Elspeth Briscoe Designs

I’ve spent the last few days in North Norfolk - one of my favourite places.  I’ve been going there all my life as my grandfather (and ancestors) comes from Holkham - he used to work at Holkham Hall.   The hall was constructed in the Palladian style for Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (fifth creation)^[1][2] by the architect William Kent, aided by the architect and aristocrat Lord Burlington.

Holkham Hall is one of England’s finest examples of the Palladian revival style of architecture.   It remains today the ancestral home of the Coke family, the Earls of Leicester of Holkham.

Holkham beach, where I took this photo of the sand patterns above, to me is a very special place.  It’s a seemingly infinite stretch of golden sands running down to the blue-green waters of the North Sea, backed by huge horizons - you feel as if you could walk forever. The sensation of space is totally liberating, especially if you’re a spaniel pup.  It’s easy to find solitude there because the beach is so vast.  I like its bleakness at this time of year.    

Click the Breathing Earth image above for a very interesting simulation of the CO2 emissions of the world’s countries, as well as their birth and death rates. The birth and death rate is quite freaky - try UK compared to China.  It’s a nice interface - just hover the mouse over a country to see its environmental data. 

If you run the simulation, it is worth reading what David writes below the map, and following some of his links.

A country turns red on the map each time that 1,000 tonnes of CO2 is emitted by that country - in the case of the USA, that is about once every 5 seconds. Using the map I can’t find any other country, apart from China, coming anywhere close to this.

I love what taggalaxy are doing.  Who needs words..

Cool garden lights

peetypassion:

Google Earth alphabet - The Netherlands - capitals

Google Earth Alphabet (capitals) using only locations in The Netherlands.

(via Thomas de Bruin)

The perfect day’s walk today.  Watlington, UK where I live.  (Composition more halves than thirds but I still like it)

Received 580 bulbs today!  Each one like a perfect little parcel for Spring.  Nice.  Narcissus Thalia, Tulip Cassini, Tulip Queen of the night (sounds like a hooker, but is actually rather classy), Allium Obliqum, Allium Sphaerocephalum, Allium Hair

Autumn

I’ve always had a particular interest in the artist Stephen Wiltshire, not only because I love his work - but also because I’m intrigued by the links between psychology, our brain patterns and communication through art.  
If you don’t know him - Stephen is an autistic savant; he doesn’t communicate through speech. Yet can draw incredible architectural cityscapes from memory.

I’m lucky enough to own an original Stephen Wiltshire drawing of Barcelona.  It is building perfect.  And has a surprising energy to it. I don’t buy the theory that autistic savants merely replicate what they see.  Stephen’s drawings certainly have a great depth and sensitivity to them.   I think we understand very little about the links between our brain development and artistic abilities.

Stephen is currently attempting to draw the manhattan skyline
from memory. On monday october 26th wiltshire began filling in an 18 foot canvas
at the pratt institute, brooklyn. the drawing is expected to be complete by friday.
you can follow his progress through the live webcam here.

Hungover on Brighton Beach