Rest.

This is the blue Iris that is just like the ones that were in my garden as a young boy. I am certainly going to try and find some of those for my own garden. Found this one difficult to paint as the memories came flooding back

Now in Spain Spain.  After two nightson the ship then time to relax for a bit before making the journey to Barcelona where I hope to see the famous Gaudi Cathedral. Have watched it grow over the years with school trips, but not seen it for a few years now.

A time for rest is not really something I am good at, I tend to be constantly doing something keeping the mind and hands active. Or out there walking, which is never for me a relax rather a brisk journey of hope looking to find things to paint.

It is good though to get out there where the only noise is the chatter of nature and not the background noise of TV.

Noise affects human behaviour. 

In an experiment carried out by psychologists, a student leaving a library intentionally dropped an armload of books. In 50% of the cases, a passerby stopped to help the student pick up the books. 

Then the experimenters brought out a lawn mower without a silencer and started it near where a student would again intentionally drop the books. This time, only about 10% of the people who passed stopped to help. It was clear that behaviour changed because of the earsplitting sound of the nearby lawnmower

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In experiments in Los Angeles, researchers found that children who lived in neighbourhoods near the airport could not complete certain tasks undertaken when jets were landing and taking off as easily as children who lived in quiet neighbourhoods. 

Some studies of prison conditions have shown that the high levels of noise cause more complaints by prisoners than the food or other prison conditions do.

I find noise very difficult to live with, and the music I sometimes play while writing or painting has to be soft gentle and inspiring. 

Music has something to say about rest.

I heard it said there is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it. 

In our whole life-melody, the music of life should be broken off here and there by 'rests.'  

Be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the 'rests.' They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we sadly say to ourselves, 'There is no music in a rest,' let us not forget that there is the making of music in it. We all, each and every one of us needs a time of rest or the melody of life becomes discordant. 

Have a marvellous and restful day.