Month: Aug 2023

# 675theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, Serendipity1 Comment

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

©theoldmortuary

A little bit of creativity goes a long way if I can find a space for it every day . Sometimes it is nothing more than some photo manipulation. Other days a whole painting emerges. I also consider blog writing to be both creative and life enhancing. I have spent the last week in the company of 12 other artists at a group event called Open Studios. There is so much to learn from creative people.

The other interesting and fascinating aspect of a shared public space is the chosen soundtrack of the Arts space we are using. I have heard some wonderful, and previously unknown to me, artists who have already transitioned onto my home play list. All of which leads me rather ponderously to my conclusion that learning or experiencing something new every day hugely improves my quality of life.

©theoldmortuary

#674 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

What do you listen to while you work?

I am in the middle of an exhibition so I have no choice in the soundtrack of my work. In many respects I am so far out of my comfort zone auraly and yet I couldn’t be happier.

The exhibition is in a cool space. 200 year old military buildings that are Grade 1 listed. The cafe/ exhibition space has been beautifully rethought with a huge glass wall.

Each artist has a work space opposite the glass.

And we have areas where absolute bargains are being sold.

But this blog is about what I am listening to while I work and talk to the visiting public. Yesterday’s big discovery was Dope Lemon.

What a voice the lead singer has. So for today I am lost in this fabulous band.

Home

#673 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn pondering, Serendipity1 Comment

What’s your favorite time of day?

Curiously my favourite time of day is around 2am. A time that I usually sleep through, but years of  the madness of 24 hour shifts gave me a huge respect for that hour of quietude when, with luck, the previous days work has been caught up with and the dip of 3am is yet to happen.

Now the only thing that gets my attention at 2 am is a dog or dogs who need to visit the back yard. Even my occasional insomnia never kicks in until 3 am. So favourite time of day, I love you but I really don’t need to be awake to appreciate your merit.

#672 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Art for sale, Serendipity3 Comments

The artist has left the building, temporarily. After three days of setting up, Private views and meeting the public. I have left my patch.

Drawn to the Valley at Ocean Studios in the Royal William Yard, Stonehouse Plymouth has a diverse mix of 12 artists showing their work and demonstrating or talking about their techniques with anyone who comes along.

We had a bit of a tidy up at close of business today. That is just me as an artist. Procrastination disguised as tidyness. Its not been all art and no life. There was a bob yesterday so I slipped out for an hour, great swimming, fabulous conversation and snacks. And maybe something to chuckle about.

#671 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

A calm evening walk after a day of prepping for 10 days of Art in these buildings. The event is Open Studios which is a chance to clear out my studio and sell bits and pieces of unsold art projects.

I found these two hug doodles from the first Covid lockdown.

Who knows if anyone will choose to buy them . Reminders of a time when we all missed hugs.

My day has been spent hanging art.

Followed by a busy evening welcoming the first guests.

One lovely moment was when the setting sun reflected the name of the venue on some of the artwork.

Tomorrow will be a proper arty blog when I have more time.

#670 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, Serendipity2 Comments

What motivates you?

I have a butterfly mind, unusually I can easily harness my butterfly when needed but like a parachute my mind works better when it is open. My motivations are sometimes opposing to one another.

Here is my list.

1. Kindness and care to those around me.

2. Deadlines.

3. Serendipity. Nothing is more inspirational than the unexpected.

4.Procrastination. or creative preparations as I often label it.

5. Concaternation.

6. Lifelong learning from all of the above.

Today I am on the final phase of, 4- Procrastination. I have an exhibition opening tomorrow. And yet there are still 2 solid hours of Studio tidying before I can hit , 2- Deadline.

The butterfly above was, 3- Serendipity when a stencil fell on an old watercolour doodle.

The 2 hours of studio tidying could have started 3 hours ago. I could already be at Deadline, but no, Procrastination was in full active mode.

I checked in with some of those I care about.

I walked the dogs, luxuriously in the sun.

I went back to the sea for a swim.

I wrote this blog.

Every one of those things will make today more productive and motivated. And that is Concaternation at its finest.

And just like that the final tidy is complete, let the artwork commence.

#689 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn dog walks, SerendipityLeave a comment

For the first time this morning I did one of my regular winter walks in summer sunshine. Richmond Walk was built in 1790 by the Duke of Richmond to give the public access to the coast path between Stonehouse and Mount Wise. Richmond Walk is a winter walk because it is slightly less exposed to the winds of winter, is tarmac or concrete for the whole walk and has small patches of grass for the dogs to enjoy sniffing and exchanging messages.

There are two outdoor pools which are open throughout the summer at no charge. On my winter walks they are rather desolate unused spaces. But today they were a riot of abstract blue water reflections and the noises of happy swimmers.

There have been pools and even public baths and spa facilities with bathing machines in this area for a couple of centuries. All that is left of The Royal Clarence Baths is a small beach and some stone arches.

But for me the joy of the day was the turquoise waters of the current pools.

Extra #688 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn blogging, Serendipity1 Comment

https://theoldmortuary.design/

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Writing my blog is possibly the most joyful thing about writing. There is something calming and meditative about writing daily and finding a positive in the often mundane pattern of normal life.

A tiny percentage of my life makes it into the blog. The blog is repetitive and often has fairly dull subject matter. But writing daily for several years now has taught me to look for nuggets of interest and pleasure in everything I do.

#688 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Home, Serendipity3 Comments

What do you love about where you live?

What do I love about where I live? Where I live gives me my little fix of zen just five minutes walk from my front door. All of my life the coast has been my fixer of woes. I have never lived more than two hours from the coast. So always accessible easily. For two years that accesibility has been a five minute walk.

But I am a picky coast lover. I really dislike seaside tat. Garish shops and arcades, horrible mini fairgrounds, crazy golf, the list is extensive.

What I love about my current location is that for centuries it has been a key maritime military defence area and has been protected from typical coastal development. Only fairly recently completely accessible to the public there are walks and a park that overlooks the sea with not one bit of traditional seaside tackiness.

All of the bright colours in this blog are provided by my early morning dog walk.

It is not just me that loves the peace snd simplicity of our early morning walk.

Hugo and Lola are dogged in their quest for tranquility.

Why do I love where I live? Because this locationion suits me very well.

#687 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn flowersLeave a comment

Sometimes I can be a daft creature. Yesterday we popped out to visit a friend’s new shed.

” Why have you called it I-ow-ee-ah” I asked

It turns out the shed is on allotment 101A. There was me thinking the shed had a Hawaiian name for serenity or bountiful but no just an utterly practical plot number.

Allotments at dusk are magical places. Peaceful to a point. This set of community allotments are very close to Plymouth Argyle Football Club, which has been hosting Tribute bands for the last few evenings.

We were wandering on random mown pathways listening to the soundtrack of my youth. The soundtrack that had been playing as I snogged and caressed handsome strangers in the Nightclubs and Discos of North East Essex. Some tracks progressed with me to London, more interesting nightclub encounters, a more worldly world.

But allotment blooms at dusk are equally as interesting as my distant 1970’s nightlife musings.

Abstract shapes more fascinating in the slowly fading light.

And then a sunflower on the last track of our evening wander, still bright in the fading light.