St Martins and Brass Rubbbings

St Martins in the Field

Our last day in London.....Nor and I had a leisurely wake up but then darted off to St Martins in the Fields...An Anglican cathedral just off Trafalgar square, sporting our very own Desmond Tutu's conference room, a theater (I think) and a crypt used as a tea room and art gallery.....and the final resting place of quite a few people.....hmmmm, strange to be walking on bones!







This is my second brass rubbing in progress, a celtic circle. I honestly didn't realise that it was a Celtic crcle tll we were home.....my husband has strong scottsh roots, so ths was automatclly hs.













In progress, It looks easy but the way one presses (reasonably hard), the direction of the rubbing (one way only) and the time one takes (the more layers, the better) will determine the end product






Here Noreen is busy on her third. The fun thing about doing this, was that it was done with a fellow artist.....our darling husbands would have been chomping at the bit at the very thought.

We got caught up in the moment and in the process. We had spent two awesome weeks together, laughing, walking, talking, but this was the best possible way to have ended out trip...no words only smiles that confirmed our connectedness in doing something we both so enjoy.

The reason for the visit was to to do a Brass Rubbing....our last chance to do something arty as a memory keep-sake. Nor finished three and me, two and we were so emotionally hyped up afterwards. Aaaaah it was so good to do some art again! I decided to sign mine off with a fork....the reason will become clear (or has become clear) later (or earlier) :o)

Green Art...what would Vincent say?

This is the huge display at the National Gallery which we came accross on the day we left London.

I'm a keen gardner but have little knowledge of Botany, so couldn't make out the types of plants used in this work, but I was in awe.

Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists and to see this interpretation was facinating

Having left St. Martins in the Fields, we passed this display..the start of a 'Green art' exhibition, which we unfortunately were not able to visit. The Circa Gallery in Rosebank, Jhb, has got 'Live Art' as part of its building, which is simply a creeper left to grow up the side of the building, but this is an awsome display of what we can do with nature to create art. Different plants creating different textures and colours, all live and growing in huge proportions. There are no limitations in art.

Taking the time

I sat next to a young 25 year old Tanzanian journalist, called Moenga Shamilimo, on the flight home. She had been to SA before to report on the progress of the stadiums before the soccer world cup, and now she was back for a week. We did our bit towards international relationships and made a friend.

Having spent two very full weeks running around London and Madeira, there was still energy to horse around at the airport and meet new people. Laughter and conversation came easy no matter where we were and how tired. Nor in particular, seemed to start conversations wherever we were...once , at the ticket office at Victoria station, where the Pakistani guy at the till ran off to get a photo of his family in Lenasia during rush-hour. Unknowingly, there was a queue of passengers standing behind us, till one tall chap reminded us in high English, that we were causing chaos.......we were very apologetic but walked away laughing..... and really quite happy at making an 'invisible' man in a thankless ,monotonous job, perhaps feel a bit special for a few minutes.

Beginning at the end

This is a picture of Noreen and I at Paddington Station, about to catch the Heathrow express...still fresh!............Because of the nature of blogging, I've started at the end......... The end and yet the beginning.

We arrived home yesterday, absolutely exhausted yet elated, having experienced art and friendship through the privilege of travel. As hard as it was to leave our families behind, it was a glorious two weeks for us to nurture the 'me', the 'artist', and the joys of 'sisterhood'.......let me share it with you.