About Carole

Artist, writer, PhD researcher and organic gardener. Twitter @carolekirk

All is well

Just a quick message care of Halifax Library computers to say we have not been blown away or drowned.  Thursday was hideous with 60-90mph gales and driving rain, but we all survived.  We are now safely in with all our stuff and are up to our waists in cardboard boxes.  More later when we find ourselves some dial-up software.

Here we go again …

Well, this will be my last post before we move.  The removal team arrive tomorrow, and today we’ll be busy dismantling, tidying up and packing.  We stay in a hotel tomorrow night and move in on Friday.  It’s not as traumatic as last time, given that we’ve only been here a year and half.  But I think I will feel a pang when we leave dear old Fenny – it’s been good to us, and people have made us feel welcome here.

Cheerio for now!

Crackle … crackle …

We’ve just placed the order for our broadband to be transferred, so if the line suddenly crackles and goes dead, that’s why.  We move out this Thursday, and will be back online as soon as we can – but given previous experiences, I’m not sure when that will be.   Stay tuned …

Meeting notes

Meeting notes

I’ve just been sorting through all my work files and chucking stuff out.  Then I found this.  It was clearly a thrilling meeting.  I’ve distorted the agenda text to protect the innocent.  🙂

Newspaper art?

Newspaper art

This week was my last week at Bournville College before we move and I change colleges.  I *hate* goodbyes.

Anyway, this is the fruit of my labours in class.  We had a life model and had to ‘draw’ him using nothing but newspaper and glue.  Apparently this brings out the abstract qualities in the image.  Well – yes, he does look abstract, doesn’t he?

Donkeys

Donkeys

I drew this from a picture that I kept from an RSPCA leaflet.  Drawn in black felt tip.  I love donkeys.  They are such gentle, friendly creatures.  I hope there are donkeys in Calderdale. 🙂

Storm

The first sign was the flash
that lit your face; the muffled
crash that had us clattering cutlery
on plates; the dash for the car.

You were in the driving seat.  I didn’t know
how you could see the road beneath
the rising tide.  The whining of wipers
left me blind.  Once home,

I ran upstairs to press my nose against
the panes of glass, made circles of steam.
Uprooted seedlings – magenta neon –
painted the sky in shades of bubblegum.

The rain drummed its final solo.
In the held breath of silence that followed
the sky glowed a bruised yellow,
holding me still in a crackling cocoon.

Something crashed to an unseen floor
pounding the boards with fists of rage
so I laid down and prayed
though unsure what for.

Happy New Year!

Welcome (rather belatedly) to 2007.

As we are imminently moving house, things have been rather hectic but I’ve finally managed to squeeze in a drawing.  The EDM challenge (one of them) was to draw a gift.  This is a candle holder, and was a gift from my sister and brother (not)-in-law.  I’ve drawn it using my new Staedtler Mars Pencils (a gift from my Gran) and they are comfortingly smooth and silky to use.  They hold their point too.  I shall enjoy using them.

Gift

Today the letting agent confirmed that all our paperwork is in order, so we are definitely moving on the 19th.  Things may go a little quiet round here.

Visitors

Returned home last night to find that Santa had been.  He’d dropped a couple of starlings down the chimney.  They seemed very excited to see us when we came into the living room. 

It took ages to find the keys to the windows, but we finally managed to hussle them outside.  Of course, they left us lots of presents.  It looked like it had been snowing. 

Question is: can I be bothered to put all the christmas cards back up again?