#867 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, Serendipity5 Comments

K is for Kathleen the 16th Storm to hit home in the UK in this Storm season.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2024/storm-kathleen-named-and-weather-warnings-issued

Kathleen arrives in these parts tomorrow. Only the second time since naming began that Britain has achieved a 16th-named storm. I only became fully engaged with storms when I took up regular sea swimming or ‘ bobbing’ as it is known in these parts. Living on a small peninsular has made me ‘tuned in’ to the weather in a way that I have never quite been before. I have recently, in the last couple of years taken to painting the sensation of the storm. This year I have been concentrating on printing so have missed out on all the storms since Agnes, in early October.

Storm Agnes- Private Collection

Until a storm arrives I never really know if it will take human form or be an abstract force.

But whichever sort of storm it is, my grubby ‘weather’ tin of colours is available.

Which brings me to today’s random question.

What job would you do for free?

Maybe I could be a storm P.R/ Artist. Give them some character before they arrive, elevate their good points and downplay their obnoxious behaviours. In  fantasy land I could be flown  to meet them when they first hit British land. Do a quick sketch in the way that notorious criminals are sketched in court*

Then rather than only being identified only by their trail of destruction, a storm could also present a more benign face to the world. People might be more motivated to forgive a storm that empties their dustbin in the street if the storm could be considered elegant or well-dressed. Quirky even.

* In British courts no photography is permitted. Special Court artists are employed by news agencies to depict the main characters in a trial for illustrating the events in court in print, television or digital media.There are four professional courtroom sketch artists in total: Priscilla Coleman, Siân Frances, Julia Quenzler and Elizabeth Cook. All four artists are self-taught.

A marvelous art blog exists called Making a Mark. Below is their article about Court Artists.

https://makingamark.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-court-artist-works.html?m=1

Isn’t it deliciously mad that such a career exists. Being a storm artist seems almost normal in comparison. But how long would I do it for free?

Maybe a nanosecond or forever, art is like that. There is nothing like the moment when somebody buys a piece or original art. In my head I flip and cartwheel like an Olympic gymnast. It is not the reason I create but goodness me it is a wonderful feeling when it happens.Storm artist, free until someone pays me!

I realise my * is in the wrong place, my blog my rules.

For anyone who loves great art writing, this Facebook page is the Make a Mark resource I discovered today.

https://www.facebook.com/makingamark2

Written by a Katherine not a Kathleen, wouldn’t that have been a delicious closed circle.

P.s it’s not just me.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/84CeQTPLTH3QmU4a/

#866 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn blogging1 Comment

How to make a silk purse out of a sows ear?

Or indeed how to write a blog from a pile of ironing?

Yesterday and the day before were days  of catching up after the long weekend. Largely insignificant tasks but in this Winter and Spring of interminable rainfall the ironing stood out as a glimmer of something different.

Long ago when sunshine was a thing and washing could be dried outside, a load of white table linen was dried and then put away unironed.  I decided to get the job done while catching up on podcasts. The minute the steam of the iron hit the crispy linen all the natural fragrance of a summers day filled the room. Sea breezes and the smell of an English summer.  A few seconds of a hot July replaced the dankness of our current April.

In other news, I attempted some Dartmoor walking yesterday. I was defeated by really slippery mud and mist. Not for me forlorn,damp ponies or stoic sheep. Just a quietly arriving ferry close to home.

Surely a sign that Spring is somewhere close.

#865 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn pondering, Serendipity1 Comment

How would you improve your community?

Which of my communities should I improve? Or are they all better off without my tinkering?

All communities are improved with positive engagement. That is what I try to bring to any community I am part of. Sometimes I feel guilt that I am not doing enough but guilt is just fine in manageable doses. Resentment is the worm that destroys things. Now I am semi-retired I give resentment very little time, it is a sign I should step away. Not always possible when you are in the clutches of paid employment. When employed I used resentment as a rocket fuel to move me on, sometimes that move was more of a slow burn but at least I felt in control.

During a WhatsApp exchange this morning I called myself a nonfluencer. The exact opposite of the trendier, more sassy, flashy influencer that is the goal of so many people and communication technology currently.

Sometimes all a community needs is more nonfluencers, who turn up and do. Until they can’t. Joining and leaving can both be good for any community. Staying too long is the problem.

So how would I improve any community I was part of? Stay while I was able to be useful and recognise when the time is right to leave.

#theoldmortuary ponders- just a little extra.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Bobbing1 Comment

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

Unbelievably pre- COVID-19, I would never, ever, have considered plunging into the sea here at least once a week.  Plunging into the sea in all weather and conditions would never have crossed my pre-Covid mind. It has become almost a ritual and one that has more benefits than I could ever have imagined. For some inexplicable reason swimming in cold water has made me braver in other awkward or challenging situations. Rather a positive change that I am very grateful for.

#864 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Easter, Serendipity3 Comments

The four days of the Easter Break, have slipped away. So much texture in four days. Most of it  weather-related. Unlike Christmas there is not a big build-up nor enough left over food to sustain us for a few weeks. We were a small family gathering this year. Only four adults to indulge. Only four humans to dodge snow, torrential rain, and traffic to find the occasional sunbeam.

Sometimes the sunbeams were metaphorical. Dodging into a pub to avoid the rain and playing card games, or finding an unintentional embellished egg.

Family favourite food.

And the last Hot Cross Bun.

And for once, April Fools Day without getting caught by clever, witty friends.

Onward into April…

#863 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Anecdotes, Serendipity1 Comment

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

The first hour of my day looks a lot like the picture above. Until the tea ritual, blog ritual and coffee ritual have been performed. These three regulars can all be compressed into half an hour or extended to an hour and a half. There are side rituals like loading the dishwasher or washing machine. Today in particular I need to be alert to April Fools Day jokes. I am a gullible soul and I have friends who are very adept pranksters. Last year I called at their home on April 1st. As I pulled at their door bell it came off in my hand. I harrumphed at once again being caught out and took their doorbell home with me as a punishment.

Only to discover that I had broken their 100-year-old doorbell mechanism.

I am having nothing to do with them today.

#862 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Easter, SerendipityLeave a comment

Easter morning and the sun wakes us up. Some chocolate eggs have appeared and we have some wallpapering to do. The perfect Easter job with perfect rewards.

A small person will be very happy in her jungle room when she gets back from her holidays.

Taking our rewards as the sun slips away and is replaced by rain. One more day of the Easter holidays to go. Fingers crossed for good weather. But not holding my breath.

#861 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Easter1 Comment

Easter Weekend plays tricks on us. A Friday that feels like a Saturday and bright sunshine that heralds heavy rain. The photo below is in colour.

Just an hour or two after these colour photos were taken.

Bobbers bobbed, and pain au chocolate’s laminated.

We were constantly in the wrong clothes and all day we kept thinking of the regular Saturday jobs we should have been doing. Today should be a breeze, we’ve done most things already.

#860 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn blogging, SerendipityLeave a comment

Clutching at straws, or in this case, clutching a Pangolin. A couple of things coincided yesterday. This little sleeping Pangolin turned 4 yesterday, I painted him when it was suggested that Pangolins might be the animal that transmitted COVID-19 to humans in a ‘wet’ market in Wuhan. Four years ago this made me a little sad, as I have always liked the idea of a Pangolin. Current thinking is that the virus came from bats via Racoon dogs. I don’t think I would ever have the urge to paint either.

Pangolins sleep in this curled-up way, which I rather like. And gives me the chance to natter on about the circularity of blogging. A friend popped by at the art gallery and talked about blog #858.

#858 theoldmortuary ponders

Blog #858 mentioned the word camoufleur. My friend is a military historian and said he was surprised to learn the word camoufleur as a profession and then crafted a sentence using the word which suggested that our current government are very good camoufleurs at hiding their lies in plain sight. A much better sentence than I had thought of when writing blog #858*

As it happens I am currently reading a book about our governments response to Covid-19 with particular focus on the NHS. An awful lot of camoufleuring going on.

And that is the circularity of joy that blogging brings me. Sharing the pleasure of a new word over a cup of coffee.

* My rather tortuous sentence using the word camoufleur talked about a designer of abstract exercise leggings camoufleuring the ‘ camels ‘oof” ( It sounds better with a French accent) or manly bulge, which can be distracting in hot yoga classes **

** Hot yoga involves lycra and a lot of sweat in strange places.

Maybe an Easter challenge could be to create a beautiful sentence, Haiku or Limerick using the word camoufleur. Open to all blog readers. I promise to publish the best.

Pangolins have been in 4 blogs. Some readers will get the chance to read all 4 after this. Other platforms see not di helpful. Below is one of them from four years ago.

Pandemic Pondering#16

#859 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Art for sale, Serendipity1 Comment

Two of my favourite things. Spring sunshine and a complicated image. The Thursday before a long weekend is always a little bit exciting. For my art group, it is the final weekend of a very successful exhibition. This is the view from our sales desk. Sunshine and showers, caught in a colourful moment.

©Debra Parkinson

Here is a Sea Otter caught in a different sort of moment.

Exhibition ends at 4pm on Easter Sunday.