How abstract is *too* abstract?

How abstract is *too* abstract? Or, depending upon your point of view, can there ever be such a thing as *too* abstract anyway?

Just to reassure you, I'm not asking this for theoretical reasons, like some medieval cleric wondering about the number of angels he could fit onto the head of a pin. No, there's a practical purpose.

The thing is, I'm enjoying creating inspirational poscards at the moment, and people seem to like them. So far so good. But  like the rest of us, I've been used to pin-sharp natural photographic scenes as a backdrop to such things, (I'm thinking about majestic mountains with the word "Courage" emblazoned at the bottom, etc.)

So part of me feels constrained by this. The other feels it's high time that inspirational images came in all shapes, and specifically, softer, more feminine, and maybe more abstract choices. Hence my dilemma.

I have no answer to the question posed in the title of this post...

Life-Affirming Graffiti. But What Should I *Do* With These?

When Jim and I went to Edinburgh for the Fringe this last summer, a piece of graffiti kept popping up. But not just any old piece of graffiti. It was one of the most positive and life-affirming pieces of graffiti I've ever seen.

 

It inspired me so much that I've come up with two pieces based upon it. (They are rendered in two very different colour schemes by the way...a sort of his'n hers, perhaps?).

And...

The thing is that, for one reason and another, both of them seem to have a relatively small natural size. (And I'm not talking resolution here...the resolution is fine at A4 size, but overpowers the message, somehow).

What to do with them? 

Indian Summer

An Indian summer kept me away from the blog. (And yes, I know that sounds just like, "Please Miss, the dog ate my homework!". But it really is true).

If you're reading this from outside the UK, then please know that everything you've ever heard about Brits and the weather is also true. Only more so. We really will talk about it thrice daily...and drop everything to chase a few minutes of sun.

Summer 2011 had not lived up to its early promises. The long, dark nights loomed. Then, out of nowhere, came a handful of days that broke records for September. And then for October.

The photos on these pages were just snapped with the phone, and will look better after some digital magic. But just for now, they record afternoons of golden light. Days when small surprises were as wonderous as the weather.

Who knew my husband of almost 10 years could row? (And how had anyone "hidden" a boating lake, just two miles from our urban home, for all these years?)



The sudden delight of an Indian summer isn't just about the weather though. It's also like an affirmation from Nature.

"Don't worry about what's gone before," the light whispers. "Just know that it's never too late for things to improve...And life always gives you a second chance".