Scavenging...

is difficult when you can't walk far.  Beachcombing is out of the question, and a deliberate walk anywhere just isn't going to happen.  Leaning out of wheelchairs to pick things up is a dodgy thing to do; you risk an inelegant three point landing on your nose.  However...we were in the park with Cara on Saturday, when we spotted a bouncy castle.  When you're four and a half, a bouncy castle is the epitome of play, so we bought a ticket.  There were plastic chairs for people who were too large to fit on said bouncy castle, so I transferred to one of those.  And after a while, I reverted to type, and scanned the grass.  I found this.

Yeah, okay, there's not much of a difference between the two sides, but I'm nothing if not thorough. What caught my attention?  Firstly, the colour, that beautiful transition from green to yellow to blush pink into salmon.  And the form, also, these beautiful curves.  It made me wonder about how I could use that shape, that form, in a piece of work.  Possibly in three dimensions.  Nature is such a clever designer, with an eye for aesthetics.  Things work perfectly, and look good, to boot: this acer seed is a tiny piece of perfection.  My art work won't meet those standards, but that won't stop me trying.

Picasso said 'Inspiration exists, but it must find you working'.  Increasingly, I realise that I don't ever stop working. My eye and my unconscious mind work together to find things that my curiosity can't resist.  As I keep saying, ideas are ten a penny; you just have to look.  Not as elegantly expressed as Picasso's sentiment, but along the same lines.  Try it: you won't be sorry.