Going North

by

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
– Henry Miller

Going North1, Foto: Hanne Siebers, 2013

Tomorrow we’re heading North to the Lake District in Cumbria. A couple of weeks ago I went to Nikon Repair in Cologne and whilst waiting, saw the Top Ten most desirable landscapes worldwide for a photographer, all voted by Nikon photographers. The Lake District was the only English landscape on this list, so we’re quite excited about our trip.

Hunde zeichnen bei Susanne Haun, Foto: Hanne Siebers

I’m packing right now and my choice of book for the holiday is by Susanne Haun; “Mit Tusche zeichnen und kolorieren” (“Drawing and colouring with ink”). It’s a beautiful book and of course, a big dog lover like me, loves this section about house, garden and animals. If only I could do sketches like Susanne…

Going North2, Foto: Hanne Siebers

The opening could have been drawn here in North Norfolk, a nice impression of our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Klausbernd has several hundred (!) pencils with all the colours you think of and it’s one of his sketch books lying close Susanne’s book, complementing her fine work. We’re very much looking forward to visiting the Derwent Cumberland Pencil Museum, the home of the first pencil – a true gem for us. Our beloved Bookfayries Siri and Selma are very busy packing their tiny bags with their sketchbooks and all the pens and pencils. They can’t wait to hear the story about how they found graphite and how it got into the pencil. Of course you can read all about it later on their own blog. 🙂

Green by Susanne Haun and Klausbernd Vollmar, Foto: Hanne Siebers

“You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be led.” – Stan Laurel

Susanne Haus, Foto: Hanne Siebers

“The computer dictates us how do something, whereas with our pencil we’re totally fairy-free to be creative.” – Siri and Selma.

128 thoughts

  8. Gute Reise, viele schöne Impressionen und insgesamt einen formidablen Aufenthalt wünsche ich euch im Lake District. ich bin gespannt wie ihr alles dort oben antreffen werdet. Und mit einem wehmütigen Blick erwarte ich bereits jetzt sehnsüchtig die Schilderung eurer Reiseeindrücke. Macht es gut und kommt heil zurück.

    Liebe Grüße aus Freiburg

    Achim

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    • Lieber Achim,
      vielen Dank für deine guten Wünsche! Und dank SEHR für den Tipp bezüglich The Pencil Museum, es bereitet uns jetzt schon ganz große Freude.
      Herzliche Grüße zurück von uns 4
      Dina

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  9. GORGEOUS deliciously colourful post Dina 🙂
    I’m sure you are going to love the Lake District . Just imagining your photos …. will really look forward to those !
    I defy you not to pick up some artists materials from the Derwent Cumberland Pencil Museum … BB bought me a stash when we visited 🙂

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  10. Die Urheimat des Buntstifts ist also der Lake District? One lives and learns. Eigentlich hätte ich spontan auf Faber und Nürnberg getippt. Aber Grund genug, meine schönen *bunten* Aquarellstifte mal wieder in die Hand zu nehmen … Deine Fotos sind ja so suggestiv! Um nicht zu sagen “so schön bunt”!

    (Und immer wieder wundere ich mich, dass es im Englischen keine direkte Entsprechung für das praktische deutsche Wörtchen *bunt* gibt. Wahrscheinlich waren mal wieder die Normannen schuld :-).)

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    • Vielen leben Dank für den tollen Kommentar! Das Wort “bunt” ist einmalig und herrlich Deutsch. Der Bleistift stammt aus Derwent, ich weiß gar nicht wann Faber die Bunstifte einführte, aber spannend is es allemal.
      Ein schöne Zeit dir!
      Dina

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  11. Mir haben es auf den Fotos ja tatsächlich die vielen schönen Aquarellstifte angetan. So schön! Die ganze Farbpalette! (Dabei kann ich überhaupt gar nicht zeichnen, aber Stifte aller Art fand ich immer schon toll). Und dann wünsche ich Euch natürlich auch ganz wunderbare Tage im Lake District – vom dem ich im Moment in den Blogs so viel lese, dass ich bald meine, auch dahin reisen zu müssen. Und wenn es hier erst Fotos gibt…
    Viele Grüße, Claudia

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  16. I wish I could draw, I love that boat sketch! Have a great time in the Lakes, a wonderful area of England, but it’s not the lakes for nothing – a total contrast with the drier, flatter East coast, so pack your wellies and raincoats 😀
    I look forward to seeing your views on the area 🙂

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    • The wellies are all packed, wouldn’t like to go there without them… 🙂
      I wish I could draw myself. I have silly fingers when I sometimes try to sketch something. 🙂

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  18. Great photos of the pencils and sketchbook. The Lake District is lovely, but very wet! Make sure you take something to keep your camera(s) and lenses dry! Have a wonderful time. Regards as always, Pete, and Ollie of course! XX

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  19. Liebe Dina,
    ich freue mich sehr, dass du mein Buch als Inspriationsquelle für dich entdeckt hast.
    Ich wünsche euch einen schönen Urlaub und ganz viel Erholung.
    Bei mir ist es morgen soweit…. um 9 Uhr ist das Umzugsunternehmen vor der Tür.
    Liebe Grüße an dich, Doris, Klausbernd und die kleinen süßen Buchfeen von Susanne

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    • Das Buch ist wunderschön anmutig gestaltet, liebe Susanne. Es bereitet mir ganz große Freude darin zu blättern und lesen. Dir alles Gute für den anstrengenden Umzug!
      Liebe Grüße von uns vier in Cley
      Dina

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  21. Have a wonderful time. I hope you will discover more areas of England which you want to visit, the Peak District, Dartmoor, Exmoor, and so many other beautiful places, some not so dramatic as the Lakes but just a lovely to see and to explore….I cannot believe google only offered the one place. Naughty google! Wales is beautiful and so are Scotland and Ireland; all different in their own way but still stunning. Enjoy your trip and consider these other areas – I cannot mention the many, many others here off the top of my head. Thanks for liking and visiting my blog too, appreciated. Leave me a comment when you return. 🙂

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    • Thank you so much for lovely comment, dear Jane, it’s highly appreciated! Actually I didn’t google the Top Ten Landscapes for photographers; it was an article in the Nikon magazine and it was sort of the answer from leading photographers from all continents. I was very surprised actually. I have a lots of English Landscapes on my bucket list, including all the ones that you have listed; I’m so much looking forward to exploring more countrysides. And the Cotwolds… And Snowdonia… 🙂
      We’ll give you a report when we return. 🙂
      Love, Dina

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  22. Have a great and relaxing time, Dina. I wish you will have lots of new impression and beautiful perspectives for the camera. Have a splendid holiday.
    Kind regards
    Stefan

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    • Indeed it is, very much so! Unfortunately, I’m no good at drawing sketches, but Siri and Selma are improving after Susanne thought them a few techniques. 🙂

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    • What a lovely comment, thank you so much for your kind words, dear Sally. Yes, I agree, Susanne is a great artist. It’s good to have them around!
      Bis hug to you, my dear.
      Dina

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  27. Dir auch eine schöne Zeit, Dina – come rain, come shine. Aber die Buntstifte hat doch Albrecht Dürer erfunden! 😉 (Nein, kleiner Scherz am Rande.)

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  29. Liebe Dina, ich reise in Gedanken mit Euch. Der Lake District ist sooooo wuuuuunderschoeoeoeon!!!! Das Pencil Museum fand ich uebrigens super. Unser Kleiner Entdecke war damals leider noch ein bisschen zu klein, aber ich wette, die Buchfeen koennen sich dort so richtig austoben. Ich wuensche Euch viel Spass und Erholung, Peggy

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    • Danke, liebe Peggy! Unser Großer Entdecker, auch als Lehnstuhlexplorer bekannt, freut sich auch seeeehr auf das Museum. Dafür wird Mann nie zu alt. 🙂

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  31. The Lake District is truly beautiful, and SO different from Norfolk. Where are you staying? Keswick, home of the pencil factory, is often quite busy, but it has character. Looking forward to your images. 🙂

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    • Thank you, dear Jo! First we’re going to Harrogate, dann up North on the fringe of the LD. We didn’t feel like staying in Windemere oder Keswick or Ambleside at this time of the year, it’s obviously very busy and it was also difficult to find a nice B&B on the outskirts. Now we have settled for a beautiful holiday cottage, a newly converted barn, near Ousby, by Penrith. From there it’ll also be fine to make a daycation in the Lowlands if the weather is agreeable. 🙂
      To close it up we’ll be staying on the south fringe of the Lakes. The drive from Penrith through the District to the last accomodation looks very scenic – just in case we missed anything during the week. 🙂
      Love, Dina

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    • Good itinerary! I love Harrogate Flower Show but have never stayed there. Kendal is a quiet base but not so exciting. We’ve stayed in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Keswick. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time. After all, you’ll have English weather 🙂

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    • Oh, we are for sure going to Kendal, we have to get that peppermint cake! Lost of them! 🙂
      Tell me something, Joe – what are your favourite spots and things to do in the Lakes? Have you been to the Nine Standards? I saw them on the Wainwright Coast to Coast DVD and I’d love to go up there. And to the Castlerigg Stone Circle. Thank you so much for your support! Have a lovely evening. Good night from Norfolk!

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    • Well, I’ll have to talk to Siri and Selma about the drawings… but I guess there’ll be plenty of photos! 🙂 Thank you so much for visiting and commenting!

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    • Lieber Mick.
      du hast mir gerade ein großes Geschenk gemacht; aber Schande über mein Haupt; ich habe nie etwas von der Dänin Tina Dickow gehört. Das ist ja großartig was du hier verlinkt hast, ganz ganz herzlichen Dank! Echt toll, wow ist das schöne Musik. 🙂 🙂
      Und dann der Titel, wie hausgemacht für uns. Siri und Selma fliegen jetzt Loopings dazu, die fühlen sich geradezu beflügelt von der Musik:-)
      Fühl dich lieb umarmt!
      Dina

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  39. Have a safe and wonderful trip, Dina.

    I used to do a lot of sketching years ago and spent, what was for me, quite a bit of money on a dozen watercolour ‘pencils’. I still have them today (despite giving away all my watercolours, sketch pads & sable brushes as I can’t see enough to paint nowadays).

    You can draw with these pencils or use a wet brush and paint with their coloured heads. A great combination, but I do remember they were quite expensive compared to my ‘normal’ sketching pencils.

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  42. My dearest Dina! You have the perfect book to take with you – Susanne’s work has beauty, depth and compassion. So many themes and perspectives come through each of her creations. You will have a wonderful time! And I am coming with you every step of the way!
    Here is a quote about pencils that I think you would appreciate!

    “Map out your future – but do it in pencil. The road ahead is as long as you make it. Make it worth the trip.” Jon Bon Jovi

    Safe travels – hugs coming your way….

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  46. Hi Hanne, da verwechselte ich aber die Lake Districts neulich heftig. Sorry. Macht aber nichts. Frohes Wandern Euch allen. Bin vom 3.10. in Beverly und dort am Freitagnachmittag after 5 o`clock tea zum “Concert for the harvest” Beverly Minster. Hoffentlich komme ich auch dazu die Stifte zu bewegen. kram Ruth

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  47. I heard about your trip yesterday (from guess who) and hope you all have a wonderful adventurer. Sketch, photograph and have a ball – we’ll all be here when you get back.

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  53. Well how about that: I just dusted of my pencils a few weeks ago and started drawing again since a long time. I wish I was as talented as Susanne too;0) Have a lovely trip and fine weather on your hike. Thanks for a great post,♥ Johanna

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  56. May you have a great trip to the Lake District in Cumbria. I look forward to read more about it and see some pictures. The “Mit Tusche zeichnen und kolorieren”-book really looks like a delightful book.

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  58. I am slowly catching up, dear Dina!
    Hope there were no major problems that brought you to the Nikon Repair Center.
    Enjoy your wonderful trip – can’t wait to see the photos… and to learn how pencils came to be! 🙂
    In closing, since I cannot draw or paint at all, I think pencils are the analog version of a camera! 😉 😉 😉
    Love,
    Stefano

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  63. Morsomt og herlig å bruke farger. Alltid godt å starte med “blanke ark” som Alf Prøysen uttrykker det! Med kamera ditt har du også muligheten til å bruke “kamera som pensel”! Det gir fotografering enda en dimensjon. Det er bare så mye spennende å gjøre og da er det supert å gripe mulighetene!

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  64. Hat dies auf Susanne Haun rebloggt und kommentierte:
    “The world according on Dina” ist der Blog von Hanne und ich lese jeden neuen Beitrag von ihr. Sie führt ihre Leser nach England und Norwegen und berichtet auch von ihrer Zeit in Bonn und Umgebung. Vor einem Monat stellte sie mein Buch “Mit Tusche zeichnen und kolorieren” aus dem Edition Michael Fischer Verlag vor. Herzlichen Dank dafür, Hanne!

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    • Ganz, ganz herzlichen Dank für den Reblogg, liebe Susanne! Entschuldige, ich war so lange unterwegs und bin immer noch am aufarbeiten …
      Ein schönes Wochenende dir
      Dina

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    • Gerne, liebe Dina.
      Ja, das glaube ich dir, dass du viel zum Aufarbeiten hast….
      Liebe Grüße und einen schönes WE – ich werde Dürer lesen – sendet dir Susanne

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  65. The Lake District is wonderful. Check out the candy shop in Keswick, it is amazing. There is also a lovely walk to Easedale Tarn from Grasmere, one my husband and I have enjoyed many times.

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    • The Lake District was incredible. I had no idea how wonderful it really is. 10 days were far too short and we hope to go back one day.
      Thank you so for visiting and commenting!
      Love, DIna

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  67. I would like to enter the quotation of Henry Miller in “Zitate” in our blog “kunstundwirtschaft.wordpress.com”, because this is so true for the unexpected surprises if you work together with an artist. The artist can always see something you never noticed. It sometimes really opens up a new world.

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  69. Great Henry Miller quote! My wife and I honeymooned in London and the Lake District – from our home in Tokyo – two summers ago. Really enjoyed walking in the hills and shooting landscapes: brooding skies, and sunlight shifting across the moors! Very atmospheric. Have a great trip.

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    • The perfect setting for a romantic honeymoon! It was great, we enjoyed our stay very much indeed. Glad you did too.
      Wishing you a lovely weekend in Tokyo
      Dina

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