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......
just messing about: but.............I love this teapot, so I've tried to give it some special treatment. It is in Ham House. It was made in China in about 1672 and exported to England as a "luxury good". The crackle on the glaze is rare and unusual, and done on purpose by the makers, thus demonstrating their high skill as makers of expensive, decorative ceramic ware. This alone, apart from the other attractive features adds to the quality and aesthetic value of the pot. Even more remarkable: this teapot was made in about 1672, so you see, the design of a good teapot has not changed. It is believed that tea has been served from this pot, in Ham House, where it sits, since 1675.
The sun is out and Spring really is in the air (within 200 square meters I counted 8 photographers).
Looking west from the escarpment at Richmond Park we get a clear view of Ham House beside the river. When the trees are in leaf it will be almost invisible except to those who know where to look, and for what.
January 31st, late afternoon, view from the Kitchen Garden, Ham House, looking West. For once the sun had shone and the sky had been a beautiful soft blue all day, with a whisp of cloud. The low sun cast a pinkish orange glow and the whispy clouds and the remnants of blue did the rest. The temperature was mild - unusually mild for the time of year.
Blizards and closed airports and out-of-position airliners permitting, I'm off to stay for a while in the Sultanate of Oman.
So, I'll leave you with this puzzling abstract taken in the old "meat cellar" in Ham House. It seems that they did need a lot of meat.
Depending how things go I may treat you to a few "Muscat Moments" while I'm away.
......and look at us, for we were once like you.
Another one of those "Ham House moments" when the play of shadows catches your eye.
Look closely at the Chinese vase.....yes, it's really old........and see the delightful panther prancing. He's enjoying a little bit of grooming before he's put to bed for the winter.
The pumpkin sucks in the last rays of energy as the Autumn sun warms the skin.
Softly defocused, the impression is enhanced. Holly will become green for Christmas, but now its going through delicate ivory, gorgeous pink and deep green stages.
Step through the gate and you move from yesterday's east facing B&W image of shadows to the west side of the wall, moving from the formal garden of Ham House to the delightful and fully used Kitchen Garden, where vegetables for the restaurant are grown.
Late Autumn sunshine, fallen chestnuts, old walls, gravel avenues and ancient trees.
A couple of years ago the The Arcadia Project within the Thames Landscape Strategy restored the 17th C Great South Avenue leading from Ham Common up to Ham House. The House lies at the very, very extreme end of the photo, about a mile (maybe less; but almost) away.
The young replacement saplings have suddenly turned brown, from one day to the next.
As you can see, RuT is, for a while at least, returning to basics, and simple things. This is still the best I can do under the cirumstances. The more exotic images I was once striving to achieve will have to wait until the consequences of the fall on the ice last December, have totally cleared up.
Looking along the South Terrace, developed in 1672, at Ham House: very civilised.
....continuing the Hot n' Cool theme of Richmond and Kingston this Summer. Yes, lemons grow at Ham House.
Another of my moody Ham House offerings - (a bit "same-ish" and in a rut?). The lavae of a carpet beetle (they eat valuable old carpets) have been found unexpectedly in an unusual place. (The hunt constantly goes on in the background). A thorough clean-up must be started immediately. I'm lucky because I get called in to take photos of the event.
I chose this because I liked all the shapes, curves and angles; the soft and the hard; the light and shadow. It makes a mundane clean-up into an event that engages the sentiments.
I couldn't resist posting this image of Ham House, taken yesterday. It's a view captured by hundreds of visitors, but this one is remarkable for the lighting. It's high noon. The June sun is high behind the house above the white flag pole. This is the front which looks due North. A massive bank of thick battleship grey cloud has driven across the whole sky, blocking and filtering the strong sunlight to produce a remarkable lighting effect which the camera has managed to capture. Shortly after, the cloud moved away, the sun re-appeared, and the scene became ordinary.
The effect is quite powerful. (And.......looking at this I still can't believe it was built 400 years ago in 1610.)
The toil of the last couple of weeks is done, and the great baroque house (1610) by the Thames is illuminated and decorated, ready for its Christmas programme. The Emperors around the wall seem to look satisfied with the treatment we've given them.
Here's a quick shot of the finished result, lights on for testing the effect, and last a minute check for correct alignment of the spot lamps, early this evening. Guests for the first evening programme will soon arrive.
I know that you enjoy the Ham House moments.
Here the House has been "put to bed" for the winter and the conservation work continues while the visitors are kept firmly outside!
The "conservation cleaner" is hunting for signs of the insect world who may have decided to try to move in and eat the house for dinner when no-one is watching.
You see the scene and sometimes your heart stops for a moment. 1 + 1 suddenly equals an infinity of emotion.
Camera: Olympus C7070 wz.
.....I'm still hard at it but unable to leave you totally abandoned without a nice cliche-ridden B&W: hope you like it. (FYI.....the workman (not me) is replacing the anti-UV filters on the Ham House windows. The House is a very strictly controlled to prevent destructive UV rays getting at the collection).
