Tiny miracles

OK so the image below isn't the most spectacular but believe me it was quite a magical moment. Sunlight glinting of a puddle at the foot of the Black Middens Bastle house created a mini rainbow. I've been thinking about trying to manufacture some rainbows.

Circular theme

It has been a while since I last blogged, if you have been following Jilly's blog you will have a pretty good idea why I haven't made it up to Black Middens in recent weeks! I have been looking into the history of colour, how it was organised in colour charts throughout the ages and early understandings of optics.

There is certainly a circle thing going on.

The next map drawing I am going to make will follow this, I plan to place Black Middens in the centre of the piece and work on a radiating theme.

I am also really interested in the rainbow as something simple but magical in relation to ideas about colour and also weather systems.

I captured some tiny 'rainbows' when I was taking small videos back in September the still images aren't too impressive but I think there might be something to develop with this.

Colour wheels

There are a whole host of colour wheels in this great book I've been looking at "Colour and Culture" by John Gage. I just love the combination of scientific exploration and ornamentation. These little putti just seem to get everywhere!

The formation of the rainbow

I love these diagrams! look at the little dog to the right of the man, he's looking at a disembodied eye just growing out of the ground, which in turn is gazing at the double rainbow. This is from "Physica Sacra" by J.J. Scheuchzer 1731.