Nana

I am in this hot and lush place with family, talk of family, long lunches and slow-ticking time on my hands. Even if I come away only with sketches I am content (almost) to have these firey images bubbling away and preparing themselves. There are times when the internal things seem to all be lined up like ducks in a row, and time when they seem to be so scattered it's hard to see. This is a time, though, just in between. Holding promise but no mania.
Reading The Moor's Last Sigh (S.Rushdie) in this place is like the sky behind the funny rainbow that is my trip. It took a long time to get inside the book but now I am hooked. (Thanks to my dear friend who picked it out for me, you know what I like)
My grandmother (pictured above) is dancing behind me now to her favourite African music, its a breathy sound that brings heavy, vivid memories of my childhood with her. So many sounds and smells make up the ideas of what happened before, or in this case, what is still happening. The fascination we had of what she was doing and the way she moved!, every morning just as we woke groggy like lion cubs.
I don't think there's anything that makes me so interested and keen to understand as growth and family.

sisterseasun

I am not on holiday on my own here, not as a travelling brit or german drawn to the sun, sand and friendly custom- I am here with family. And I find, mostly when I am away from everyday life, not working, sleeping early and waking without an alarm (but early), that this puts my mind into a totally different place- wherever we may be gathering. I am almost a child here, thinking simply, eating happily when I am told, my chores are made incredibly pleasant and soothing... It seems 'being away' causes a shift or break really from being an adult. Is it that way for everyone?
It's lovely here of course. The Mediterranean certainly has those famous and seductive healing properties. My legs turn to fishtail under water as they did as a girl and I am almost frantic with the chance to swim in the sea daily. Today, I went out with a mask and saw many white and black fish, nibbling on the rocks and laying eggs in the sand of the ocean-floor, they swayed in the current and so did I. I lay on my back floating and could see only blue. What that does to your head and heart!
I miss my twinsister as one gets used to being apart when life has its tolls, we work and make up goals and see to them, worry and dream and what-not but when I get here with sweet-nothing to do- I really feel the gap between us. My sister- my natural half. So this picture is for her. As are all of mine.
(*Technical resources run short here so I apologize for the unavoidable blur of some of the images in these island-posts.)

Hot and Hollow

This first one is my long-postponed Illustration Friday submission, to the word Hollow. I am enjoying a very proper holiday in Palma in a part of the island called St. Augustine. All the houses keep three guard dogs and most of them are hairy German Shepherd or yellow Labradors, which seems funny when it's so incredibly hot. I have been swimming every day in the sea and spending all my time with my auntie, wee cousin and grandmother (who all live here these days.) Luckily.
I sleep with the windows open to catch any breeze and then must admit spend a good three hours laying in the house reading during Siesta time... though one day I do plan to brave the sun's harsh rays for the warm sand and lovely cool ocean. The beach's charms, though perhaps embarrassingly celebrated, are undeniable. There is nothing like a swim over clear waters and black as night sea-urchins.
As I said, the first drawing is my IF post for the week, following the word Hollow and I suppose you could say the rest of the word Hot. They are all of Majorca and in good collaboration with my cousin Raphael. For record's sake, he is six years old and very good at both swimming and drawing.
xx More soon.