Finding Inspiration

Creative inspiration can come in so many ways.  Sometimes it is the way the light shines on an object or how two colors seem to vibrate against one another.  It can be the sound of the rain or the the smell of Ponderosa pines in the dry summer.  It can be the pocket full of treasures found at the beach.

The first week in Februaray I was visiting friends in Suffolk, England.  For a day trip we journied off to Cambridge.  We planned our trip so that we would be able to visit Kettle's Yard, a museum that is only open but two hours in a day.

Kettle's Yard is the creation and gift of Jim Ede, a one time curator at the Tate Gallery.  He wanted to share with others the art and objects which he collected over 50 Years.  He felt that art was better approached in the intimate surroundings of a home.  In 1957 he converted four cottages in Cambridge and began to hold open houses for students and visitors. 

Ede's collection is not only art as we would define it with paintings and sculpture.  Kettle's Yard is an entire canvas of beatiful objects not only created by man, but also created by nature. 
The house has a beautiful simplicity that makes you want to linger.  Everywhere I looked, there was an interesting vignette created with simple objects and well thought out clusters of treasures: books, stones, shells... 

The light in February hangs low in the sky. When we entered the house, the light itself was just another facet of the beautiful collection that Ede had compiled. It shown in the windows highlighting across objects, creating incredible shadows and bringing another dimension to the space and its treasures.

 Every space, wall, table top was a delight. 

 We were welcome to linger, photograph, sit and enjoy the spaces. 

There seemed to be some kind of magic within these walls.  A feeling that was overwhelming, yet comforting and it embraced me like a welcome hug.  The feeling was creative energy. 

Inspiration is a beautiful thing.  Was there any one exact thing that I can say was the one single inspirational thing?  No, not one thing from here.  It was the entire package for me.  I really loved this place and want to return on another day to take it all in again.