Recently all of the family celebrated my birthday - a wonderful treat organised by our two sons. When a child I was very aware that my birthday heralded the moment when it was time to return back to school, and that the summer holidays were finally over. It was also the middle of the harvest season, but no longer, now the crops are ripening at least four or more weeks earlier.
One of my much loved grand-daughters made me this special birthday treat. A vase that she has created out of cardboard and then painted in her own imitable style - I really love and greatly appreciate it very much.
In our garden the grape vine has produced bountiful bunches of juicy ripe black grapes
The sunflowers stand tall and stately. They bow their heads whilst swaying to and fro from the slightest passing movement through the air.
I am working with the enthusiasm of a man
from Marseilles eating bouillabaisse, which
shouldn't come as a surprise to you because I am busy painting huge sunflowers.
O saber nunca ocupou lugar. Grato pela gentil partilha
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Um domingo feliz … cumprimentos
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Pensamentos e Devaneios Poéticos
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Obrigado pela sua visita e gentil comentário.
DeleteHappy birthday, nice vase, and you really captured some lovely photos of the sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteThank you - taking photos of such tall sunflowers was quite tricky as they just wouldn't stand still for me.
DeleteHappy Birthday, Rosemary! Your gift vase is AWESOME. Love that charming horse and the vase's overall design!
ReplyDeleteThank you Debra - I am pleased that you liked the vase especially knowing that you are artistic too.
DeleteAren't grandchildren delightful! My grandson made a special cake this week, bless him.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly are Hels - a grandson making you a special cake would be a lovely treat.
DeleteHappy birthday! The vase is splendid, it has a sort of mid-20th century look which I really like. Your photos, as ever, are lovely. How lovely to have a party organised for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny - I know that she loved her visit to Charleston House and I have the feeling that maybe that was partly influential. The party was very special for me - a real treat, as all of my close loved ones were present.
DeleteHappy Birthday dear Rosemary. What a stunning vase, and talented granddaughter as well. That is a great quote from Van Gogh (I should file it away) - and your sunflowers are glorious. Autumn is so lovely, especially with juicy grapes to enjoy. Thank you for a sweet post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Patricia - when I think of suflowers, Van Gogh's painting tends to come to mind. I wonder what he would think if he knew that his image is known throughout the world.
DeleteHappy Birthday and lovely photos as always. We are really noticing the lengthening days here.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan - it is noticeably the other way here.
DeleteHappy Birthday Rosemary, another year gone. The sunflowers are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you - it doesn't take many sunflower seeds to give you a good show, and luckily their seeds always seem to germinate well.
DeleteHappy birthday, Rosemary. I am sure that your face shone as bright as the sunflowers and that you were equally radiant. With my very best wishes - David
ReplyDeleteThanks David - it was a magical and memorable day to be with those who mean so much to me.
DeleteHappy birthday, Rosemary. I smiled to imagine the warmth of families and close people being together for you. The vase is fantastic - shape, colors and paintings. The sunflower looks majestic in its final stage of life.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Thank you Yoko - our family is really important to us and I know that you too, feel the same way about yours.
DeleteAgain dear one, happy though belated birthday wishes coming your way. The vase is so pretty - your artistic/creative family never ceases to amaze. Sunflowers long gone around here so seeing yours cheers Monday morning. What do you do with the beautiful grapes?
ReplyDeleteHugs - Mary
Dear Mary - thank you for your very kind wishes.
DeleteWe have too many grapes to eat ourselves so we are giving then away. Our lady gardener took a bag full home today. I did consider making grape juice with some but currently we are simply enjoying them with some lovely crumbly Wensleydale cheese and biscuits.
Our sunflower seeds were planted as an afterthought rather late in the season, but now I am glad as they are lovely to look at when other things are starting to go over.
Love to you both.
Wow! A birthday celebration with the timing of those gorgeous sunflowers! I must try my hand at a vase like that (and made of cardboard! - Amazing!) The primitive style is refreshing and very colorful. When I read the quote I hadn't scrolled down and I was thinking, well, Rosemary is a very talented lady, I can see with those luscious sunflowers I would be tempted to paint them, too! Then, I realised it wasn't you -- it was Van Gogh! The laugh is on me. Heehee! Thank you for the quote. I have written it down.
ReplyDeleteIt is very difficult to detect that she made it out of cardboard until you pick it up as it resembles china.
DeleteThat is the first time that I have come across the Van Gogh quote - I can picture him sitting outside at a typical french cafe table with his easle and paints standing alongside him.
Hope all is well with you Mary.
So-so, Rosemary. But, I am trying to get better! Thank you for asking. On to the vase. There appears to be quite a shine on your vase, so I was assuming your granddaughter had used some kind of sealant to create that "china-like" image. The image that came to my mind when I read the quote was of the artist out in a field of sunflowers or perhaps at a restaurant with a vase in front of him. Possibly Arles! I remember trying to see far enough in advance in France to warn my husband: " Sunflowers ahead, please find a place to stop for a photo!"
DeleteIt is not made out of ordinary everyday cardboard. I imagine that it is something that she has bought from at art and craft shop.
DeleteI like your image Mary - get better soon.
Happy birthday!
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DeleteNice images. I never realized V.V.G was deeply inspired by Japanese art when he went to Provence to paint as he wanted someplace sunny and exotic with vivid colours as a substitute and more affordable destination than Japan, where he really fancied going. Watched a programme today about it. The strong hot sunshine did raise his mood though and it does the same for me as recent autumns/winters have been fairly mild and green with long lasting leaf cover on trees, til mid Nov early Dec sometimes and some colour again by February so they seem shorter months of grey cold drabness than past decades. Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteThat is new information for me Bob re: Vincent Van Gogh - I think we all need sunshine even though this past summer was too much for me. However, it was the heat rather than the brightness. Let's hope that our winter is short and swift as per last year - I had assumed that the hot weather would bring autumn on far quicker, but that appears not to be the case. Thank you for your greetings.
DeleteHappy Birthday dear Rosemary! You must have had a splendid time celebrating with your beloved family. Can I say, too, how fabulously talented your granddaughter is; your vase is gorgeous! Enjoy the mellow fruitfulness about you :)
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Pip - my grand-daughter admires the Bloomsbury group re: Charleston House, and I think that her design reflects them.
DeleteHappy Birthday, Rosemary. Getting together with family is the best way to celebrate. The vase your granddaughter created is a beautiful shape, with a very attractive decoration. Enjoy the beauty of these autumn days.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lorrie - it was a very special memorable day for both of us to have everyone gathered together. It becomes so much more difficult now that all of the grandchildren are scattered around in different parts of the country.
DeleteA real taste of autumn. I never mind this time of years as I think of it as new beginnings having taught for so many years. A perfect time to celebrate a birthday. Hope it was a good one. B x
ReplyDeleteA very memorable one - thank you. I don't know where this year has flown to.
DeleteI hope you had a lovely birthday Rosemary. Your vase is stunning, I thought it was pottery, it's one to treasure. We are enjoying beautiful autumn days as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Polly - I treasure it indeed.
DeleteDear Rosemary - first my congratulations to your birthday! Though my good wishes come a bit late, they come from my heart! (I was occupied with the third birthday of the triplets on the first of September :-)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are as always gorgeous. And the vase that your grand-daughter created is truly beautiful - did she build the wonderful painted paperwork around a bottle or how did she do it?
Dear Britta - thank you for your kind wishes. Your triplets are virgos - just like me, I was born the day before them.
DeleteApart from being a painter, and illustrator, my grand-daughter makes exquisite tiny three dimensional models. She made a wonderful one of a room in Charleston House - the Bloomsbury Group, home to Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. She also made a tiny green house filled with pot plants, shelving, watercans, etc. and one of her parents kitchen filled with tiny replicas of all their china and paintings etc.
She would have made the vase from scratch - I imagine with some special paper from an art shop.
That sounds so enticing - couldn't you write a post about her art work?
DeleteHere in Berlin I bought a pair of earrings made by a Japanese women who basically used Origami-technique, but even more refined and conserved to long life.
But as I see: your grand-daughter uses paper in even more artistic way.
I will have a word with her Britta and see what she thinks.
DeleteCongratulations to your birthday Rosemary! My birthday is also in September :) This is a great mont indeed...harvest time and sunny sunflowers, lovely!
ReplyDeleteTitti
I hope that you enjoyed a happy birthday too Titti - I was not quite September but the last day of August.
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