‘From little acorns, mighty oaks do grow’ — English proverb
Hello again — I hope you are all well.
This morning I went for a walk along my local country track here in Posadas (Cordova) and this is what I scavenged…
Cork — (the front side which I will paint)The cork had fallen off the back of the truck which had been filled with the freshly-stripped cork from a nearby finca. (The more weathered, exposed side of the cork I will seal with shellac once washed and dried) The neighbouring finca where the cork oak trees are stripped of their bark which is then used for making… corks! Also, the black-hooved pigs are often kept in these fincas so they can eat the acorns which produce a high quality ham (‘jamón de pata negra’ in Spanish)The stripped trunks of the cork oak trees are even more red after the rain. It’s an impressive sight to see. These trees grow in the nearby finca of Calamon which once used to have an English-owned mine that worked til the beginning of the 20th century. I have written about this and other local mines in an earlier blog.
Those green-robed senators of mighty woods, Tall oaks, branch-charmed by the earnest stars, Dream, and so dream all night without a stir…– John Keats,Hyperion, Book I
Bird oil painting on cork
Flowering oak tree painted in oils on cork
Before painting, I seal the washed cork with shellac varnish so that the natural holes won’t suck up the paint. I also give a coat of the same varnish to the finished product after edging it with gold paint
As usual, I always have my little helper to lend a hand — or paw, rather!
Hello! I was born in London but moved to Cordova (in inland Andalusia) thirty years ago. Although I qualified as a geologist, I had to retrain, and I now teach English and work as a freelance translator. I also like art and craftwork, as well as writing. Hence the book I have just written, entitled 'An English Lady in Cordova - the Alternative Guide' which tells of my experiences (both humorous and harrowing) of living in Cordoba and later, the countryside location of Posadas. I also describe the culture, history, geography and emblematic sites of Cordova, Posadas, the neighbouring villages and local Sierra.
I hope you enjoy reading my blogs - but please be patient, I'm new at this, so am still trying to find my way around this blog lark and see how it all works. (So many mind-boggling options on the menus and multitudinous tabs and pop-up things!)
Bye for now!
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2 comentarios sobre “Cork!”
Those trees look amazing. I hadn’t realised how much they stripped off at any one time. They only do this every few years don’t they? I’ve never seen them red either – obviously not seen them newly stripped.
Those trees look amazing. I hadn’t realised how much they stripped off at any one time. They only do this every few years don’t they? I’ve never seen them red either – obviously not seen them newly stripped.
Love your cork art. It is stunning. 🙂
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Thank you! I love to use natural materials in my art work — there’s so much that can be sourced around here.
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