Seagulls

Every Tuesday afternoon I take my turn at the Cowhouse Gallery in Perranuthnoe. I was going to say"work", however it is more of a restful time for me.

Sitting behind the counter there is a view of the ocean, but even more distracting for the past few weeks has been the seagull love affair on the roof of the house directly opposite.

The nest appeared during the same week that the only thing happening in the village was the noisy procreation of the two white birds. They mated very close to the spot where she was to spend the next month sitting vigilantly. Their view from the rooftop of the summer home a breathtaking, unbroken expanse of glittering ocean.

Each week I would look to see her sitting there in all weathers, patiently warming the eggs while her loyal partner returned with food to sustain her.

I was inspired to paint these small icons of seagulls and hang them over the window of the gallery as a homage to their resilience.

This week she was still there in the rain, and I wondered how long it would be before the fledglings would appear. The male was on the mossy roof noisily warning the crows to keep clear. Then with a break in the cloud, the patient mother moved off the nest and three little fuzzy brown heads popped up and started their clammering. What joy!

I have always been enchanted by penguins and the way the penguin fathers nestle their chicks under their feathers to keep them warm and safe. The seagull mother deftly gathered all three underneath her when the next shower began.

If only we could sit on our children and keep them safe forever.

Secret Door

Another childhood memory was brought to mind by this garden door at Trellisick Gardens. The door seems impossible to penetrate, like the castle of the Sleeping Beauty! The wisteria has grown over it and there is no latch.

My parent's house, my childhood home, was built at the bottom of my grandparent's land. There was a gate and then a path through the orchard, past the upturned air raid shelter, the sleeping bonfire, then up beyond the berry bushes, vegetable garden, greenhouse, and into the walled flower garden and lawn. This was heaven during the daytime but turned to a nightmare at dusk. Being sent to Gran's with a message in the dark caused me to hurtle through the orchard. My imagination vivid with scenes from Disney's Snow White where the trees are alive and grab at your clothing as you pass by. The bonfire a sleeping giant, about to wake up. The dark back of the Victorian house, impenetrable.

Later in life I was asked to design the set for Into the Woods, a musical about the darker side of fairy tales. I brought these memories to life by creating trees that slithered across the stage and costmes for the dancers who were bushes that came alive. Maybe there is a few more children out there now who are afraid to go to Grandmother's house!