Category: Nature

Connecting The Arts to the Natural World ( an introduction)

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  For me, music flows through the air as freely as wind moves through trees. Each note is like a wave, an impulse, an energy. Its lightness is invisible to the eye, but its presence can be felt all around you, with a magnitude as mighty as any Oak.

Music can soar like a bird or be as delicate as a feather floating down from the breeze. It can touch us and linger there.

We are all affected by The Arts and The Natural World, even if this influence sits beneath the surface in our subconscious mind. Our world is forever encouraging us to rush through the day. The radio or audio player in our ears as we are running in a park or drowning out the noise on our ever-hectic roadsides to a destination.

We may not notice the bird song in our streets or stop to look up at the beauty of the skies, but we are forever in its presence.

What do we define as The Arts? A theatre production, a film, concerts, a piece of music, a painting, a poem, a literary piece of work or prose, a sculpture, a much-prized Bansky image on a city wall.

How many of us associate ourselves as being Artists? We say we cannot paint or play anything, and therefore,we close ourselves off to this creative process, and only those processing certain ‘gifts’ can fully appreciate it.

But how many of us know that both Nature and the Arts are the most profound healers of all things sorrowful and sad? How we take off in our cars at the earliest opportunity, or by foot,or bike to seek out the abundance of the natural world to ingest its wonderful elixir of life, through our five senses. Visits to gardens, museums, art galleries, the countryside or flowing streams on a warm summer day, or a bracing walk by the sea in the winter.

In fact, I believe that most people crave peace and beauty, which can be found in the natural world and that  Mother Earth is expressed in multi-faceted ways through The Arts.

A novice observer, a beginner, an introduction is all it takes to create momentum. A chance encounter, an idea turns a thought into a reality, a new way of seeing things for the very first time, of what was hiding in plain sight. A symphony of a new life can be born.

Open your eyes, your ears and above all, your hearts,you are going to go on a journey you may not have been on before, as it is my intention to capture it here.

I’ve nearly finished the most beautiful book, ‘Notes from Walnut Tree Farm’, by the late Roger Deakin (a good friend and fellow travel companion to the great nature writer Robert Macfarlane). It was through reading McFarlane’s book ‘The Wild Places’ dedicated to Roger, that prompted me to seek out his own work.

It was Roger’s words in the opening pages of Nature Notes that I read over and over again, saying to myself:

“Yes, this is how it is, these words are perfect and describe one of the Arts so well.”

I quote:

‘Music is like the decorative, symphonic possibilities of a wood: endless combinations of notes or twigs, leaves and wind, branch shapes against the sky.’

It inspired me with the opening lines of this rejuvenated blog and gave me an idea of a poem to be called,‘The Music of Trees.’

Now, I understand why I love Nature so much and totally ‘get it’ why I love the Arts and the natural world together. To me, they are one big canvas, full of potential exploration and discovery of all that is beautiful and wonderful. It is the balm that soothes my own soul, and connects experiences from the past, present and hope to my future.

How both are combined so perfectly, creating a massive pull for anyone who decides to stop and see with fresh eyes for the very first time how this force can be truly life-changing.

It has for me!

I hope it will for you.

Next time:

The Chelsea Flower Show and the overall design winner. ‘Gardens on the Edge’- a perfect example where art and nature can come together to create a most powerful message about the need to protect our environment around the fringes of town and cities.

I hope you will continue this journey with me.

Reference: Nature Notes from Walnut Tree Farm, Roger Deakin, edited by Alison Hastie and Terrence Blacker, Penguin Random House, Uk @2008 page 16.

All images are my own apart from the image of the house and water taken by Marcus Boughen my son-in-law.

The Colour Blue and What it Means to You.

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Footsteps Conversations
Footsteps Conversations
The Colour Blue and What it Means to You.
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( Again, this audio is not a transcription of this writing but as a separate conversation to introduce this post)

Another mini-blog post this week, as Easter events and family staying during this time have meant writing has been difficult. However, I wanted to get something down on digital paper, as writing is a promise you keep not only to yourself but to your audience. So here we go into the subject of Blue and I have found it quite fascinating.

( A sky scene from a local walk often taken with my walking friend)

Nature lovers know the powerful effects of ‘ Green Therapy,’  examples include forest bathing, walking in the countryside and enjoying our environment. But what does the colour blue conjure up in your mind? Let’s take a brief pause and consider this. What would blue therapy mean to you and what other associations are there to it?

Firstly, I want to think of all the connections I know about this colour that immediately springs to mind without too much thinking.

The Blue Moon, Next due 31st May 2026

Blue Lagoon, A spa resort in Iceland famous for its thermal waters

The colour blue as a ribbon in a wedding garter ( symbolising love and fidelity)

Blue John, is the gemstone found in Blue John Mines in Derbyshire. This is now rare and valuable.

Blue skies and seas

Baby boys and blue

Water sports

Blue Blood- deoxygenated blood returning to the lungs.

Blue light from screens which hinders our sleep

Idiom: Out of the blue- unexpected occurence

Talking until you are blue in the face- talking when someone is frustrating you, as they are not taking any notice of what you are saying.

Feeling Blue

Blue Monday- usually the third January after Christmas when people’s bills are arriving and New Year’s Resolutions are dying. This is a most depressing time.

Another pause in my words to think about, from the last one on my list. When you imagine blue, is this a positive colour or one where you associate it with ‘feeling down,’ of cold hands and lips, of winter weather?

Doing a little research, I have discovered that whole books have been written about the colour blue and how diverse it is with many connotations, symbolism and meanings, symbolically, spiritually and practically.

Pondering about blue, I realise this post could open up discussions about other colours and how they affect our mood. What colours are we most drawn to and why? I love the colour purple but am often drawn to wear blue for work because it feels professional and tidy. There is a certain efficiency about blue. It feels neat, smart and orderly and can often be a colour choice for interviews or important speaking events.

 As a healing colour, it is not surprising it’s used for images within the medical field and NHS.  Blue feels very calming and peaceful to me. The healing and positive well-being effects of blue are documented.

“There’s a reason we think of blue as relaxing; it tends to lower our heart rates, blood pressure, and even our body temperature. Blue can have an effect on the pituitary gland, affecting our sleep patterns, and it can slow our breathing as well. Studies of memory have demonstrated that memory is enhanced by blue light, and blue light can even kill some bacteria!”

Katie Smith @ sensationalcolour.com.

Many of my photos are of skies landscapes and water. It contrasts well with green, yellow and blends with lilac and other pastel and light shades. If I was a painter, I would see blue as one of my favourite colours.

( The Abbey Ruins at Walsingham, Norfolk)

Blue is also seen as very spiritual. We think of Mary the mother of Jesus in a blue robe and blue is associated with the heavens, a gateway to us and God. The colour blue is found in the Old Testament where the tassals of the Israelites were blue to remind them of the Lords Commandments.

( My friend Jean’s garden in the spring who many of my local friends. Her garden is a riot of blue this time of year)

Then we can think of all the blue in Nature. I love blue flowers in the spring, the tiny forget-me-knots and the beautiful bluebells in May. As someone who loves the weather and looks at the sky daily ( I’m writing a mini weather journal over one year) I realise blue is a very positive colour in my life.

Here is a good article about the meaning of blue and what it represents. There is so much fascinating information to read here.

( Water reflections Gooderstone Water Gardens, Near Oxborough, Norfolk)

So blue is a very rich colour and should not be seen as cold and mainly limited to water or skies. If you glance, as I have just done, at the History and other associations of blue, you begin to see it has a lot of surprises. I wanted to do a more detailed study of this colour and appreciate I have just skimmed the surface of this topic. However, this is an introduction for you to reflect upon, and how blue might feel for you.

References:

Wedding garter https://thebridaltip.com/blue-garter-for-wedding/

Blue Moon https://www.space.com/15455-blue-moon.html

Blue Lagoon https://www.bluelagoon.com/

Blue John https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_John_(mineral)

The religious connection with blue https://artuk.org/discover/stories/the-power-of-blue-humanity-spirituality-and-divinity

Until next week where we will start a new mini series of seven posts. Have a good rest of the week everyone.