As I trudged back from the market I sat in the park somewhat surprised by the quietness. Usually the brats whine, skateboarders yell and passersby gossip too loudly. Today nothing moved bar two crows who flapped sullenly across to the Scots Pine and sat high above occasionally calling to the world their ownership of the park. Nothing replied to them. In the distance a pigeon entered a tree to roost, Far off on the other side a walker slowly made their way along, and large puffy clouds moved relentlessly to the east. Still little sound. Two children passed asking mum lots of questions about the world in between answering the call of the crows. Mum did her best to bring them back to reality but with little success. The rumble of cars as they passed far off threatened to break the serenity, as did a light aircraft as a pilot made up his hours.
I again was fascinated by the clouds. Huge clumps, darkened on the flat underside and threatening rain, bright cotton wool reaching thousands of feet into the air above. Today we were covered in floating islands of such clouds, the sun shining hot between the many breaks, the chill wind revealing itself as the clouds darken the sun.
Moving here I understand why Constable was so intrigued with clouds. When in London you had to look straight up between the buildings to see the sky, out here it is all around us. In Constables time, some 20 miles down the road to the east, there was many more opportunities to note the sky above the flat lands around him. His sketch pad would have run out of paper today.
With the exhibition up and running I thought I would have more time to myself. Not so! Not only have I discovered new ways to add to the info already gathered but people ask for information and I sit here looking for what I can find. This is good PR, better than the PM's anyway, but takes time. Today for instance I placed a photo on a a website asking for info re the uniform but nothing I attempted would make the thing work! It took hours of searching the forum, trying different software and lots of rude words before it worked! Now I notice I have a couple of helpful replies and it feels so much better, but it took time! Similar but different occurrences already this week including having to rewrite some stuff for the booklet, and here again I stupidly checked facts and discovered more! Bah!
I need a holiday!
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12 comments:
I may have missed something ~ who is Constable? Holiday ~ what would you do?
John Constable, painter, famous for the 'Haywain' among others. Lived in the 1700's and many, but not all, of his paintings were made near home on the Essex/Suffolk borders. The sky was a major feature in the background.
shit bloddy technology I just sent what I thought a well considered comment but think it died in cyberspace. arrrggg
I used to enjoy those East Anglian cloudscapes....
I need a holiday...one that takes me away from all the horrors that are going on in our world.
I feel sick to my stomach...
Holiday what is that?!!!!!! I have yet to see the lake this year. Poor mistreated me. I do enjoy John and am fond of his clouds. Today yours and mine would have made his day of painting. Peace
Mo, I am with you there. It has not arrived....yet!
Fly, Indeed, I went there some years ago. You can see how everyday it all was.
Lee, Stop being sick. They will not touch you. Worry sufficient for today, not things outside our control.
Lady, Yeah, what is one.....?
But that's where you are wrong, Adullamite. They are touching us all. I can't shut my eyes or mind to what's going on. It affects us all...don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise.
Aren't you a little old to be going about with your head in the clouds?
jerry, No.
As a once and sometime teacher of Art (with a capital A) and other things, I'd give you an 'A' for your observation about Constable and clouds, and the differing perspectives of city and country folk.
And of course, in Constable's day, clouds were truly a mystery of the heavens, he wasn't burdened with our modern familiarity of their electrically-charged water vapour droplets kept in proximity by their charge attractions, and circulating fiercely with internal convection currents.... If Constable had been told of a future, that we'd strap ourselves voluntarily in metal tubes, and be hurled aloft surrounded by tanks of highly inflammable oils, in close proximity to thousands of degrees of flame, and travel through those clouds, rarely thinking of them..............
Soub, It would be interesting to know what a man so far off would think about flying. I bet he would have a go.
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