From the Spectacle of Light event a couple of years ago, this is one of my favourite’s from the night. Henry the VIII’s sixth and final wife Catherine Parr spent her final months at Sudeley Castle and is laid to rest in St Mary’s Chapel there. I have seen it in the day light too, and it’s nice, but splash colourful lights on things and it makes my eyes very happy!
(c) K Wicks
It was a colourful one this morning, brief, but lovely.
(c) K Wicks
They can never really quite factor in all the variables. Despite the determined consistencies, there will always be the ‘rogue element’ that persists in disrupting the perceived outcome.
Be the rogue element, not a determined consistency.
(c) K Wicks
I have been to Cheddar Gorge a couple of times and was impressed. It’s not amazing to everyone but the geology is quite spectacular to me. Plenty of stalactites and stalagmites to appreciate.
Also, in 1903 Britain’s oldest complete skeleton was discovered there dating to around 9,000 year old they say. A cave painting of a mammoth is also visible in one of the smaller alcove caves within the site. So to know the cave has also had ancient human habitation makes it even more interesting.
They had some crafty colourful lighting throughout so the pools of water had an other worldly quality to them and worked well for photos.
Even just with the regular lighting great shadows were cast across the strange calcified rocks.
All in all it was an enjoyable day out and reminds of just how much history and geology is lying around or could be hidden just beneath our feet.
(c) K Wicks
Today’s sunrise was a proper treat. I took up painting this weekend and maybe this was natures way of giving me a little inspiration and encouragement. I’ve been doing blending with acrylics and realise nature is far more creative than I will ever be. I shall share some of my painting attempts with you later in the week.
These all happened within the space of 15 minutes.
Definitely a lovely way to start the day.
It just got better and better.
(c) K Wicks
Puppy Maya sitting in the sun.
(c) K Wicks
A very pretty flowering tree that was once in my garden. Apparently another common name for this plant is nettlespurge.
(c) K Wicks
I got to see some magnificent sunrises in Spain and this is one of them. Unfiltered and as it was from the impressive beginning to the wonderful end captured by my Nikon. I was transfixed.
(c) K Wicks
I used to collect dead things. I had a small clear cassette box and kept things in there. Its not as bad as it sounds, there was a butterfly that had unfortunately not made it out of the house. Part of a snake skin, a dead bug, and strangely a piece a broken glass – but only because it was quite artistic I remember. That collection has now long since gone, but if I pass something these days, I stop for a moment. To look and think.
This picture was taken in Spain, while out on a walk. This was in a wall, in a gap in the bricks. Of course I had to take it out and photograph it, I have never seen a rat skeleton before and found it fascinating. I left it in a small grassy area with some flowers hiding it, having only taken a few photos.
I could see my husband wasn’t entirely comfortable with me doing this type of photo shoot with holiday makers walking around. But it always feels a bit special to be able to see what has once been, but in the next stage. I guess this is why I like archaeology so much, especially when they find graves. Because without adding any fantasy or make believe to who, how or why – you are looking at someone who once lived. That bit of evidence is undeniable.
(c) K Wicks photographer
A flower I adore, detailed, elegant and loads of different varieties. It’s no surprise to me, my Grandmother had them around her house, but it wasn’t until I took up photography that they became a firm favourite. Turns out though, I am the kiss of death for them when trying to care for them. I am not a natural gardener but enjoy it thoroughly, house plants have a slim chance of overall survival. So I now have a spider plant and one small ficus tree. I remember we had them in my house growing up and they seemed to do well. We had a yukka too, couldn’t get one of those though as my dog has a knack for digging up plants when I am not looking!
But as well as having orchids here and there I also got to see lots in an Orchid house in Florida years ago (the first two pics).
Since the garden centers closed and lockdown made everything weird, I don’t purchase things like this anymore as I like to see and make a choice on the spot. So will just enjoy previous pictures I have of them for now.
They are such wonderfully structures plants, I can’t help but be in awe of nature when I look at them.
I also found some wild orchids out walking in Spain which I will do a separate post for as they are quite different to the ornamental ones. I have seen wild orchids in the UK as well but don’t think I have any photos of them.
(c) K Wicks
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