Wednesday 12 September 2012

#One Week - Summer '12 - Beauty


I find combing beaches for pebbles, shells and other washed up oddities the most relaxing past time. I switch off when I focus on the array of hues and textures nestled in the sandy grains. I'm absorbed by the detail of something so simple as a small stone, feeling its smooth or coarse surface between the palms of my hands, admiring the flecks and punctuations of colour. I imagine how many years it's taken the tidal elements to sculpt these basic rocks.

I discovered the above creation on Praa Sands beach, Cornwall. What do you think it could be? My initial thought was that it looked like an eye. I was tempted to remove the framing seaweed but I think the artist had every intention of its inclusion in the piece. So I left it as it was supposed to be until the sea eventually reclaimed her estate.

To me, the way the pebbles have been arranged, according to the camaraderie of colour, reflects one of the basic needs of human nature - to define, to classify, to group, to find resonance in the similar and familiar, to extract symmetry and harmony from the unruly jungle created by a toddler and her toy box...


This work of art was crafted by Little A and I on the last morning of our holiday. She helped to assort our chosen pebbles according to colour; white, dusky pink, blood red(dish) and slate grey. "Mummy look, I've found another white one." "That's great, pop it on that pile there". Then two small hands assisted me in placing the white stones in the middle. The other coloured pebbles followed, positioned in circles around the centre.

Little A and I both felt very pleased with our mosaic masterpiece. But even more satisfying, was the mummy and daughter collaboration as we manifested this pebbly mandala. Just doing and being together was a thing of beauty. It washed ripples calmer than the sea over every pore of my physical self...


This is the third day of the seasonal linky One Week. Over the next few days (until Friday) I'll be posting a photograph(s) and a few words that diarises and distills my experience of summer '12. Take a peep at the details here. You can join in for one, two ... or the full five days. And don't forget to add #oneweek on Twitter.


Badge Code ...

<a href="http://older-mum.blogspot.co.uk/p/one-week.html" title="One Week"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7807711152_c1a4245128_m.jpg" width="225" height="169" alt="one week"></a>

I am also linking this post up with The Gallery, this weeks theme is Beauty.

42 comments:

  1. Aww love the beach and what it produces!

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  2. The beach is beautiful. I think the top image is an eye too. x

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    1. Isn't it just? Glad you think its an eye - I feel vindicated!

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  3. What a wonderful post and fantastic creations.

    Herding Cats

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  4. Agree. It's an eye. The seaweed is probably eyelashes? Although, dear me, is that a nasty cataract I can see in the bottom left hand corner?!

    I like Little A's mosaic better. It's simpler and more compelling. x

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    1. Yes I like Little A's best too. Glad everyone else can see the eye - I'm not bonkers then. X

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  5. This first one looks like a eye to me too. Not sure about the second one, thought! Both photos are gorgeous.
    Did a "beach finds" post recently, was fascinated by what I found on my morning walks!

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    1. Phew! I'm glad you thought so. Thank you for liking the photos. I'm popping over to your blog!

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  6. Lovely, we love to make beach pictures too, with shells and pebbles and anything else that we find. I think the top one looks like an eye too.

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    1. Hooray! I'm sane - it is an eye :o). Its fab making pictures on the beach!

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  7. Deffo an eye. Nice thing to do on a beach. I love the way it will change as the feet kick it and the waves lick it. Maybe it'll be a new picture tomorrow!

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    1. I love your imagination and the 'feet kick it' and 'the waves lick it'.

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  8. I love it - it is almost ethereal. I hope your mandala creates a chain of happiness for all who find it.

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  9. Gorgeous. Lovely post. Bibs and my Dad spent a full hour collecting stones and shells on the beach earlier this summer. It was a revelation to them both I think. They bonded over a bucket. It was beautiful to watch.

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    1. Thank you - what a lovely thing to do with grandpa - I love that they bonded over a bucket!

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  10. Love the simple beauty of the mosaics in the sand x.

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  11. Great photos. It does look like an eye x

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    1. Thank you, and great that you thought so - not my overactive imagination!

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  12. I really like this post. Fabulous use of words and most definitely capture beauty in its natural state - love it!

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    1. Thank you! And thank you so much for linking up - your photos were fab!

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  13. Lovely words and pictures. There is something calming about collecting shells/pebbles on the beach. I've such fond memories of searching for shells for hours on end - tiny cowries were the top ones to find! I went back to my 'cowrie beach' with the kids recently, and it was every bit as special as I remember.

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    1. Thank you - I find collecting pebbles etc so calming and stilling. Tiny cowries are beautiful! That beach of yours sounds really lovely!

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  14. What a stunning find and a beautiful mosaic. I know that calmness that playing with your kids can bring - that all is suddenly right with the world! I love this series. Am hoping to be able to join in. The beach at the end of our road is pure pebbles - just another reason to come when you're ready XXX

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    1. Thank you my dear! Brighton Beach - lovely. I really want to come soon! Playing with Little A on the beach was magical. Join in if you can - there is another one this Autumn. XXX

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  15. You describe your beach combing find so beautifully. I love your creation equally :-)

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    1. Thank you! Little A loved it too! It was very relaxing creating it ...

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  16. I like your and A's little mosaic best. Those white stones are so pure and clean looking. I love beach combing too, there's something so restful about it.

    I'm not sure I'm going to get time to join up with the linky this month (I didn't realise the week) but I've clocked the dates of the next one so will definitely try to join up then, even if it's just with pics of one week of looking super enormous! x

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    1. I think I do too ;o). Beach combing is very relaxing. Don't feel you have to join in - but it would be fab if you did - and if you do get the time, you can just do it for one day ..... X.

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  17. They are very pretty! The second caught my eye immediately with all the white pebbles.

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    1. Thank you! Little A is shaping up to be an artist.

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  18. just popped in to say hi and I love your pictures. we have collected lots of shells and pebbles from our holiday in Devon this year and have cemented them to our back wall. a lovely reminder of our hols x

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    1. Hello! Lovely thing to do isn't it? You've cemented them to your back wall - that sounds very cool. :o).

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