The Yellowing of the Days
Well true to form the Hong Kong weather changed this week, yesterday I am happy to say I wore a sweater! Right after the Mid Autumn Festival those northerly monsoons brought us 2 typhoons and now some cool air…..its lovely! Autumn in my home country of England is a colourful and atmospheric time, one of my favourite times of year full of gusty winds, a dramatic reddening of the leaves and sharp shadows. My childhood memories include bonfires up the garden, roasting potatoes in the fire with my dad, picking apples and celebrating Halloween and Guy Fawkes with Catherine Wheels in the garden!
My Hong Kong Autumn is a more subtle seasonal slide into softly cooler temperatures, the light changes beautifully, the wild boars emerge in my village, there is increased bird life especially more herons and egrets around the coast and guess what less mosquitos!
Katie’s Contemplations
For the last 3 weeks I have been working with groups of students in and around Hong Kong creating mixed media artworks and journals in response to the world around us. Learning to hone our attention in the service of both art and mindfulness. Our attention is our most precious gift and one that can so easily be frittered away. Learning to develop conscious awareness of how we use and focus attention is a life skill as well as the single most precious contribution to our art-making and ability to connect with the world. The more we pay attention to what is around us, the more fascinating the world becomes and the more we become curious and intrigued by what we find!
A few years ago Eric and I dedicated a whole October to writing a daily nature poem, finding inspiration in the small and nuanced moments in our lives, the subtle shifts that we observed and felt in the air. Seeking small beautiful details in day-to-day life became our mindfulness practice and for us both it is a compulsion. It’s how I interact with the world, and how I find inspiration for my art-making and creativity on all levels.
I invite you to study shadows this week, look around you above and below………….stand still and watch the light move.
a yellowing of the days
a softer evening haze
lingering shadows laze
sunlight's playful ways
by Katie
This week at the studio we mark Autumn at the Art Table with Midweek Lunchtime Autumn Doodles and with Thursdays Autumnal Mandala Night. Do come and enjoy your own Yellowing of the Days with some magical watercolour blending and mixed media art as we blend and graduate golds, yellow, burnt orange and reds in our creative practice.
The paint palette awaits you!
