A Sense of Calm

We did a little activity in class today looking at how our senses affect our creativity and the images we make.

I had been out this week to Hornchurch Country Park, a park that I'm very familiar with, but haven't been to for a while as I've been working away on assignments in Warrington.  Whilst I was there I noticed how out of breath and unfit I felt on my walk and I felt annoyed with myself for being so cooped up for the last couple of months.  It was a pretty windy day and I especially noticed the noise of the wind rustling through the long, dry, Winter grasses.  My aim of going over the park was to look for signs of Spring.  The reality I discovered was it is still very wet and muddy and the buds on the trees are only just there if you look very closely.  I think I am trying to wish Spring along more quickly.

I felt refreshed and happier after my walk round the park with my camera, and did manage to find some blossom on the trees, Spring isn't too far away after all.

I used this walk to influence where I went for the class activity.  When I am on campus I am always rushing around, to and from the library or lectures, and I wanted to find a place of calm to see what images I could create that would represent this.  I had previously spotted a couple of long tailed tits one early morning on campus and it had given me a sense of nostalgia of the one and only time I had seen them before when I was little in my Mum and Dad's back garden, on the bird table, so I went back there to see what other moments I could create.

I immediately spotted the beautiful white camellia in flower and so didn't focus too closely on my other senses rather than sight, focusing more on finding quiet moments that I wouldn't notice whilst I was rushing around.

As I was sitting there I heard a blackbird rustling around in the undergrowth, and then spotted this wren hopping around, quickly darting his head around, keeping an eye out for anything that may cause alarm.

The last two images were taken on my iPhone and the quality isn't very good at all, but they definitely make me smile when I look at them.

Where do you go to seek a sense of calm and peace?  Does nature ground you as it does me?  Please feel free to share photographs of your favourite places of serenity and tranquility.