Tuesday 4 September 2012

Shadows and texture....


Playing with shadows in the afternoon light....a wire mannequin torso on the windowsill is captured on the bedroom wall,


The finished Grandfather clock that came literally flat packed from a barn in Northumberland...the fretwork in pieces and the carcass too.
Assembled by my own skilled hands (really, truly and so pleased with myself even with a head injury! )....and painted in Annie Sloan "Versaille"
The clock face has been pushed behind the door temporarily and still needs fine tweeking to sit correctly.

Sorry to all you old wood lovers, but this really did need painting.

By contrast, this doesn't...
Loving the knarly texture on this ancient old yew tree in a Northumbrian village...



So ancient....it needs support from huge metal bands...


At some point in time, someone has even pushed a piece of old rubber between the bands and tree to protect it.



More information about these Ancient yews can be found here...a long but interesting article which may have some bearing on the sword/arrow head sharpening marks on the sides of the Church walls....




Even the doorway didn't escape...


Remnants of a turbulent past perhaps and the thought that to sharpen ones weapons on a holy building would give the owner some divine protection?
Nowadays it would be classed as vandalism...

Julie x

PS  Thank you for all the kind wishes for my broken head...stitches come out on Friday... longer recovery because of a mis diagnosis first time round!

 C'est la vie...enjoy your week x


8 comments:

  1. Oh so glad you are feeling better Julie. I love the grandfather clock . . . . Are there no ends to your talents?
    You are an inspiration,
    xx

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  2. Clock looks great and that tree is amazing. Just saw the photo of your poor broken head - wow, that must have hurt. Glad you are on the road to recovery. M x

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  3. so glad to hear you are on the mend, very impressed with the clock especially with a head wound! That is a lovely coloour you have painted it. Fascinating trees, definitely inspirationa. Hope to see you soon. Bit worrying about being misdiagnosed though! jayne x

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  4. Julie so sorry to read of your accident I am playing blog catch up as usual and hope your back to normal soon.. I love the clock painted but if I painted mine I can assure all I would not live to blog about it.. Your pics are beautiful and we are trully blessed to live where we do.. Angi

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  5. Mark fished a lovely and very shabby old desk out of a skip and its been in the shed awhile until I had inclination to paint.
    Last week it came indoors as a space had arisen that would suit it perfectly, and I wanted it to sit while I decided on a cool-&-elegant or a tad funky colour scheme.
    Then it had a wash, and then a light wax...and now it has the honour of being the first piece of unpainted wooden furniture to stay in this house for years! Have to confess I really do like it!
    xx

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  6. I just found your beautiful blog! I hope you're feeling better from your head injury. Sounds like something I would do, too.

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  7. Hope you are well enough for Gateshead tomorrow Julie.
    Your link to the ancient yew info is very interesting - will show it to Mr N who has is fascinated by such things.
    Nx

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  8. As fellow texture nut, love this post so much! I have been in a house in nottinghamshire with sword marks on the stone fireplace - from the civil war period, simply for sharpening purposes my friends' thought, but maybe more to it, will read your link article with interest.

    The clock is totally gorgeous, what an achievement, sorry to hear of the head injury though. x

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