The Maze Garden

The Maze Gardens were in reality the Walkden Gardens in Sale.  We called them the Maze Gardens because they are arranged into compartments in a maze like way.  When we first discovered them in 1995 it was a surprise because nobody advertised them, there wasn't any clear sign outside telling the passing public that there were gardens behind the hedge (and very nice interesting gardens too!).  I've lived around the Sale/Altrincham area most of my life so to not realise that these gardens were on my doorstep most of my life without realising was a surprise.  It seemed most people in the area were as ignorant as us.  Since 1995 things have changed at Walkden Gardens.  There is a friends group, regular fun day events and more money invested in their up keep.  I hope that the Tory cutbacks don't affect these lovely gardens.  Even today, although the gardens are now much better advertised, one can go there without seeing anyone else.  They are a nice retreat in a busy area.

The Maze Garden, fine line pen and coloured pencil drawing, A5 (2015)

September 2009

I've called this piece September 2009 simply because in that month I spent a lot of time in Walkden Gardens in Sale enjoying life properly for the first time in a long time.  I had quit teaching the month before after a long argument with the authority that paid my salary as a teacher.  I won't go into details however in part my bad back and autism had their part to play in my departure from teaching.  I was glad to go and don't regret a thing although at the time it meant a lot of financial uncertainty.  I had hated September when I was teaching because I always felt that I was putting myself away again after the 6 weeks holiday where the real me could exist.  I was depressed in those days and it is even more clear how down I was when I reflect back to that time now.  September 2009 was thoroughly enjoyable.  The sun was shining (literally), my back was a lot better and I could walk again and there was no teaching!  I could just take everything in and enjoy it instead of having feelings of anxiety/dread/needing to be at home planning and marking etc.  I don't think teaching is a bad career, although it is stressful for anyone.  I do think that teaching is intolerable if it's in the wrong school or environment.  That September was like the first experience of freedom after being incarcerated for so long.

This picture is the first in a number of postcard size pieces that I am planning on exhibiting in the near future.

September 2009, fine line pen and coloured pencil drawing, A5 (2015)



The Changing Of The Seasons

I like autumn with the colours, fog (yes I like fog) and the changeable weather.  I hate it when it rains for days or weeks on end, it gives me SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  A mix of weather is ok though, although the best weather towards the end of autumn/winter in my view are the sunny frosty days.  These are the days where the mud freezes over so that I can do more walking down the footpaths near where I live without the mess of the mud.  The warm autumn this year has kept the leaves on the trees longer than normal therefore the colours have lasted longer as well.  Here is one of the trees that I have walked past on one of my walks. 

The Changing Of The Seasons, fine line pen, gouache and coloured pencil on paper, A2 (2015)

Winter Tree

This is another one of my tree studies.  We are reaching that part of the year where there will be plenty of these trees to look at (and enjoy).  I like the patterns that appear when you spend long enough looking at them.  Winter can be a dreary and cold time but if you want to see beauty, it is there if you take the time to stop what you are doing and pay attention to what is around you. 

I find it ironic that people accuse high functioning autistic people such as myself as lacking awareness of other people yet lots of so called normal people tend to have a lack of awareness of their environment and often also a lack of awareness of other people too.  How many times do I see people walking around with music headphones on their ears while also texting on their mobile phone paying no attention to anything but their music and the conversation/video/social network website that is on their phone.  At least it's just one aspect I struggle with (understanding other people).  I spend more time observing my environment and taking it in.  I have pointed out things to other people such as the design of buildings, unusual plants or whatever and they are often quite surprised that these things are there because they haven't noticed them.  I also have in the past mentioned sounds that I hear that 'normal' people don't hear or, if they do hear the same sounds, they find them quiet whereas I find them loud.  Maybe my lack of attention to people means I have more time to pay attention to my environment while 'normal' people spend so much time focussed on other people there is no space left for other things. 

Winter Tree, oil painting on canvas, 40inches x 30inches (2015)