Ruth Partridge

Light Under a Cloud

Like the tide running in 
The paint glides over the surface 
Twists are defined by one turn of the brush 
Deliberate and even 
Echoed above in the clouds 
And mirrored in the surface of the water 
Sharp lines and crisp edges
Follow contours and perspective
The tall masts of the wooden ship
Tower into the dark clouds 
The estuary runs to the sea
Light under a cloud 
Of wide strokes
Prussian blue and raw umber 
Combined
From monochrome to splash of red 
There was light under the cloud 
But not for long.

I just loved painting this – it deserved a crisp graphic approach.

Amazed by Nature



Like the popping of a balloon,
A cloudburst, 
A torrent
Lash of rain
Whips the window,
Ricocheting  
Glass on glass; 
The droplets pound.

How can a drop,
Held in the palm of the hand,  
With its fragile  meniscus, 
Burst with such force?

We bathe in its softness;
The molecules slide over us;
We sip it smoothly,
Without harshness of swallowing.
Replenished,
Revived,sustained,
Grass is greened.

Paradox:
Life giving,
Life taking. 

Drenched fields,
Minerals leached,
Land slips,
Branches drop,
Waves surge,
Tides rise 
Floods.
Catastrophe. 

Creation’s power released.

Answered prayer…

Given in abundance.

I have watched the clouds over recent days and am fascinated by the change in the skies. This acrylic seascape captures the power of an impending storm but contrasts with the beauty of the shimmering sands.

Nature never ceases to amaze.

The house which tells a family’s story

Is it the tread upon the staircase, steep, uneven,
Recognition  instinctive to the one which makes a sound? 
Is it a feeling of those who’ve trod the steps before   
Echoing times of joy and merriement
in song?
I think I hear conversations seeping through the walls
Like whispers that cocoon this ancient space
Softness with comfort lingers 
Suggests I slumber its embrace.
 
Touching the rail,
I seem to place my hand in theirs; 
I feel the laughter; I sense the memories shared; 
From  chair,to windowpane the way the curtain moves, 
I feel the breath of dampness in the air.
My spirit gently eases in the  softness of caress
Safety and security in all I’ve ever known;
This thread of family history is truly blessed;
Generation on generation have called it home.

Dare I to lose the house which tells the story 
Break the strands that hold me fast? 
Yet memories stay secure
within the cerebral cortex 
Uniquely wired and coded so will last. 
I am known to the one who loves and cares, 
Whose ancestry spans the test of  time
Interwoven  with all we’ve ever loved
Held until completion finally  is  mine.

Today I visited a very special house of a friend

In The Veil

The veil a lifting remnant is
Cloaks the valley far below 
Strength of wind 
And storm blown leaves 
Fall and scatter 
Drift like snow

All around tall planting fallen
Autumnal feel the garden wears
Late summer stakes it’s claim of sun
Last flush of colour
Lifts our cares

Storm – precursor or remnant?

A loud soughing in the trees
Wakes us early
A storm precursor with 
Sudden intensity 
Straining  branches  which bend and rock
Leaves are wrung out like
Handkerchiefs on the line
Falling
Mist cloakes- a wall of white 
The wind buffets the house
Until a sudden stillness
As it drops.
The veil is lifting 
Then it starts over
With a lion’s roar.

If I could stem the Flow of Time

If I could stem the flow of time;
Could halt the fading of a flower;
Let effervescence bubble in my hand
Trace comet tails through a meteor shower;
Oh to see her run again  along the  sand;
Over dunes to  plunge to the turquoise sea;
Salt fresh,in  wind-flapped ears and tail;
To walk, to run,to be free.

White Sands and Turquoise Sea

Never has a dog walk been this good . The dogs loved it, especially Pepper the Whippet, who has difficulty walking far. She loved stretching out on the white sand. It was a joy to paint this scene .