Candles and cosiness

So Vicki and I both ventured to the hut yesterday and the weather was grey and miserable and a little bit rainy (why, oh why did we pick the Winter months?!?) so we decided to keep all of the windows and door shut and light a thousand little candles...ok, well at least 30!! The hut was cosy and warm(ish) and we used our time to think through some of our ideas and get our heads around the ideas that are (at the moment) all a little tangled up! Next week we get to be in there together for three days so we're already planning what we're going to do...stay tuned to find out!!


em xxx

Away from the Hut

 So yesterday I was speaking about loving my job and today I thought I would show you a day in my life. These pictures are from a school trip we went on last Wednesday and we were treated to the last of the Autumn sun. I am working as a practitioner exploring creative learning in a special needs school. We are looking at learning outside the classroom and using our senses. the pictures above are from our colour hunt, we spied these red leaves all the ways across the field.

 We found lots of interesting things growing...

 The sun shone all day and even though it was cold it was quite magical.

 I am quite pleased with my mushroom pictures.

The children were all supplied with explorers packs to look and collect. These are to be used later in the classroom.

Of course I've selected the photos without kids. But there were lots of great moments. Looking through binoculars at tiny mushrooms, running free and climbing inside the trunk of an ancient oak tree.

 It was a great day of learning, communicating and working together.

A day all about art, science, english, geography and nature.

I only regret that this type of work seems to be coming to an end. A shame, especially working with children who need different styles of learning.

Where does the sea end and the sky begin?

So I had a lovely time in the hut on my own today.

Got all cosy (borrowed Emma's slippers) and re-learnt myself a story.

The world outside the hut looked like a story today....

 

I told the walls of the Little Hut the tale. I wonder if the hut had ever been told a story before, I'm sure it has been witness to many

 

It felt very wintery today so the story was apt:

Hans Christian Anderson's

The Little Fir Tree

 

http://hca.gilead.org.il/fir_tree.html

A sad little tale all about regret. Though it has many beautiful parts and moments of joy.

Its all about appreciating what we have.

Not a difficult task today when in such a beautiful place and feeling rewarded for hard work.

So I learnt some stories, made up some games and cut out some felt snowman pieces and felt very lucky to have my wonderful job.

The first step...

So this is my (Emma) first step into the world of blogging...a little behind the times I do realise.  Today was also my very first time in our little blue hut and as the picture that Vicki posted shows, I became somewhat absorbed in the world of the hut. 

I'll start at the very beginning (well of today anyway)...this morning I lost my car, a careless occurence that left my walking up and down the streets of Brighton for a good twenty minutes and despite the promises of BRIGHTon left me soaking wet and pretty chilly...fast forward two hours and having completed the journey in my 19year old Polo I still wasn't feeling cosy and warm...enter the hut...

Ok, tomorrow I will work on the picture element of this blog (forgive me, I'm learning)...

So the hut was not warmed by a log fire nor did it provide me with a hot water bottle but for some reason the cold no longer mattered.  I entered a space, which for the next six weeks is entirely ours and, despite the challenges the November/December weather will undoubtedly provide, will allow us the time and space to...well...who knows?!?

I painted a picture, I wrote a poem, I (with Vic) broke down two of our projects into chunks that we (and consequently everyone else) can understand, and I stood still and had a think, something that I think I have forgotten to do in the world outside the hut...

For now, that's it! Sorry it's a little short and not anywhere near as colourful as Vicki's but I'll get there...sweet dreams :o)

Em x

Frozen Toes and Friends

So I (Vicki) have visited the Hut on a couple of occasions over the past few days. The photos are a mixture of these excursions.

Today was extremely cold but there were a few visitors to warm it up.

 I am never completely alone there though as there is lots of insect company. I did a little research and found out the colony of flies are green Lacewings. I like them, they have pretty wings but apparently cannibalistic tendencies!

Despite travelling to and fro, and the bitter cold I have found the Hut has helped me get on with all those tasks I usually avoid/ find difficult. Its strange how a little head space actually gets more done.

Today we made the hut more blue by painting a blue chalk board story wall. I hope that many stories start to develop here. The Hut has already produced the beginnings of some ideas...more on that to come.

Thats all for now. I'm going to leave you in Emma's capable hands for more details...

The Little Blue Hut

Today Wide Eyed got the keys to The Little Blue Hut...so in celebration here is our blog to tell you all about it.

The Little Blue Hut is a Canterbury City Council initiative to provide artists with a great space to take time out and reflect on their work. This couldn't have come at a better time for us as we rarely get enough time for reflection and calm without distractions!

Our plan is to use the space for thinking, creating and growing ideas. So watch this space over the next six weeks as we share our time within the four wooden blue walls on Tankerton slopes.

So I (Vicki) got the chance to be in the space to day for a couple of hours, and I was treated to a beautiful sunny day.

I tried to keep busy and started to inhabit the space with stationary of course! So I covered a wall in brown paper for sketching, took pens, scissors, string and notebooks. I found a wonderful little shop called Smiffies with a lovely lady who helped me dig out post its, postcards and luggage labels.

 I got a coffee and drank in the silence. I will return to the coffee shop for cupcakes very soon.

 My face looks a little scared, I think it is slightly daunting suddenly being confronted with a whole load of space and time. Its a place of contrasts...calm and excitement, solitude and community, productivity and stillness, quiet and loud.

There are lots of things left by others for me yet to explore.

 The clock has stopped at 6.21. I thought about new batteries but I like the idea of inhabiting somewhere time doesn't exist.

And finally my list of things to bring...

All in all this made for a very pleasant day full of anticipation.