Wednesday 14 January 2009

Fogs and Fish Eggs


A FOG sneaked up on us this morning and sneaked away again just as quickly. It filtered the frosty sunlight through its damp doubtful fingers and made everything nearby look far off. We did our morning chores of sweeping and mat shaking and washing breakfast dishes to radio 4 with the door open and the fire crackling, and the fog tried to sneak in over our door sill, but we wouldn't let it.
Then I walked through the fog over the fields with a loo roll under one arm and a bag of fire ash and a bucket of veg scraps under the other and stitched my gumbooted steps between the apple trees to the place where we have dug holes for .. um .. such things.




I finished my first truck painting today whilst Tui fitted glass to a new window he is making for my desk area. It's a strange thing this painting ... a boy fishing through an ice hole for a hinged fish with an embryonic old man inside its belly ... made with rusty watercolours. I am today opening my shop again and I bring The Fish Egg as an offering for the new year. It'll be an interesting thing running a shop from here. I have stacks of lovely prints and sturdy envelopes ready to send off, so do wander over for a browse ... and if you make an order, apologies if your package arrives a little muddy around the gills :)
We have enjoyed tramping about the local lanes and hedgerows and orchards here. Kent it seems is full of apple trees. In fact just yards from our door stands a four year old Iranian Quince Tree. There's a busy mole who tunnels under our wheels at night too.. we wonder if we might wake one morning to find the whole truck submerged in a new earthy appletree-rooty mole world.



40 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am thoroughly enjoying your tales of living on wheels. Such great adventures you are having and many more to come, I am sure.
I warms my heart to think of you painting in your snug wheeled home.
And as always your art is a pleasure to see.

unm00red said...

Rima, in case you missed it, your home on wheels is mentioned in an article on MSN Money today:
http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/smartspending/archive/2009/01/13/in-praise-of-teeny-tiny-houses.aspx

Anonymous said...

Hello! Wow I am all caught up on your travels and adventures and in awe of what you are doing, your home looks an absolute delight and I do hope you have sorted out the 'heating system'. The new pieces is wonderful and intriguing and lovely to see your etsy shop open again.

annette emms said...

Oh Rima, what magical foggy pictures.! We have a touring caravan which I know is not the same at all, as living the travelling life, but, it does mean that I understand the joy of being so close to nature.
I'm smiling here, as I soak up your wonderful adventures. Blessings to you both.x

Gretel said...

Hmm, I wonder if your new enclosed life is reflected in the egg-i-ness of the new work? Spaces within spaces, as you have within your truck-nest? It's one of your best, the hinged tail is delectable.

Gretel said...

PS - you're looking thinner. Eat more stew.

The Ginger Darlings said...

And eat more chocolate too. Hot chocolate with chili is what you need I think.
Your clock would like to send its love to you and to let you know that it is well and happy and cared for. Has moved from the studio into the bedroom where it gets looked at more, and the gingercats love it too.
Happy travels and painting.
Love from Jackie and the gingercats

d. moll, l.ac. said...

You look like one of your paintings, but then everything is a self portrait to one extent or another. Thanks for popping over to the rabbit centered universe!!!!

Unknown said...

Rima and Tui,

I am in love with hearing your adventures. I pass them on to friends and family. Your art and the talent you have to write is so inspiring. Thank you for tales and beautiful artwork, makes my family feel like we are there watching and learning from your journey. I have always wanted to visit the UK, and you are showing me a whole new world.

Anonymous said...

As I read this, I imagined a Rima painting of a-house-on-wheels-below-the-ground.Perhaps a harnessed mole?
It wont be long before you notice catkins and tiny splashes of yellow!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I love these foggy photos, and the new painting!
We once stayed in Switzerland with some friends who lived in a chalet high up in the mountains. We had the attic room and one morning I was alone there and opened the tiny window for some fresh air. Before I really realized what was happening the little room was totally fogged in. It took me a bit of time to figure out just what was going on!! Take care and watch out for that mole!

Jess said...

I love the shape of the painting. It's a lovely image too that sends the imagination off. Those paints look very new?x

hen said...

I love that painting!

It seems to me that that fish may want to catch that young lad, to replace the old man in his belly (I think old men give you indigestion).

Or maybe he's tired and wants to be caught? If his hinge only goes one way, then he'll be bored of only being able to turn left.

Love that picture. Love it.

hen
x

Griffin said...

I love that photo of you wandering through the fog. Very wise of you to ditch the red riding hood too. You wouldn't want to meet a certain wolf now would you?

I love the picture of you painting too - always wondrous to watch someone so talented doing their stuff.

Be warm and well,
O woolly-hatted one!

Karen said...

How lovely to see you painting in your home on wheels. x

Do you have mistletoe in any of the older apple trees there in Kent?

Anonymous said...

my morning broke at -20F and the bitter cold seeps through every crack and frost hangs thick on every window.
i warm my fingers by the fire and around cups of tea so that i may curl them around my pencils with feeling. i am thankful for the shelter, the extra blankets at night...
and yet, i envy you and your fog and your loo rolls.
i do.
i really do....

Anonymous said...

coming here always makes me smile. i love the fog, the romance of it. when i was a little girl and it was foggy out i would stand on our front porch and pretend i was the heroine of some english novel, about to wander off onto the moors. oh who am i kidding, i still do pretend that...

Dragan said...

Moles do their "morning" chores as well. An article on the BBC (which due to their poor search feature I can't find it again) explained that before moles go out they fluff their bedding, every time!

Scientists had laid a bunch of small cameras in their maze of burrows underground to observe their behavior.

Julia Guthrie said...

"we wonder if we might wake one morning to find the whole truck submerged in a new earthy appletree-rooty mole world."

Oooh...that sounds just like something you'd paint!! I'd love to see you imortalise that image on paper :)
Welcome back to Etsy!

Anonymous said...

ooh my. i think i stepped into a different world ... and what a beautiful one. i'll just have to come back and read and look and read again...

Renee said...

It looks like a really beautiful world you have over there at the Hermitage.

I love your artwork.

Renee xoxoxo

laoi gaul~williams said...

i love it when i log in and see you have put up a new post, i love hearing about your adventures on the road. everything is so magical

Acornmoon said...

your photograph looks like you could be carrying a designer handbag, maybe you will start a new trend!

I love your new painting, it's so nice to know that you are settling in.

Lisa Evans said...

Thank you for your wonderful posts.
They are like a breath of fresh air.

Your always welcome in Bath, should your wheels spin this way : )

pRiyA said...

Oh Gosh! What an utterly wonderful blog. Am so glad I stumbled here...

jude said...

i bet you can , as i do, visualize a fog sneaking in and back.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous and eerie all at the same time. I am still so jealous of your adventures!

BT said...

Lovely to see a catch up Rima. You do look thin! Eat chocolate as directed! Lovely foggy photo and the new painting is super. What a strange idea, a hinged fish!!

By the way, my step daughter loved the print of the penny farthing teapot.

the dafthermits (Mel n andy and wee clan) said...

Hi Rima

Beautiful work as always so good to see the home is filling with love and happiness

we are now at Muir of Ord changing Vehicles yet again

will write to you tom x

all my love to you Tui x


take care both andy x mel x

Anonymous said...

I love the little hinge -- I know I've seen ones *exactly* like that! But I can't help thinking of those poor cold toeses on that boy.

We've had wonderful fogs here the last few days, but freezing fog! So everything is coated in wonderful Jack Frost crystal diamonds every morning.

Shari said...

Wow! I found this blog by accident and I'm so glad I did - what an adventure you are having. I have been here ages and I'm totally captivated.

annette emms said...

I just wanted to say how thrilled I am with the items I ordered from your etsy shop! I've posted a big Thank you on my blog, hope that's ok. x

Leigh Shepherd said...

Hi Rima
I stumbled across your blog by happy accident. I am amazed that you have continued to post from your new and wonderful looking fairy tale home. Good luck with your travels!

Solvay said...

Ah, creativity, ingenuity, brilliance.

Do you know the Auden poem, "Thank You Fog"?
I was oddly just looking for that poem online just before checking in, here, to see how you're doing. A window by your desk - how wondrous!!!

Thank you for having and living your vision!

Clare Wassermann said...

I have just discovered, and am looking forward to following, your Blog. I cannot believe the loveliness of it. To step into your life through my computer is to enhance mine incredibly. Good luck xx

Half-heard in the Stillness said...

I too love it when I log in and find you've written a new post with photo's, I love the one of you painting by the new window!
Walks in the fog...wondrous days how lucky we are to share your adventures.
Wrap up warm you two!

Ciara Brehony said...

So delighted to see a new post RIma.
I can smell the fog, the cool morning. I am transported to you. Remembering my own memories of such traipsing and quiet living, through this wonderful foggy window. Thank you so much for these stunning images. A little bit of magic through the window....

Gwen Buchanan said...

Rima, I love to see your thoughts on paper.. in paintings and in words..

Care to you and Tui in your journeys... Much adventure awaits you...

Nao said...

It must feel so good to be painting again, to be able to give yourself to your creativity once more. Beautiful creation, as always your work resonates with something deep inside. Love the image of you walking in from the fog. There is something very faerie-tale about it.

Blessings to you and Tui and the Orchard~

Isabel said...

Rima,

Your new home, its breathtaking surroundings, and the child I always felt still and will always live in your mind will for sure inpire you to write that book. I know what it is to procrastinate and cling to the perfectionist in us, but sometimes we just have to let go of things when things let us now it is time. Listen carefully around you. I think that book will be out sooner than later. It wants to be born and handed to its destiny in our hands.
Your work is not just beautiful, it also calls and answers to that need of magic in all of us. So, don't keep it a magical secret. Put it out there.