It was a fleeting visit. Rain was falling on Lake Como so we got the train to Milan, but there was no plan. We arrived at Stazione Nord and walked into town just to see what we might find. Continue reading “In Milano”
In Milano
Category: Books
Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage
I discovered this film thanks to Caught By The River and Nowness. A brief evocation of Prospect Cottage and its endless garden by Howard Sooley, photographer of Derek Jarman’s Garden.
Busie old foole, unruly Sunne,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windowes, and through curtains call on us?
Must to thy motion lovers’ seasons run?
Sawcy pedantique wretch, goe chide
Late schoole boyes and sowre prentices,
Goe tell Court-huntsmen, that the King will ride,
Call countrey ants to harvest offices;
Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clyme,
Nor houres, dayes, moneths, which are the rags of time…
Thou sunne art halfe as happy as wee,
In that the world’s contracted thus.
Thine age askes ease, and since thy duties bee
To warme the world, that’s done in warming us.
Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;
This bed thy centre is, these walls thy spheare.
from The Sunne Rising by John Donne, 1633.
Wittenham Clumps
A couple of weeks before our walk around Burnham Beeches, I walked to Wittenham Clumps with Andrew Walton. We’d done the same walk five years earlier and afterwards Andrew had painted this little watercolour as a memento, here brightening up my sad old workshop wall. That was in the days before this blog; now I was keen to retrace our steps and record them for Frames of Reference. Continue reading “Wittenham Clumps”
An Illustrator’s Miscellany
Jonny Hannah‘s new book, Greetings From Darktown, has finally arrived, and it’s worth the wait. It’s an adventure book for the eyes, a cornucopia of delights, a cryptic catalogue of signs and wonders, and best of all there’s this feast of visual treats, a double page spread of Jonny’s Jackets again.
Further reference: The Darktown Courier.
Moon Arc
This large watercolour was painted by Andrew Walton to celebrate 12 walks with David Attwooll on Oxford’s Port Meadow. Their journeys were documented in Ground Work, an exhibition of painting and poetry earlier this year at Art Jericho. Moon Arc was not included in that exhibition but it is now on view in the window of The Rowley Gallery. Continue reading “Moon Arc”
In Ascona
One of the deciding factors for a holiday on Lake Como this year was its proximity to Lake Maggiore and the small lakeside town of Ascona, where the municipal museum holds a collection of abstract miniatures by Julius Bissier. A rare opportunity to see a group of his beautiful paintings all together. Or so we thought. But first a quick promenade. Continue reading “In Ascona”
A River Sutra
I was looking on the bookshelves for a book that wasn’t there. I searched high and low only to find it had disappeared, but as I searched I was distracted by an old favourite. I took A River Sutra from the shelf and briefly considered immersing myself in its healing waters, but I went on looking. Next I saw Minnow On The Say and then it just happened, wherever I looked there were more tributaries, and so I stitched together a river of waterborne books. Continue reading “A River Sutra”
Greetings From Darktown
Here’s a welcome poster from Jonny Hannah, a timely reminder that the end is nigh, not long to wait now until the publication of his eagerly awaited book, Greetings from Darktown. It promises to be a rich treasury of many and various eye-catching mementos and proclamations. Continue reading “Greetings From Darktown”
Paul Nash & Swanage
For one of my 65th birthday presents recently I received a superb little book, now something of a collectors piece, called Seaside Surrealism: Paul Nash in Swanage by Pennie Denton. Continue reading “Paul Nash & Swanage”
B For Barcelona
This large letter B is on a rooftop in the Born district of Barcelona. Is it B for Barcelona or is it perhaps B for Born in Barcelona (that old Springsteen classic)? Or maybe it doesn’t stand for either, especially since it’s lying on its back. Maybe it’s B for Brossa, the Catalan poet, playwright and artist Joan Brossa. He liked to play around with letters and it seems to be on the roof of his theatre. We found it when we came looking for Lottie who lives nearby. We met her under the B for Beer. Continue reading “B For Barcelona”