Thursday 11 July 2013



Abstract Landscape Painter.  Rural Dweller.  Lover of Modernist Art and Design.


Fire


Well….. the good news is that they did find a brain AND I don't have a "dissected" artery in the back of my neck, for which I am very grateful.  The scans were interesting to look at and the consultant was very witty, so I did have a laugh with him, but it could have been a bit of a nightmare…

In the meantime, I've sent off my work to the Sea Pictures Gallery in Clare for their new show which opens this coming Friday.  It looks like Sarah may actually get some sunshine to go with the title of her exhibition.  I've been loving this spell of hot weather - summer at last - and been spending as much time outdoors as possible.  Last week-end we bought a chimenea and have taken great delight in sitting out in the garden these last few evenings, watching the sun go down, while keeping warm by the succession of small fires that we must light in it in order to season the clay.  The sunsets have been pretty impressive affairs - a full crimson globe descending to the horizon each night.

I have finished my poetry book from Much Wenlock.  I had been trying to ration out the poems in order to make it last a bit longer.  The last one was an extract from "Little Gidding" by T.S.Eliot, which is the final one of the "Four Quartets".  This series of poems is one that I have often heard mentioned, but never read.  My first thought after reading it was "helluva poem!" - not exactly the height of literary criticism I know, but my gut reaction nonetheless.  I don't claim to fully understand it, but it seems to contain some really powerful ideas and beautiful imagery and makes me want to read the whole series.  I've also ordered another book…..

It made me think about the energy of human creativity.  It's so amazing that these little creatures can suddenly produce something so powerful - like a fuel cell unlocked - a kind of creative nuclear fission!  We seem to have the potential for world-changing inventions, beautiful literature, art and music to explode out of us.  Something sparks it and it ignites, develops, and becomes something so much bigger than the tiny individual that formed it.  A kind of "tardis" effect in reverse.  Suddenly, something is born into the world out of the human spirit and takes on a life of it's own, going on to affect the lives of many others.  It's pretty incredible!

In terms of inspiration……a few years ago the fashion designer Paul Smith wrote a book entitled "You Can Find Inspiration in Everything*: *and if you can't, look again".  In our rather random garden I have let some leeks "bolt", just to see what they look like.  As it happens, they look quite amazing and slightly like a Derek Jarman sculpture…or possibly the CN Tower in Toronto.…….I wonder………?







All text and images ©2013 Carol Saunderson