it.
    Keep the creations coming.

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    1. That sounds like a fab walk Jim, hope you get onto it. I love Ross BAy, not that I've been there for ages!

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  4. Wonderful post, Ruthie! I love what you do with natural things. These activities are so perfect for kids, too -- combining their imagination with the inspiration Nature provides so abundantly. Your son's beach sculpture reminds me of the work of Andy Goldsworthy -- do you know of him?

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    1. I love Goldsworthy's work Jeffrey, we have a wonderful piece of his in Dumfries & Galloway ~ http://www.stridingarches.com/

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  5. Oh, I love finding treasures on the beach! You can find hundreds of the most wonderful colors and shapes just by looking at a few square feet of the shore. There are so many things I want to paint every time I go it's almost overwhelming.

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    1. Me to Grace, so much inspiration, I always come home with lots of photos to process too.

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  6. Your posts are always so inspiring. Thank you.

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  7. Magnificent. Your beach combing is such a treat.
    Those trees clinging to the rocks are amazing as well as gorgeous !

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