Thursday 26 January 2012

beautiful mess


I threw a surprise pary in my backyard last night. The weather was picture perfect, my tiny yard was chocker block with gorgeous people, there was a hum of love & togetherness. Food was had, candles were lit & fairy lights twinkled. Blinking through sleepy eyes at the aftermath the next morning is always a little scary but I felt happy that it was mess from something so delightful. The only plant in my garden that fell victim to lots of bodies squashed into a small space was my begonia which lost a few stems... not bad, I reckon! Now that the excitement is over & the cleaning accomplished, I'm about to nestle into bed with a cuppa & 'The Little Prince'... Bliss!
xx Jessie

Monday 23 January 2012

it was hot

Mum & Dad often teased me about the fact that, when I was just a pint-sized Jessie Lee, I begun every story I wrote with 'It was hot'. It still gets brought up now! But those exact words seem completely appropriate for this post. We have had a few consistently warm days now & everything seems to have a golden tinge. Although my little shoe-box sixed home is warm enough to melt your toes & the walk to & from work suddenly seems like a sweaty chore, the shampoo is hot when you squeeze it out & the leaves on everything are crispy, I can't help but relish the balmy evenings... the sun soaked tomatoes sprouting in the garden & the opportunity to wear not much more than my ugliest tank top! Summer days like these will forever remind me of running through the sprinkler with my brother & sister, squealing at the shock of cold & making sure to avoid the bees on the grass. Or of homemade iceblocks in plastic holders with a little hole for slurping. Of long lazy visits to my grandparents, my Grandfather sundrying apricots out the back, Nanny sitting beside the fan playing puzzles with us. I can remember fish & chips on the beach, digging holes in the sand that were big enough to sit in, trips to the swimming centre & fresh colourful salds for tea. These are warm, lovely memories in my mind & they trickle back to me as soon as things start to get toasty. 
Although it can be hard to keep the plants in my garden looking lush & green, I spent some time on Saturday, tending to the potted darlings & making sure everything got a good soak. It was also a good excuse to plonk myself at my desk & make some mess. It all looked a bit like this. 


 xx Jessie

Saturday 21 January 2012

keeping calm

Being back at work has been a shock to the system. It is a challenge to hold tight onto the refreshed feeling, the new-found inspiration, the boundless motivation. But it is a challenge I am more than ready & willing to take on! Much needed changes in the balance between work & art have already begun to take place which is both scary & indescribably exhilarating. So far this year I have been experiencing an amazing sense of calm which is quite alien to me. I am cradling it gently with both hands & hope that it will stick around. It's quite wonderful.
I hope you are finding this year has begun peacefully and, if not, that it may be humming with creative enthusiasm. 
Here are some piccies that made me feel all gooey in the heart tonight.
xx Jessie


I can't find an active URL for this one.. sorry :(
 
( please click on each image to be taken to it's source x )

Thursday 12 January 2012

a week of happy

click this poem for source

Art space being put to use. Dinner for Mum & Dad. Tiny alphabet stamps to play with (squee!!). Ever-growing collection of pots to tinker with. Treasures rediscovered. A poem I like. These things made me happy this week. I don't want it to end.
xx Jessie Lee

13.1.12

'You are the reason I don't want to die all the time. 
When I am with you, life is worth living. 
Time away from you is strange and full of pain. 
I will never be able to pound words into lines 
to match the velocity of your presence.'

-Henry Rollins


Drawing. In the hammock. Blissing out. Listening to this.

xx Jessie  

Wednesday 11 January 2012

tid bits

Hullo! I am approaching the end of another journal. Buzzing to start a new one, it's always a good feeling. Ideas seem to be sprouting wings & perching on the forefront of my mind. Gone are the days when I ignore the urge to create. I spent the afternoon, curled up at my desk, the sun streaming in my back door, drawing/gluing/writing/scribbling/managing to get paint on my elbow, the floor & the bathroom taps. This is an improvement on recent times. Including when I managed to fuse 2 fingers together using outdoor furniture varnish. If I'm good at anything, it's making a mess. Funny thing is, that's when I am at my happiest. After scratching the journalish itch, I started & finished a present for a beautiful girl, begun planning the project for Dad's approaching birthday & dabbled in some more potty creations..More on that new project later, I am so excited to share what I've been yabbering on about for a few weeks now! Here's some tid bits from a few of the last few journal pages
new lil lady character
above pot plant image printed from incredible blog hello sandwich
One of the new drawings I plan on making into a print.
little fatty, this one! I tried to squash it down with heavy books overnight. But as soon as I took them off, it sprung back to it's full glory!


Happy sunshiney afternoon!.. I just relocated to the table in my backyard. This delightful sunlight hasn't been around for most of the week & I plan to get some vitamin d!!
xxx Jessie Lee