Qala to Hondoq

The sun and moon are travellers in eternity. Even the years are wanderers. For those whose life is on the waters or leading a horse through the years each day is a journey and the journey itself is home.

Matsuo Basho

Raffi has decided to stay !  A trip to the vet for the once over and all is ok. It seems no one has come to claim him and he has settled in very well, as if he has always been with me. I am a great believer that people/animals come into your life for a reason...in the same way they leave for a reason. When people no longer are part of your story they leave. Think before you chase after them. 

The negative people are in your life for a reason too.They are usually there to teach you what you do not want to become, treat you how you don't want to be treated, and show you what you don't deserve. Embrace them, let them teach you, then let them go. 

Raffi is certainly giving me a reason to walk and on a lovely day for a walk from Qala down to Hondoq we went to collect some more seed pods and material to use in my eco dyeing. A view of Mgarr harbour over newly harvested hay fields.

Looking over to Comino.

The wind was really whipping up the waves in the channel. Hondoq is a lovely spot with it;s tiny beach and blue, blue water.

Raphael the nomad

A small dog on an adventure all of his own landed up tired and more than a little stressed in Xlendi bay last weekend. He had followed a couple of walkers from Dwerja to Xlendi...a walk that probably took the best part of an hour and a half on a very hot day. He had already been spotted by someone the day before , anxiously searching cars for his owner but hadn’t been able to find him.  It seems that tragically he had been dumped....sadly not an unusual occurrence on these islands. He was hungry and thirsty and very disorientated. Luckily for him he was spotted by a friend of mine who was concerned,  already having four dogs of her own, she couln’t take him home. I was nearby and she asked if I would just look after him while the SPCA tried to locate the owner.  It turns out that he was not chipped and no one has registered him missing.

My Boy was over with me for a week and it didn’t take long for us to both to be under the spell of small dog.  An afternoon of name picking took place and when he finally looked interested in ‘Raphael’ and perked up his little black ears the Boy finalised that Raffi suited him very well. The 14c painter Raphael led a nomadic life and so the name seemed apt for this little wandering dog.  Suspected part Tal Cacca and part Pointer, Raffi is an interesting mix of small black and white spots and large black patches, a typical looking Maltese hunting dog. He has the sweetest nature and is very loving, quiet and seemingly house trained. Although he arrived with a host of biting fleas, a dose of Frontline and a bath with anti flea shampoo very quickly got rid of them. He looks about a year old but a necessary trip to the vet soon will confirm that. He’s healthy enough but it’s always as well to check. The SPCA pay for neutering of all stray animals, so that will be done too.  So for the meantime I am fostering Raffi until it is certain he does not have an owner who is looking for him. He is enjoying all the lovely walks I do here, sits quietly with me in the gallery and is generally settling in very well considering his ordeal....he’s a poppet ! 

Raffi and Boy loved the walk up the hill opposite Ta' Pinu Basilica. The views from the top offer a panoramic view of the whole island...stunning.

Raffi not yet convinced swimming in the chilly 19c sea is a good idea.

Mgarr to Hondoq

I came across this koan the other day:

The teacher calls out, “Master!”
And answers, “Yes!”
“Are you awake?”
“Yes!”
“Don’t be fooled by others!”
“No! No!”

I wasn't sure how it fitted with my life at the moment...so I just held onto it and carried it around with me.  John Tarrant writes very well on the subject of koans and remembering he had written an article on this particular koan, I looked it up.


'.....So far it all comes down to this. It’s the joke of life, a funny joke, not a bitter one. I have stepped off an edge and am falling, happily towards an outcome, like Alice down the rabbit hole. I can take marmalade jars off the shelves and look at the pictures as they go by but no decisions are needed. The universe is managing things and I imagine that I’ll emerge in a place that’s different from anything I might expect. I don’t have to listen for the call. The call comes and the response just appears, “Yes.” Unexpectedness is itself a kind of freedom. '

Suddenly on my walk today it all made sense...Who knows what will happen. Actually it doesn't matter. Just take the next step and live right now. Enjoy !

What a beautiful walk on a beautiful day. From Mgarr harbour to Hondoq and back again. The sea looks inviting but the wind is still a little chill. Planning on the wet suit, snorkel and fins next week ;0)

What's The Story Morning Glory

Some disappointing and some surprising results. The Palm bark had little or no effect except as a resist but the Castor oil plant leaves gave a really nice impression.

This morning's foraging was a little trickier than usual as the wild flowers on the cliffs are now few and far between. With the exception of St John's Wort , which has a penchant for growing precariously close to the edge, the only plants still looking healthy are the grasses. Beautiful as they are swaying in the wind, they give off very little in the way of dye.  A few morning glory and some cultivated flowers, I'm not sure of the name of, were added to the basket today.

Yesterday I tried some Palm bark which despite having a lovely rich colour, produces no dye. Th ever profuse Eucalypts are still in the mix, not only for the wonderful shades but their strong shape. The leaves of the Castor Oil plant give a surprising and lovely effect.

A glorious start to the day, with fine weather forecast for the rest of the week, I'm feeling it may almost be time to don the wetsuit and get into the water. 

A bay full of brightly coloured jellyfish.

Happy days. There isn't anywhere I would rather be, or need to be right now.

Where the St John's Wort lurks !

Island life is good today and every day.

Echoes

Once a man came unto me and denounced me on account of my observing the Way and practicing great loving-kindness. But I kept silent and did not answer him. The denunciation ceased. Then I asked him. ‘If you bring a present to your neighbor and he accepts it not; does the present come back to you?’ He replied, ‘It will.’ I said, ’ You denounce me now, but as I accept it not, you must take the wrong deed back on your own person. It is like echo succeeding sound, it is like shadow following object; you never escape the effect of your own evil deeds. Be therefore mindful, and cease from doing evil.

— Buddha

Island Mantras

Wind Song  21st April  Wied Il Mielah   

Inspired by land artists like Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long and Herman De Vries I have produced a series of works under the collective title of Island Mantras. I wanted to immerse myself totally into the island environment using the things about me to create my own version of Gozo.There are two different sets of work but both envelope the Island totally. Soaked in Essence series are a collection of works based on plant dyes and Wind Songs embrace the changing seasons. Sometimes these two elements cross over.

Soaked in Essence

Moments captured on my daily walks around the Island. The time and place is the essence of the walk. Each valley or Wied has a name and this is recorded on each finished piece. The results can vary hugely from week to week depending on the organic matter available. I collect seasonal flowers, leaves, barks, seeds and any other organic material that may lend it’s self to producing colour in a dye bath. Leaves and flowers are rolled into watercolour paper and through a long and complicated process, the subtle and unusual colours emerge. The dye is absorbed by the paper leaving wonderfully subtle prints. Mordants are used to vary the colour combinations and sea water and sea salt made at the Xweni salt pans are used in the dye bath too .Each one is original, different and unexpected. 

Wind Song   22nd April  Ta' Pinu   

Wind songs. 

The wind writes it's own song, sometimes laying marks over plant based dyed paper. Time and place specific, these works capture a brief and transient glimpse into Gozo.

Wind Song   23rd April   Wied Il Ghasri