#1624 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn BooksLeave a comment

It is book club week. After a bit of a run of hard to digest books. I was pleased to get a Graham Greene novel as my obligatory reading companion for the dark afternoons of November. Better than that, a Graham Greene I have not read. The Comedians. I realise that I have been quite lazy about Graham Greene and only ever read what was in my dad’s collection.

The feeling of relaxation of being handed a book that has the promise of a comfortable read was unexpected. I quite like being pushed out of my comfort zone.

During our book club chattering I realised I really hadn’t enjoyed reading the recent book or really the previous three. What I had enjoyed in a perverse way was my reading tenacity. So when I voted that I had enjoyed July, August, September and Octobers books. Only 3 of them over 4 months. I was not really thinking. I am deliberately not bothering to name them. They are a mush in my head. One of them was compelling, another well written. Style over Substance. Shocking detail over genuine storytelling. Pulp faction.

I have come to distrust authors that I really enjoy when the back cover quotes a review of the book I am about to read. Half way through I wonder what it is I am missing that X or Y raved about.

Tellingly I did not even bother to read the reviews of the back of the Graham Greene novel.

Anyway enough of my book ranting. But more bookishness.

This book was in a reference bookshelf at a print workshop I went to yesterday. First published in 1961. It was a very big book in our familial bookcase when I was very young. Great pictures for a small person in a book that was way too big for a small person. I could instantly turn to the two pages that I loved.

Flamingoes and Seabirds. My parents had to read the very dry and technical text as if it were the most exciting children’s book ever.The book was often my requested bed time story. I realised yesterday I have never read any of the text myself and yet I would certainly cite it as one of my favourite books. I am going to read my favourite pages next week and see if the reality lives up to the memory.

Memorable or Mush could just be the way I classify books from now on.

The fact that a book is readable does not necessarily make it a worthy read. My ability to read my way through a quagmire of mush is not a reflection of interest or quality, just endurance. No need to fool myself that the experience is enjoyable. Even if it was good for me , useful/ enlightening, educational.

Enjoying a book is about head and heart. I have only just realised that!

#1623 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn Australia, Friends and Family, Serendipity, Travels1 Comment

If you had a free round-trip ticket to anywhere, where would you go?

Not a moments thought required for this prompt. Absolutely, a free round the world ticket to Australia please, with stop off/long lay over in Hong Kong. I love to travel and explore new places but nothing is more precious than friends and family. I am approaching the 1 year anniversary of just such a trip. Just as people are concerned about the anniversaries of sad events being difficult I am very aware that I am quite excited to be able to relive on a daily basis my travels in Australia and Asia in November and December last year. Pondering seems too normal a word for those thoughts. Giddy pondering elevates the process more appropriately.

Culturally I am going to seem pretty shallow but I loved seeing outdoor Christmas Trees under different circumstances to a British winter.

The plastic fantastic, consumerist bling of Hong Kong trees and the epic visual strength of Australian trees competing with the sublime weather and light of a Southern Hemisphere early summer.

Of course a Christmas Tree is a place of gathering. People who like or love each other gather together around a relatively modern symbol, the Christmas Tree.But humans have celebrated December festivals close to the Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice long before the word Christmas was invented.

  • Neolithic Britain (c. 3000 BCE or earlier): Monuments like Stonehenge and Newgrange were aligned with the winter solstice, and archaeologists have found evidence of large midwinter feasts at nearby sites like Durrington Walls.
  • Roman Saturnalia: The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for a week of feasting, gift-giving, and social inversion.
  • Norse and Germanic Yule: Historical accounts—such as the 6th-century writer Procopius and 8th-century writer Bede—describe long-standing Germanic and Scandinavian traditions like Yule and Mōdraniht (Mothers’ Night) held around the solstice to celebrate the return of the sun.

People ( not all of course) like to gather with friends and family, any excuse really. For some precious friends and family I am obliged to travel. A fabulous use of a free round trip ticket.

I realise I am assuming the ticket is for flights. It could be a bus or train ticket. If time were no object then I have no objections to either of those. Sailing, in comfort would also be OK. I might have to turn my nose up at a free trip in a rowing boat. There would be nothing recognisably left of me by the time I arrived in France let alone any further away.

I would certainly be a rarher lucky cow to have a free ticket of any sort.

Which allows me a visual Cheistmas Tree pun.

I have superimposed a home tree with a cow at the Royal William Yard onto the tree at Coogee Beach Sydney. The Home and Away Tree.

#1622 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn art, Photographs, SerendipityLeave a comment

Hello November. The beginning of the slow, grey, slither towards the shortest day, Winter Solstice, followed by the, equally grey, clamber out of the monotone abyss in January and February.

For a couple of years now I have been fascinated by altering greyish pictures like this using the classic photographic/radiographic physics of image making that I learnt in Darkrooms during the analogue years and then the digital manipulation of the digital, computer generated years. My career was more or less 50/50. All the excitement of the digital age saw dark rooms repurposed, new skills learned and to a degree the old knowledge abandoned. I have moved from wet processing ( chemicals in tanks) to digital and AI assisted image making.

As an aside I do wonder if the initials and concept of AI would seem less threatening if it was called Assisted Information rather than Artificial Information.

But I digress. Thank goodness my brain did not have its head completely turned by the digital age and carefully retained all my hard learned analogue photography/ radiology physics.

Hard earned because I was a reluctant student of all sorts of physics. I really had to knuckle down and learn it.

In my imagination my analogue skills are all neatly stored in my brain like this

This however is probably closer to the truth including the eighties wallpaper.

Now I could bore myself with all the analogue physics skills that take a poor and dull photograph, taken an hour before sunset.

Into a vibrant celebration of a late afternoon in November. Nobody needs to be bored by me on a Monday morning. Although I been asked to give a talk to an art group in the New Year.

Imagine skipping off to an art group for a social gathering with fellow artists and a woman turns up and starts talking about Physics!

This idea is going to need some finessing.

#1621 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn SerendipityLeave a comment

If you had to sum up your life philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

Probably this. It is not a unique thought but part of a quote from a book I picked up in a hotel bar.

The book was largely forgettable but the quote stayed with me.

Waldmeer by Donna Goodard.

No judgement at all about the book, I didn’t have the time to fully read it and chanced upon this quote.For completeness I might add.

There is a depth to life that only comes from our connection to other people whilst walking a dog.

Walking my dogs in the parks of London and here now, in my coastal community in Devon I have engaged with some fascinating people. People with dogs are obliged to stop and talk with one another as their dogs engage in bottom sniffing. Some people without dogs want to stop and talk with me because they want an interaction with my dog. All these random conversations can lead on to longer conversations as your dogs decide that you will circle the park or peninsular together.

Of course I joke about adding the dog bit. But without igniting a dog v cat debate, I would say in my fifty years of being Team Cat there was never a point where owning a cat expanded the depth of texture, friendship or communication of positivity with other humans. 13 years of Team Dog and I have lost count of all rhe gorgeous and delightful interacrions that my canine companions have engineered.

Hugo with his/our gang in Dulwich Park. The High Court Judge, The Principle Dancer at the Royal Ballet, and the owner of an International Model agency. Just dogs doing their thing and humans doing the same. But in any other life those humans would never have charttered so freely.

There is another interaction with an artist, so famous there are T.V programmes about him. Hugo felt that love was in the air as did the very famous artist whose owner was not in the least bit bothered.

He would have been bothered in the future if any puppies were created because Hugo could not help himself when art was being created. Not really a problem at my level of the business but nose prints at his level may not have been quite so acceptable.

#1620 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn 2026, Serendipity, Watercolour1 Comment

When I sorted out my physical portfolio I was surprised quite how pink I had become. A couple of winters ago I did an on- line course with Tansy Hargan.

Obviously, without ever realising, I was searching for something in my creative world to change.I am nearly 3 years on and so much has changed. Not least a Worldwide recession, at a granular level it means there is less of an appetite for buying original works of art. The large and bold Acrylics of my past creations do not sell so well and if they don’t sell then I have to store them. Doing the Find my Colour Voice course took me back to the world of watercolours, a place I have always loved. But doing a Fine Art degree as a mature student broke me out of my comfort zone. As it should.

The humble conker as a metaphor for watercolour.

I am not a sleepy dormouse who has returned to sleep in the comforting, velvety husk of a Horse Chestnut. I have returned to watercolour fully prepared to balance on the outer spikes of the husk from time to time and even on occasions to hang just by the tenacity of my tail.

I was hugely surprised to discover there was a lot of pink in my colour voice. One of my exercises from the course is below. The Dormouse has a paintbush loaded with pink paint

I am a little disappointed that I didn’t think of making October, Pinktober. So much pink in the portfolio.

Pinktober is over without ever getting started . 2027 and October is going to be Pink, unashamedly so.

link below to Tansy Hargan, the unlocker of pink.

Source: Tansy Hargan https://share.google/OqpzvPd7q9276diui

#1619 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn art, Paintings, Photographs, Royal William YardLeave a comment

Share a few recent shots from your camera roll, no context needed.

No contexts.

Blogs do appear out of nowhere quite often. Sometimes, like today, my blog host WordPress drop a prompt that is easy to respond to. Easy for me today, because I had been prepping for today’s blog in advance.

My apologies if anyone spots a context. It will be entirely co-incidental.

October is the month of harvest and as such fruit and vegetables pose, ready to be turned into paintings in the darker months of Winter.

A Friend recently donated, to me, an unwanted photographic umbrella.I was unsure how I would use it, but it is small and doesn’t take up much space. It has a lovely gold reflective surface.

I can pose my models in the yard and catch the sharp angled sun beams in the umbrella.

I had designated this week an art admin week. No dabbling. There was also some Tennis Club admin and life admin. I made a list in order of importance.

Life Admin and Tennis Club Admin are unpredictable and come first. This week Art Admin was not allowed to be all arty and unpredictable.

Frame.

Mount.

Sort physical portfolio

Photograph fruit and vegetables.

Fix broken things.

By the skin of my teeth all arty tasks have been achieved. I am a little in love with the results created by using the relective umbrella. Which made me reflect on my general fascination with umbrellas and how they can be photographed or painted. I trawled my photo archive on my phone and found a gorgeous image from 2019. A complete and happy accident. An illumination festival was being held at the Royal William Yard, an outdoor event, blessed with the very best of West Country weather. 3 days of an after dark art installation, with 3 days of torrential rain that only arrived after dark.We probably attended on the second or third day when the organisers had, prudently, decided to provide attendees with a clear plastic umbrella so that the effects of the illuminations were not lost in the black shadows of peoples regular umbrella’s

This one lucky shot gives me such pleasure.

The No Context rule definately simplified the umbrella blog I was going to write. Another time.

#1618 theoldmortuary ponders

On By Juliet CornellIn Dartmoor, Devon, dog walks, Hugo and LolaLeave a comment

October with Lola has become a month of timed walks rather than destination focused. When we had two dogs we failed to notice the full impact of her as an avid tracker. Hugo was a fláneur.

He took a dim view of her need to track everything and hurried her along to places he could pose languidly and be dogged in different ways.

Our first autumn without him, has seen walks taking a very different shape. Given the chance she would concentrate on a small area for ten to twenty minutes. Without him she is less trustworthy off the lead and can go missing whilst on Squirrel hunts. She is also uniquely camouflaged in our local area,so no chance of finding her without her foppish white brother by her side.

Two walks yesterday absolutely highlighted October walks with Lola. One near home where she sniffed for a prolonged period. I observed possibly the most useless piece of local knowledge ever.

At some point, many years ago these yellow, parking restiction, lines were painted in the autumn.

The things I ponder whilst standing still.

I promise you the next one is a little more interesting.

I worked in Tavistock off and on as part of a medical screening team for 12 years. A great place to work, a bustling market town. I used the footpath, through the graveyard of St Eustachius Church, in the town centre often. I never stood still. Lunch hours when you are a full-time working mother are a whirlwind of chores and missions.

Delightfully, in keeping with the general flavour of her walks at the end of October I stood still, thanks to Lola’s sniffing. Fortuitously by the very old grave of an eponymously named dead person Mr John Body who rather sadly died at the age of 35.

Lola’s prolonged sniffing made me look beyond the slightly comedic notion of a dead person called Body and read his inscription. Mr Body was not a chap for levity, especially in death. 1749.

Nothing I do can improve the readability.

My Debt is Paid, my Grave you see, prepare yourself to follow me.

There We Are Then.

John Body of Tavistock, truly a man for the end of October.

#1617 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By Juliet CornellIn Firestone Bay, Hybrid Printmaking1 Comment

What’s one piece of travel advice you always follow?

I always take my travel painting kit. I used to always take enough books, my painting kit and Tea Bags. I still do but now the books are on Kindle on my phone. Since I have been creating hybrid images I also keep some stock images of paintings on my phone. The full moon above is useful if a full moon event is ruined by a cloudy sky. I can just digitally stick a moon into the sketch or photographs of the full moon event I am attending. Asian full moon events are so colourful and exciting, it can be a real disapointment if the principle character fails to show up, or rises behind a massive building development. It also gives me the freedom to put the moon in the best possible place for the location and occasion.

Last night I needed my full moon painting much closer to home. It was a full moon and the ‘Bobbers’ like to swim at high tide on a full moon.

Storm Austen and Storm Boelo had other ideas. Having completely reorganised the weekend they had left an unnamed love child in our bay. A nasty storm infant who thrashed about, causing mighty waves and whose breath created thick clouds that completely covered the moon. Worse than that South West Water had released sewerage into the sea nearby. Presumably hoping to blame the storm baby. The companies Share Holders must be very proud.

Storms, named or not do not stop dog walks. A night sight shot of our swimming bay captured every reason why it was not safe to swim last night.

A full moon placed in exactly the right place aesthetically makes me a happy woman.

For anyone interested in the painterly bit of this image. I swirled a circle of white Posca pen on black paper and pushed the paint around with my finger until the paint dried.

It took me a while to get to this picture . I wanted it to look as soft and believable as possible without ever wanting my moon to look as science intends it to. More cream cheese than moon dust.

Travel advice for nearer to home.

#1615 the old mortuary ponders

On By Juliet CornellIn Architecture, Colour, Exhibitions, history, Interior Design, Interior design inspiration, The Box, Words1 Comment

I learnt two new words this weekend. Chromophobia and Chromophilia . A fear of colour and a love of colour. I also went to an art exhibition called The Way We Live. This extraordinary soft sculpture was part of the exhibition.

This work is by Do Ho Suh, a Korean conceptualist who creates the homes or parts of the homes he has lived in. With sculptures created with paper or semi- transparent polyester.

Now I would always be considered a Chromophile. Colour is my thing. But this pale green and red hallway is an exact replica of my hallway at home. Never in a million years would I paint it pale green and bright red.

In my hallway I am a Chromophobe, the only bit of giddiness is glitterball.

Braver than us, we have neighbours who own one of my Mackerel paintings. They are going to pick out the colours of my Mackerel to decorate their hall, which is also identical to the soft sculpture by Do Ho Suh.

The hallway depicted in the sculpture was a home of mulitiple occupancy that Do Ho Suh shared in New York. Which really fascinates me. Around the world these staircases, although essentially the same and about 150 years old, must have so many different artistic and Interior Design differences.

A local favourite of mine is in an old nightclub. The building had been left empty and neglected for some time but is undergoing some much needed renovation and preservation. I photographed it when it had recently been released from the fate of becoming a mega church. At the time it was pretty smelly, damp, verminous and maybe a scintilla of urine. But the layers of paint and general shabbiness were accidentally beautiful.

Of course had I known all those years ago that I would be writing this I would have included the handrail.

I was last in the building in the summer, this was a back stairway and is now closed off as an unsafe area. At the time I visited previously it looked like the scene of many an illicit historic rendezvous or hook up during the buildings Night Club years. The stories these stairs could tell…

One last ponder on my own Chromophobic staircase. When our house was still a New Build. This is what the women of the house would have worn. What ever would they have made of the glitter ball.

Staircases, they make you think.

The Way we Live Exhibition is at The Box, Plymouth until the end of February