5 things I learned this summer

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />I should make huge apologies for stalling my blogging over the last couple of months, but I have a letter from ... the artist.  I spent most of June, July and August at my summer house without access to the internet except through my phone. Blogging uses data. <br /><br /> If you follow me on Designing Home you know my life is very cyclical.  I have to find time for two careers- interior decorating and art.  I often flip my attention for blocks of time, and traditionally summer is  art time. I allow my decor business to match my summer speed. It doesn't hurt to be unavailable! <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="sunflowers, Bonavista Social Club, Upper Amherst Cove, Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLeWeV262Nj4mQ09ylgad48e36kIS2mbNMPJe5D_5pO2ItM9NSxE4zTkF8wlY5T5nbw83CgcMOpPHnkrR43xNKQfx03hdmy0zrUQMdJRJgAMikR5MzS6gj6d4EoAaa8IYQA-SdJHbslSQ/s1600/sunflowers.JPG" title="September in Upper Amherst Cove" width="300" /> </div><br /> I'm finding it difficult to accept summer has dwindled into fall.   That doesn't mean I don't make art the rest of the year; I just have to share my time with business. But those summers are important for the rest of the year when you take time to reflect.  I found out that: <br /><br /><h4>Nature fuels creativity</h4><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="iceberg, Duntara, Newfoundland, Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YzBlCnpvcMibULbV8IQ2ksZulq8h-szqk7kk3MVWbIeld0eguv1BQlws90hrHO9NRkjUd3-wY0_THPrMQDW5NbcIeBkcP3d1kQ2F2FCEqN0HN2Md0i4JDevNpdPtgw5e4nlRmeLD8aAV/s1600/iceberg+through+window.JPG" title="Iceberg, Duntara, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland" width="300" /></div><br />A long summer, spent on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean with whales breaching and ice bergs slowly drifting, begs you to slow down.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="relaxing Duntara Newfoundland feet first , Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6i4SJMNNmQlAjqqy5_MUBNo3QQqRwEDYOIVj1z51R3dNpzWqr-DbFgO40OeHHuNIkJmV6lOwWmP_75ICmnBZiRV3fNgmkuq4tH0YwKoUwfJqLy8oqART1qW7gHLZlsjkoP7vi_HnIOmm-/s1600/toes+to+the+ocean.JPG" title="Relaxing in the bay" width="315" /></div><br />  Contemplation leads to renewal as you allow your mind to follow the rhythms of nature.  When you  relax  this wonderful feeling of "anything is possible" descends. You make new connections, have creative thoughts, and appreciate  your lot in life.  Even the small things, usually ignored, are suddenly worthy of comment. <br /><br /><br /><h4>There's new life in old things</h4><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Lawton house, King's Cove, Newfoundland, Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsLMYucvdqYVjKDbYXY_sF0fcIHMzUkTrZXKuf5Lalz4_-8I9PigiZgfM7rx27oAE75qD9p2Ys8YsGNwdK_Oxa7RRJnL5Bes1-S-f-NTWr4XL3pGgMxZxvuJvramNHG-Aoc4fYU9bWxif/s1600/Lawton+house+King's%2BCove.PNG" title="Lawton House, King's Cove, Newfoundland" width="266" /></div><br /> I love to see old houses on their last legs getting attention, and those that don't eventually fall down.  It is in this debris,  that I found inspiration for new work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Composition in Time Margaret Ryall 2014 wood assemblage" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-XwMsO_5VlSRB8VYsGZ29dtp1hRgwKDbJ8DEi0JLqaPDnz4PNW5V53hyphenhyphenEkkO8yBiC3bJDq5rHchUjtimKz_1TjAakOYtBpawBN-bmgh0H-IuZ0E62VA2Wo2BVbU_YBoo0zyVlkLZjNd7/s1600/composition+in+time.JPG" title="Composition in Time, Margaret Ryal,l 2014, wood assemblage, 12 x 28 in." width="301" /></div><br /> What began quietly at the end of <a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.ca/2013/12/reclaimed-wood-works.html">last summer </a>has blossomed into a whole new series of  work this year and an exhibition in 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZ8D4GwI1Zg7GIG2fLbl89pAkcIECWktrP2kmJ_KSZSahwEHQLICK3AVxCbnURNDD-F_Fv79Zy92VAll1uGnjyx-HPehOiBOuXi8Kkem0K4mJxoNlwfJgaoVCW5myvVd98bNh4HiIN-aq/s1600/shed+studio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZ8D4GwI1Zg7GIG2fLbl89pAkcIECWktrP2kmJ_KSZSahwEHQLICK3AVxCbnURNDD-F_Fv79Zy92VAll1uGnjyx-HPehOiBOuXi8Kkem0K4mJxoNlwfJgaoVCW5myvVd98bNh4HiIN-aq/s1600/shed+studio.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Yes, I've taken over that holy of holies- the shed - as my studio.  Move over Don, I've arrived. Good thing I learned  how to use all the necessary tools years ago. I can make that band saw sing.<br /><br /><br /><h4>Nature provides the best colour schemes </h4><h4> </h4><div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Duntara, Bonavista Bay, Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqZVR1fn1UxOY7a_WLrglf3U2cA5rK5U4qFUGIUsu0KoaUe7H5e54-1_ijre9X2VetVSoyq6H6WQ7cVKTL9ToP3DDrZDXisfV3ZpfDR8Z9aQ-Hzs0Zz7aSsNfxDIA9QIiZg26uDWUf0F6/s1600/colours+of+sunset+the+bay.JPG" title="untara, Bonavista Bay, NL" width="295" /></div><br />My  colour sensibilities are heightened every summer because I am so immersed in nature.  I see coastal colours in my colour schemes in both art and decorating. It's as if I am storing up the feelings of summer in the the palette of my surroundings.  <br /><br /><h4>Know when to stop</h4><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="orange yellow rockers porch Duntara Bonavista Bay Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiey63HwbWdEEyDS74j__1xawRxQ7G-kZWSTc64qgEh7ieB9PBeIrTMFvsPMVBcwrYP9-Z5mkF9UJFxA85A_5ldNNkZsB8Xh5xAamH_741o0ip2mFsGhfzuUqmT8LdJg59GOmE6DXk_Nk6F/s1600/chairs+on+porch.JPG" title="Rockers in Duntara, NL" width="300" /></div><br />Usually for a month each summer we trip around Europe with friends.  This summer we decided to stay put as they went off to China!  Yes, we traded China for a summer "around the bay" in a little harbour with a population of 30+.  I'm so glad I listened to my body.<br /><br /><h4> There are many kinds of artists</h4><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Mahoneys' garden, King's Cove, Newfoundland, Margaret Ryall" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxNKG9WGx6zK6lZr5zD8D4oQmdd6MjBaO_17nxxaKa6sp-MHezx-wJowUymPsbNgtOF67xO5LtJrmEYj8ew8uWtPxwZDTt5KRR3D_ktA2u3faCj8yBOWSBTv45DYltNREnf0mo3Q_A3GI/s1600/Veronica's%2Bgarden%2B1.JPG" title="Mahoneys' Garden, King's Cove, NL" width="300" /> </div><br />Past lives intersect in small communities where you know everyone and everyone knows you.  Our friends, The Mahoneys, who live in the next community,  have a lovely garden.  I featured it in my <a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.ca/2014/07/how-does-your-garden-grow.html">last post</a> as proof that many people do not realize how talented they truly are. <br /><br /><br />What were your summer revelations?

5 things I learned this summer

I should make huge apologies for stalling my blogging over the last couple of months, but I have a letter from ... the artist.  I spent most...

Read more »

Reclaimed wood works

<br /> Old is good. What is old can be new again with a little ingenuity, and I don't mind admitting that the art side of my brain has lots of that.   I think reclaimed wood  is beautiful, and this summer I made great finds on the beaches near our summer house.<br /><br /><i>Are you wondering how this connects to decor?  Keep reading! </i><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBr5PP0izeHXEognRJZTT43FihgWtCZ4EcFYnJ-_ZjvUsdt0nzR8YQ0YW4z4hrXyv7LNCP0yUVPBSnQHnDhdwteDKDqeBrEOPZ8nOULLyVhG3ZzSs7_UCLLh494NyqhPCMc2uvFUhWlyZ/s1600/beach-debris-reclaimed-wood_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="reclaimed wood Newfoundland" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBr5PP0izeHXEognRJZTT43FihgWtCZ4EcFYnJ-_ZjvUsdt0nzR8YQ0YW4z4hrXyv7LNCP0yUVPBSnQHnDhdwteDKDqeBrEOPZ8nOULLyVhG3ZzSs7_UCLLh494NyqhPCMc2uvFUhWlyZ/s400/beach-debris-reclaimed-wood_01.JPG" title=" Newfoundland beach reclaimed wood" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atlantic Ocean beach wood</td></tr></tbody></table> Storm tossed and sea sanded house/shed remnants  were dragged home against my better half's judgement. At the time I answered the strong call emitted by these materials, but  I didn't know why I needed them.  My art often begins with the call of materials rather than with sketches and preconceived notions of a final product.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KcJOCebNeqZM3c8MwIngYzODQI5ZlsQhW0G69QXh_k2R2FHB8tQfSrsh3cBmmsmyQRBNj9R49GcHNJkuOc0x0wHfeJLmr3wRLqzMMY3CiwvieD8SsSzKAX5RxkzDBwxHd_mlTm0mEfT8/s1600/workshop-Duntara-Ryall_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" Margaret Ryall Duntara workshop" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KcJOCebNeqZM3c8MwIngYzODQI5ZlsQhW0G69QXh_k2R2FHB8tQfSrsh3cBmmsmyQRBNj9R49GcHNJkuOc0x0wHfeJLmr3wRLqzMMY3CiwvieD8SsSzKAX5RxkzDBwxHd_mlTm0mEfT8/s400/workshop-Duntara-Ryall_01.JPG" title="Duntara workshop" width="346" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a pretty site/sight</td></tr></tbody></table><i>No this is not the home decor section! </i><br /><br />Move over hubby,  I am taking possessions of your precious workshed and tools.  Yep!  I know my way around drills, bandsaws, chopsaws and sanders and I discovered construction adhesive will stick most everything together. Drop paintbrushes, fine papers and canvas.  I have a new palette and perhaps a new series for exhibition.<br /><br />This one is my keeper.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfkE1J2p28bIVGPKelk02g4eUriPvDe_HEOJsanb3kXGF1zKqtYDuV-lzLWSC_esF6n1Ox6RTHUbPuoGtJ-D6acsq8tWNAV5W2WyR7mNx162z1rpCut0alXCyyAujVVpWGMSFmOz42gRA/s1600/assemblage-beach-quilt-Ryall-2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Reclaimed wood assemblage Beach Quilt Margaret Ryall " border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfkE1J2p28bIVGPKelk02g4eUriPvDe_HEOJsanb3kXGF1zKqtYDuV-lzLWSC_esF6n1Ox6RTHUbPuoGtJ-D6acsq8tWNAV5W2WyR7mNx162z1rpCut0alXCyyAujVVpWGMSFmOz42gRA/s400/assemblage-beach-quilt-Ryall-2013.JPG" title=" reclaimed wood assemblage Beach Quilt by Margaret Ryall 2013" width="181" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach Quilt, Margaret Ryall, 2013, reclaimed wood</td></tr></tbody></table> And here it is in the back entry of my summer house.  I have to wait until May to see it again (and take some decent shots of it). <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQf9oI_2nrr44M2FnYgZwgQbhjAAuyxJ5TW-Gb6bGto3ZpDEPPRclCqGDrwjhBtWOMlQs74xxWqEZJ6708NGDPuOyImIoL2_lMZ2ajG05Xj6eFPT3ky8-Nhot9iQVYIqa_IVhn7dP2LbS/s1600/art+back+porch+_01.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQf9oI_2nrr44M2FnYgZwgQbhjAAuyxJ5TW-Gb6bGto3ZpDEPPRclCqGDrwjhBtWOMlQs74xxWqEZJ6708NGDPuOyImIoL2_lMZ2ajG05Xj6eFPT3ky8-Nhot9iQVYIqa_IVhn7dP2LbS/s400/art+back+porch+_01.JPG" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>You've reached the home decor part</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Stay tuned for more creative moments in my life.  What have you created for your home lately?<br /><br />

Reclaimed wood works

 Old is good. What is old can be new again with a little ingenuity, and I don't mind admitting that the art side of my brain has lots of...

Read more »