für Natur
nature | für Natur | furniture
Time and tide
It was an accident of the time of the tide and the angle of the sun that these green pebbles-to-be emerging from a bed of sandstone caught my eye on Caer Bwdy beach. Usually the waves and dark shadow in the gulley where they sit conceal them. The curve of the rock strata created a natural lounger shape which gave me the idea for a lounger in laminated oak with soft green leather pads supporting the body. More comfy than the rocks, but hopefully retaining their natural beauty. Part of the Land, Sea and Light collection
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the pyramid rock
This extraordinary rock at Porth y Ffynnon looks like a pyramid from the front, although it’s a bit of a film set…. the back is not all it seems. I want to make a pyramidal cabinet, possibly on a pedestal, but I need ot start playing with bits of wood; I can’t see how it will work just by drawing it. That triangular crevice on the far side of the bay may become some sort of handle to open the cabinet. This is part of the Land, sea and light project – a collection of furniture inspired by the Pembrokeshire coast around the St Davids peninsula.
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Winter orchard
This old orchard is at North Nibley in Gloucestershire. I’ve been talking to the cider makers who manage it. Hoping that some of the trees they need to take down this winter will provide wood for my furniture making business – maybe some Laxton’s Superb jewellery boxes will appear in a year or two once the timber has dried. We’ve been discussing how to make a Wassail bowl from one of the root balls in exchange…. we shall see.
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Summer Solstice
Beyond the sleepy frustration of no sun at sunrise (0451) I found a world of deliciously soft colours to slip into. The damp early morning was a time for slugs, snails and spiders. If you look closely you’ll see the back of a female spider covered with clinging spiderlets. Those flying insects that were around were slow and drowsy or shivering their wings into flyable warmth. The long afternoon brought sunshine, relief, and warmth on the back, blossoms, and wings of butterflies, damselflies, and a translucent lace wing. And the sun celebrated it’s turning point in the year with a glorious apricot sunset before retreating behind a deep grey blanket as it finally dipped below the horizon.
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Smoking grass
This was the scene on June 14th. I thought the field was on fire, but there was no smell of smoke. And then I realised that I was seeing something that probably only happens if grass is allowed to grow fully and freely. Here it’s well above waist height and you have to wade through it. This was the moment that all those beautiful seed heads had been ripening for - grass doing what grass should do and letting rip with clouds of pollen as each shimmer of wind crossed the field.
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Irresistible
Who could resist these sunlit beauties all fresh after yesterday’s rain. Hope the sun is shining where you are.
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A buttercup and its star
A buttercup close enough to stroke embodies the light of a star 93 million miles away, impossible to grasp.
Yellow
The whites of the wood sorrel are turning to seed. Even the flower heads of elder can’t decide whether to be green, cream or rust. But the colour of the moment is definitely yellow.
Nice weather for snails
Overnight rain …. yes, we have been getting some rain at last!…. made a lovely morning for snails. But not on these beautiful rain-clad grasses…..Instead the snails were all over last year’s hogweed stems. I’m not sure what it is that they like there, but they were all happily nibbling away, if a gastropod can nibble
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Blue in green
The Mayday morning shower dampened the dawn chorus, but not the ground. Now, though, we have real rain. As the clouds moved in this afternoon these glorious insects were in the warm air and settling on the young leaves – so blue in green is today’s theme. Miles Davis’ melancholy song Blue in Green captures the feel of this much needed spring rain that has, for now, banished the sun. Why not listen while enjoying these extraordinary creatures?
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