Dedicated to Joanne (Serenity) because she is an artist and may appreciate the colours and textures. I’m in the process of writing and editing something else, so not many words today.




From Chalfont St Giles, looking towards Amersham

The colours are at their most seductive before the barley is ripe

This is even truer of the unripe wheat
Looking southwest from the South Bucks Way

Edge of wheat field. A swathe was mown at the edge of the field, cutting into the wheat, whose stalks have grown since then



Wow, Vincent. Thank you for the dedication (I feel honored). Your lovely photos are a reminder that art is right in front of us. I was driving by some hills the other day, hills covered with brown dead grass (dead grass is in abundance this time of year), and at first glance it looks so dry and barren and boring and most of us want to speed by without giving it a notice. But stop, look and wait long enough and the wind blows through that dead grass, sometimes revealing a flower underneath, a bird or a bunny underneath… sometimes when strong enough the wind creates beautiful waves across the expanse. it is opening yourself to see with the eyes of a creator
I love looking at your photos. The colors, textures, and nuance are throughout. Maybe at first glance the most striking is in the caterpillar, but my favorite is the fifth photo down… the wheat field. It's a painting in itself.
LikeLike
Yes, it was the fifth one which made me think of you and your artist's eye.
LikeLike
Vincent,
They are gorgeous colors and textures. I'd like to wear a kimono with the design of the second photo and an obi from the fifth photo and an obijime (rope) in the second photo from the last.
LikeLike
Vincent, I love the way you have presented this wonderful palette. Yes, the caterpillar photo is quite captivating. They are all a delight to my senses, but my favorites are the second—how the light dapples on the wheat and the softness. And the South Bucks Way—there is something about meanderings like this that I adore.
LikeLike
Keiko, if you want to design the fabrics you mention, I could post up the original photos from which my clips were taken. Just say. Do people do this?
At school we had a good art master, with a bias towards commercial design, for he only worked part time as a teacher and had to make a living out in the world. I remember how he got us to create repeating designs so that they could be used to print fabrics. And another time we went further and carved printing blocks from potatoes, to test the repeatability of our designs in practice.
LikeLike
Rebb, one thing that I found quite moving was how they have been maintaining the South Bucks way quite recently. Because it passes through so many fields used by farmers for pasturing cattle, sheep and horses, they have to provide special gates. Each one has been sponsored by an organisation or individual as acknowledged by a plaque on the gate itself. One said “Happy birthday Roland”. Another said “Presented by the Women's Institute Evening Group, Amersham”. And so on.
So though my walk was mostly solitary, it made me very conscious of the throng of other walkers, perhaps even more enthusiastic, because they have donated money to keep the paths properly maintained.
LikeLike
Thank you, Vincent. I thought of such possibility although I don't have an immediate plan. With a software, I can make a kimono design using photographs. And I can wear many imaginary designs.
LikeLike
That does sound very moving, Vincent. It’s always wonderful when kind souls can give and support to maintain efforts, such as these paths.
Just today when I was driving back from the market, I looked out to the right and noticed the wheat quite differently today. Usually I take in the mountain, the greens, and the cows, but today, I was more aware of the dancing shimmering wheat—thank you!
LikeLike