Didn't we have a lovely time..

ART
We didn't get to go in many galleries on the Isle of Wight we were too busy exploring the great outdoors, but, if you go online there is what looks like a fantastic Art gallery should you ever visit called Seaview Art Gallery and this is where I found these artist.

Fiona Moatt Is my first featured artist. It's hard to get away from sea paintings on the Isle, but I have to say these paintings reflect such a wonderful calm and inviting sea unlike when we were there! Fiona is ever inspired by the changing light and the effect it has on the colours and atmosphere of the sea and surrounding land.

Summer Storm

Reflection 2

Pink Fields

The unique thing about Fiona's work is how she creates her masterpieces. Acrylic paint is her medium, but, to gain the texture you see she produces pre painted paper with acrylic which is then torn and applied to the surface of the canvas. Plenty of water is used so the paint is able to move freely, building up thick layers whilst the acrylic is still wet. Fiona is on Facebook if you wish to follow her.
I bet it's an amazing thing to see one of her paintings develop. Maybe it's an idea you can apply to the paintings you create?

2nd Featured Artist is Sue Stitt.
Sue is a digital illustrator and I love her style of holiday posters. I can't find anything out about Sue, other than her Twitter page. So Sue if you read this please leave a web address in the comments so people can see all your lovely work.

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We walked along this pier after having had a lovely coffee and cake at the busy cafe situated at the start of the pier. If you look down at your feet as you walk along most of the old planks have been replaced by new ones which have the names of the people who contributed to its up keep. There is a toll to walk along and I didn't mind donating, such lovely piers should be here for others to enjoy in the future.

Beer
Goddards Brewery – Inspiration 5%

I promise you there are some other breweries on the island not just Goddards, it wasn't until I brought the Quarr Abbey beer home that I realised I had two beers from the same brewery.
This 5% drinks like a session beer, so be warned.
Inspiration is a honey coloured beer with a wiff of fruity citrus.
The Mount Hood hops and the malt don't over power the beer so it would be great for a newbie wanting to try beer. Even a Bar-B-Que beer which should satisfy the thirst.

Inspiration requires two bottles sitting waiting for you in the fridge. The first to drink when you get home from a hard days graft and to get you in the mood for that epic Star Wars film night you've been meaning to have. But if you have them lined up in the fridge by the time you get to Episode 2 Attack of the Clones you won't give a monkeys about that annoying JaJaBinks. By the fourth bottle if you sup it too quick you will be seeing Yoda sitting next to you on the sofa saying Warned you I did”

Here's a link to the last beer I reviewed of their's and here's their website and twitter page.

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COVERED IN WEEDS  Mottistone Gardens is not!
We went to this wondrous garden on our last full day and if I'm honest we was only going to visit if we had time after walking to the Needles and if it stayed fine (which pretty much it rained towards the end of the day everyday). An hour and half to go before this National Trust Property shut up shop for the day.

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A quick bite to eat from the outdoor café and a mooch inside the 1930's wooden cabin named “The Shack”. Which actually was a mini house!

A wander around the gardens was truly magical in the short time frame we had. According to one website this garden “has been selected by the Trust to test which plants will adapt to our changing climate and following the planting of 25 olive trees in 2005 the head gardener has been experimenting with plants from the Mediterranean and southern hemisphere”.

Please could someone tell me what tree this is, it seemed to have Raspberry type berries growing from it. Is it the Tulip Tree the information board tells you about? At first I thought it was my man prating about but realised they were attached to the branches. And not long after both my camera and phone ran out of juice! That'll teach me not to take my own advice.

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We probably missed out on a few more things in our rush as I believe there was quite a long walk around the grounds and up to the Long stone.
To find out more about this walk and the gardens, here's a link to the National Trust Site

MUSINGS

A bumper edition this week as I missed last week. Not too sure where to start on where we went on our holiday to the Isle of Wight, there was so many great places it's hard to pick one or even just produce one blog. Which our IOW trip has already turned into a second blog. I decided to make this one more a photo journal, else there would have been a third and fourth blog. My first IOW Blog is here if you wish to have a gander at more lovely places.

The Needles

Quite an interesting place if you love guns and rockets.

Surf's up Dude! No really someone is out surfing!

Pearl of Allah

The Garlic Farm - Which was fantastic. Black Garlic Ice Cream IS nice! And now I love Garlic!

Bembridge Windmill made famous by the Artist JMW Turner

Appuldurcombe House with a landscaped gardens by Capability Brown.

Quarr Abbey. Lovely food in the cafe, home grown fruit & Veg. Take a walk through the woodlands and you come to the site of the old abbey

Tunes of the week
The Isle of Wight festival was on when we arrived on the island and just over the hill from where we were staying the festival was kicking out some tunes. Although we hardly heard it at night. That last night however we had a good view of the fire works display. So here's some artist I like whom have played the IOW festival over the years.
Jimi Hendrix - "i get my inspiration from the people"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 2014
Pink - So What  (how much fun did that look)
Suede Animal Nitrate 
Have a great week folks