Caban Coch dam. Massive waterfall. Unbelievable noise!

 Approaching the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, the sight of a wall of water behind the buildings.

The Caban Coch dam overflowing in a magnificent waterfall. The air was full of rain and spray, and my clothes were soaked as I walked closer. I could feel the power of the water reverberating through me. The sound took my breath away.

It was an overwhelming sight.

On the ledge of one of the buttresses, in the middle of the waterfall, I saw a tree. You might be able to see it on the far left, a faint outline. How is it surviving the force of the flood?

And, facing away from the roaring torrent, in the distance a beautiful rainbow.

It was a place of wonder.

Walking by the Wye

I walk every day, regardless of weather. With the unexpected sunshine today it was a pleasure to be out, and I walked to the river, with the puddles on the path reflecting the sky.

 Walking through the field to the river there is a most lovely view, with the church tower appearing through the trees, and hills behind.

 The Wye is very full, flowing swiftly. The water level has gone down today, but it's still  high.

I often stop and say hallo to these two trees, who look as though they are conversing.

Even the rather functional bridge looked good today. It's the sunshine.

And then back through Hay, where there was a really characteristic country town traffic jam.

I was going to write a poem, but I think the pictures speak for themselves!
Happy Walking!

fisher kings. heron haiku. letterpress printing.

My father loves herons, so I decided to write a haiku and letterpress print it for his Christmas present.
I found a lovely page from an old magazine. The colour is just wonderful, and the paper has a lovely sheen and texture.

The haiku is called fisher kings, so the first task was to print the title. I use a Caslon wooden titling font for this, and gold ink.

It's rather nerve wracking printing onto a unique image, as there is only one chance to get it right! I do practice first of course!

And the title is finished.

Then to typeset the haiku. I use a second hand 12 point Times font for this, and black ink.

The old letters give a lovely impression, not at all uniform, and with minute variations that I really like.

And then it is finished. Ready to mount.

I really like this way of presenting poetry, particularly haiku, and am going to do a lot more of it next year. Trying to make my additions to an existing picture look as though they were always part of it.

found ampersand number 5

I am confronted by ampersands continually - and have stopped photographing those made by my own curly hair, by elastic bands, and by pieces of bailer twine on the floor of the stable yard, but I rather like this one.

It's a piece of string tied to a stable door. You can just make out the horse behind it, with a warm stable rug, and a bed of straw.

I think that one of the reasons we love ampersands so much is that they occur naturally, all around us!

found alphabet number 9. The letter k.

The letter k is added to my found alphabet collection - formed from the fallen stalks of virginia creeper leaves.

I haven't seen a found letter since August, so am rather pleased with this, especially as it is the initial of my surname.

I think it's about two years now that I have been looking for letters. The rule is simple - the letter has to be have been made without any human intervention. I have been very tempted a few times to help a letter emerge, but no, I have remained strong!

Poetry. Richard Booth's Bookshop, Hay on Wye

I have some poetry seed packets for sale in the renowned Richard Booth's bookshop in Hay on Wye!

It's an impressive venue.

My poetry seed packets are upstairs in the beautiful room that looks like a film set.

You'll need to look for them as they are very discreetly displayed, near the till.

On Wednesday 10th December there is a concert at the bookshop given by the Mavron Quartet. One of the pieces on the programme is a new piece by Peter Reynolds which takes its title from a line in one of my poems in the Mythical Beasts collection, footsteps quiet in the shadows. I am going to read the poem before the Mavrons play the piece. After the concert I am hoping that some of the discreetly placed poetry seed packets will leave to take root in other homes!

Richard Both's Bookshop, telephone 01497 820 322
www.mavronquartet.co.uk
http://petereynoldscomposer.blogspot.co.uk/

WMC Christmas Fair. The gazebo of poetic delight.

Two more days in the foyer of the Wales Millennium Centre, in my gazebo of poetic delight.

The beautiful foyer transformed into a tented shopping street, with the second weekend of the Christmas Fair.

And poems, finger puppet cards and other cards finding lots of new homes.
I am completely talked out.
I had a wonderful time, but am hoping not to have to speak much for the next few days!

WMC Christmas Fair. Let there be poetry & fingerprint robins!

Phew - what an amazing weekend at the Wales Milennium Centre Christmas Fair!

And there's another one to come this weekend, 7th and 8th December.

 Here I am in my little gazebo, in the foyer of the Centre, with a lovely name printed for me above the stall, and fairy lights too.

I sold a great deal more than I had anticipated, and so this week have been making more things in a deranged and increasingly sleep deprived fashion - and loving it!

The fingerprint 12 Robins of Christmas cards were very popular,

so I will taking more of these, along with the 12 Bluebirds of Happiness, the 12 Blackbirds of the Apocalypse, and the 12 Lovebirds of Romance. OH - a lots of poetry too, of course!

Really looking forward to the weekend in this lovely building

Wales Millennium Centre Christmas Fair,

Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December

11am - 8pm

www.wmc.org.uk/christmas 

WMC Christmas Fair preparations. Messy studio. This weekend!

Last preparations for the Christmas Fair at Wales Millennium Centre this weekend. 

My studio shed may never recover. It's going to take several days to tidy up!

Last night I was making the last few seed packets, to hold my poetry collection

 Blue Moon at the Map Shop.

 I was watched by my lovely flying horse ornament, which changes colour and is rather beautiful.

Wales Millennium Centre Christmas Fair

11am - 8pm

November 20th, December 1st

December 7th, December 8th

https://www.wmc.org.uk/Productions/2013-2014/Other/178793/

Christmas Fayre. WMC Cardiff. The robins are going!

I have a stall at the Christmas Fayre in the foyer of the Wales Millennium Centre.

30th November, 1st December, and the following weekend as well.

This is what the fayre looked like last year.

I have never been confined in a roofless gazebo before, and feel I may need to take some fairy lights to illuminate my space.

The fingerprint robins are definitely going, I hope they like it there,

and Christmas Trees too,

Wales Millennium Centre Christmas Fayre, in the Foyer.

30th November, 1st December

7th & 8th December, 

https://www.wmc.org.uk/Productions/2013-2014/Other/178793/

Crickhowell Craft Fair. A felt Robin & more.

An excellent day at the Crickhowell Craft Fair on Saturday. 

Here is a stallholder's eye view of my stall, illuminated by the sun streaming in through the windows of the Clarence Hall.

And a photo of me modelling a very nice felt scarf.

And a delightfully deranged felt robin, now in his new home, bought from Emma of FfolkyFelt, who makes scarves, robins and penguins, beautiful angels and lots of lovely felted things.

Emma's facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Ffolkyffelt
worth looking at for lovely felt items!

haiku. moonlit river. distant

The Moon is astonishingly bright at the moment, and is shining earlier as the dusk falls. 

Here's the haiku;

distant

bright attentive moon -

river accepts silver light,

giving no return

Butterflies for Crickhowell Craft Fair

I am really looking forward to the Crickhowell Craft Fair on Saturday, 23rd November.

 

I have got my butterfly prints all framed and ready, and am looking forward to showing them off. Here are spring and summer,

and autumn and winter.

Wouldn't it be great if the Clarence Hall was thronged with butterfly loving haiku enthusiasts!

Hope springs infernal, as my old Granny used to say.

Crickhowell Christmas Craft Fair,

Clarence Hall, Crickhowell.

23rd November.

10am - 3.30pm

The Print Shed, Madley. Christmas Exhibition

Here's a really nice flyer, made for me, for the Print Shed Christmas Open Studio event in Madley.

I was so pleased to see the image of my hand sewn silk Christmas cards!

I am contributing a range of lovely gifts, as well as some home made truffles and of course freshly baked gingerbread men.

Santa & the Three Scrooges

I have been preparing seasonal finger puppet gift cards for Crickhowell Craft Fair, Caemawr Studio in Hay on Wye, and The Print Shed, Madley.

 

Here is Santa, happily taking the money, on his own colourful collage Christmas card.

He is joined by three Scrooges, each one with its own Christmas ghost.

Here's the ethereal ghost of Christmas Past. I found a tiny old edition of A Christmas Carol, and have put little pieces of the text onto each card.

Here's the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present,

and finally the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come who does, I admit, look a little like an enraged tea bag. I've had such fun devising these cards - I hope they find new homes over the festive season!
 

Crickhowell Craft Fair, 23rd November, Clarence Hall, Crickhowell.

Caemawr Studio Hay on Wye, open Thursday to Sunday until 21st December.

The Print Shed Madley open weekend, 29th November to 2nd December.

Dinosaurs. New music commission. RAAH!

A new commission! From Ty Cerdd, the National Music Centre for Wales, for a piece for narrator and brass trio. It's for young children, from age 4 upwards, and is about the best of all topics for the very young - dinosaurs!

The title is Teri Dactyl and the Meteor Seven.  I am writing the words, and Peter Reynolds the music. The piece will premiere in early 2014 with me narrating, and the Gwent Brass Trio playing. 

If ever you have wondered what would happen if a stegosaurus was to fall asleep on the road and block the traffic, then the story will attempt to answer that question!

At a recent meeting between Charlotte Griffin of Ty Cerdd, Peter Reynolds and myself, we were joined by some interested parties.

Santa is actually on his way to the Crickhowell Craft Fair on 23rd November, but called in to say hallo. 

 

I'm loving writing the story, but being VERY CARFEUL to get my dinosaur facts right - small children are acknowledged dinosaur experts! 

 

 

www.tycerdd.org 

petereynoldscomposer.blogspot.co.uk 

Poem. War horses. Remembrance.

Thomas and I always mark the Remembrance time, and I think about all the horses that were taken away to War and didn't come back. My beloved horse would have been one of them.

It reminds me of a story of my Grandfather, who fought in the Great War. I never knew him, but the story comes to me from my Mother. Here's my poem, with a photo of my very young Grandfather in his military uniform beneath it.

                                 All Over by Christmas

My Great Grandfather withstood arguments and pleading,

weathered his son’s anger, saying

“You’re not taking him,

He’s mine, not yours,

He’s staying here,

He can go out to grass until you return”

All through cavalry training,

through drill, preparation, anticipation,

My young Grandfather held his annoyance

at the old man’s meanness

until finally,

in action,

he realised his father’s compassion.

 

3 knitted Santas in a boat

I have been knitting Santa finger puppets to feature on collage finger puppet Christmas cards.
The collage is going to have Santa happily agreeing to endorse Coke while still wearing his favourite clothes - the modern image of Santa is often thought to be the invention of artist Haddon Sundblom in his Christmas soft drink adverts, starting in 1931.

In fact, Santa as we know him was created and standardised in the 1860s, when artist Thomas Nast made a series of pictures for Harper Magazine. Santa was protrayed as a jovial chap in red and white, with a toy workshop. The idea for writing to Santa also came from Thomas Nast. Until then, Santa had appeared in a number of different guises.
Anyway, I knitted three Santas and stood them in my open glasses case, and it immediately changed into a rather lovely boat.

I saw three Santas come sailing in...
Photos of the finished Santa collage cards to follow.