Just about at the end of the month, new au pair arrived to a full week of Welsh sunshine shock – and after five months 100% mum, now back to blogging, art, writing and new programme planned for soon too……
BB is learning about birdwatching:
See sweetheart, that is a blue tit on the branch,
No mummy, that is NOT a blue tit, that is a little bird.
Good to be back, hi all.
Down to work.
Just around the corner from me on this Welsh outpost lives Philip Snow, well known for his wildlife art, in particular his bird illustration. He is on this Monday’s Art Lounge (8.00-10.00pm www.monfm.co.uk) talking extensively about his young adventures, his art training, his methods and art practice, as well as his experience with copyright issues and his observations of the changing profile of local bird life. So this one is not only for wannabe illustrators and fans of his work, but also ornithologists and all general kinds of lovers of orns. Some of the images discussed on the interview are shown here for your delight – his own website contains a large number of his illustrations and information about his various books. www.snowartandbooks.co.uk
Philip with the gannet, preservation underway as usual to make a good specimen for study.
Sketchbook page 
Carel Fabritius, 1622-54, Goldfinch 
Can anyone spot the rogue entry on this book cover? 
Owl sketches.
Also in conversation on Monday evening we have Helen Evans, owner of the Eden Emporium – the shop in Holyhead which showcases the work of local artists and makers. Helen herself is a jewellery designer and some of her work can be seen at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blod-Designs/119973478058413
Thanks very much to both artists for appearing on the programme.
Ad over, hope you can join us!
It was so fantastic to feel our neck of the woods coming alive last Sunday as the Anglesey Sandman Triathlon 2011 set up shop in Newborough Forest. Despite a ghastly morning outlook of downpours and whipping winds, around 11-ish the sky brightened and beautiful zippy September sunshine lit us all up. Deep broad chasms of awe and respect to all these competitors who challenge themselves with this kind of toil. And OK, the sea, for once, looked like an ironing board with a bit of a frill at the edges for waves – but all the swimmers would have been just as game to face a hoolie (the kind that had the kitesurfers at Rhosneigr breaking speed limits the previous Sunday), so RESPECT and big time congratulations to everyone. (http://angleseysandman.com/)
Living as we do in walking distance of all of this and frankly wishing there was a bit more going on, it was great to have an event like this bringing folks here. Purists may baulk, but we’d love to see a nice café down by the beach offering hot chocolate and sticky buns on wintry Sunday afternoons to help the dog-walkers defrost, or a chilled glass and a Greek Salad in July. How about a shop selling beautiful locally made woodwork and other skilled crafts? How about a bookshop with tales of the forests? Or a dog walkers emporium to support the sartorial requirements of what the best dressed terriers are wearing this autumn? And their owners? Hot soup, an open fire and new bandanas for kitesurfers, a pocket guidebook or ipod app suggesting 100 ways to make good use of this amazing beach in foul weather – I can think of a few:
Play Spanish bats with your dog (kind of wooden tennis will drive your pooch nuts with excitement).
Jump the waves in wellies with your toddlers.
Collect fragments of jasper in a toy bucket, then throw them all back where you found them.
Spin giant fronds of seaweeds in a twizzle and see your collie go wild trying to snap at it.
Jog through the forest’s fragrant paths and harmonize with your inner yang or yong or something.
Collect cowry shells in a bucket, then throw them all back where you found them.
Try to stop thinking about the Red Sea.
Practise trying to say Llanfairpwllgwyngyll in a loud voice on the top of a sand dune.
Treasure hunt the most giant stranded jellyfish, but certainly don’t put them in a bucket or throw them anywhere.
Tickle the sea amemones in rock pools (but only for a minute to be fair).
Bury your boyfriend in sand up to his elbows, facebook this image.
Collect muscles when the tide is low, spend idle hours back at home scraping the little blighters and wishing that barnacles would just stick to boats.
Try not to think about buying seafood in Jeddah.
Experiment with natural energy generated turbines.
Make a sand sculpture and then decorate it with pebbles.
Fish for mackerel, fly a kite, kitesurf.
Pretend to everyone nearby that you can see a shoal of seals, “ooh-aah” a lot with your hand up to your forehead and pointing.
Try not to think about Greek tavernas and warm olives.
Can’t stop thinking about Greek tavernas and warm olives.
Give up and go to the Greek Taverna in Bangor, ………eat olives.
Luvvinit….See ya soon.
Eli Acheson-Elmassry, Artist 