Tag: New Year

#1383 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn 20261 Comment
Dawn on Coogee Beach.

The first and last painting, finished on the last day of 2025 and published on the first day of 2026.

My January intentions are to get some sketching done every day and to add sunshine into every blog of January so a sunrise is a good way to start.

Not all my sketches will make it to the blog. But the sunshine is a promise. My holiday photos might be the back up  if January gets dreary. I will become that person who wants to,

“Have a coffee and show you my holiday pictures”

Exccept my pictures will be accompanied by random ponderings…

And so randomly off we go.

Our NYE became a random event . Firm plans with  pre-chosen menu choices were scuppered when the restaurant of choice failed to open.

But a new itinerary was quickly scheduled. Who needs firm plans for New Year anyway?

A fabulous Asian meal followed by a country pub. What could possibly go wrong?

Absolutely nothing, we had a great time. The serendipity of the unplanned gave me the chance to meet a young, old friend.

We talked about shared friends and neighbours . And a piece of art of mine that her parents own.  It was a 3D piece from my Foundation Degree.

I don’t really remember the brief but I chose to render a sliced red onion. I think it was O.K, it is some years since I have seen it. It used to hang, quite appropriately in their kitchen, all was well until one of their guests thought it looked like a vulva. Once someone says that, the thought cannot be unthought. Although it is not uncommon for fruits and vegetables to sometimes look a little cheeky. Figs are the naughtiest.

The family have moved and the artwork has not found an appropriate hanging place in their new home.

Where would such a thing hang appropriately?

There are no images of the piece, but I have asked if one could be taken.

A future ponder perhaps.

2026 in a country pub. Unbeatable

One man’s bottom is about to look like a peach. These things work both ways.

2026, lets see what you can come up with.

#1382 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Australia1 Comment
Coogee Sensation

I took some time out yesterday to get paint on paper before 2026.

In the past 3 weeks I have described the undescribable sensations I felt when I first saw the colours of the sea at Coogee Beach an hour after I landed in Australia. I have not been lost for words but making a colour sketch was essential as photographs and words can’t do my memories justice. I wanted the vibrancy and translucency of the colours of the sea combined with the milky coffee colour of the mix of sand and waves on the shore line in the brightest of sunshine.

This is my best effort, a mix of vivid watercolour painting and some digital photography tweaking.

For now I am content and optimistic that the job can be done in the New year. 

Happy New Year 2026

Advent#34

On By theoldmortuary.designIn AdventLeave a comment

The end of Yule and the end of theoldmortuary Advent. Starting on the first day of a chocolate advent calendar and ending on the last day of Pagan Yule. Fittingly, as with much of the festive season, today’s blog is about something Pagan that is enmeshed in the secular and sacred traditions of a Christian Christmas. Christmas is for everyone… Lights are not just for Christmas…

Christmas Lights

The custom was borrowed from Pagan Yule rituals that celebrate the slow returning of light and lengthening days after the Winter Solstice.

©Kate DuPlessis

For Christians, lights symbolise the birth of Christ, the bringer of light to the World.

William Holman Hunt

©William Holman Hunt.org

Light was created for Pagans with the burning of the Yule Log, early tapers and braziers.

Early Christians had much the same. Candles,gas lights and then electricity. In the mid twentieth century, it became popular not only to decorate the tree with lights but also to decorate homes and commercial buildings with strings of lights. Cities have year round light shows that are only marginally ramped up for the festive season

©theoldmortuary Hong Kong

More recently, landscapes and country parks have realised the commercial value of having Festive Season illuminations.

Ginter Garden lights. ©Bob Kovacs


In many countries festive lights go up at the beginning of Advent and come down at Twefth Night or Candlemas.

But there is a new thinking out there…Psychologists suggest that putting Christmas decorations and lights up early makes people happier and the happiness spreads to friends and neighbours.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/people-put-christmas-decorations-up-early-happier-feelings-stress-anxiety-december-experts-study-a8065561.html

It doesn’t stop there, keeping them up beyond Twelfth Night is also a good thing.

https://www.inspiralist.com/home-garden/when-take-christmas-lights-down/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=sharelink

Shared from Inspiralist – https://www.inspiralist.com

theoldmortuary adopted year round Festive lights long ago. Although we are often quite late to decorate for the festive season.

Both of us have a background of medical imaging. In the pre-digital age that required a lot of time in an actual dark room but even in the digital age it requires working life in a darkened room. Domestically our interior design is inclined towards the dark side. A little bit of twinkle is good for us.

The fireplace has year round fairy lights. Two years ago a star stayed up on the fridge accidentally. It’s still there.

The Cornish Range is somewhat aged and thankfully we don’t rely on it to feed us or heat the house. A little bit of Festive illumination gives it the look of fabulous domestic productivity.

So from the glowing heart of theoldmortuary, it’s farewell to Advent until December 1st 2020.

Tomorrow is another day.