Week Forty One
The air feels like autumn, but the landscape does not look like autumn. I have even on occasions resorted to putting the heating on. I still keep imagining the rest of the country is ablaze with sunshine…is it? There seems to be rain here most days albeit briefly at times. It is hay-making at the moment, a stressful and weather dependant occasion, and rain does not help. Visually the fields look beautiful with their stripy patterns, and the evening light when the sun does streak through is simply stunning. It is indeed a special magical kind of light…summer evenings. It can be so enchanting that you almost believe you will see fairies frolicking somewhere. Masses of tall purple flowers, ‘Rose Bay Willow’ flank the roadsides proudly, next to wispy, fluffy, light creamy flowers called ‘Meadow Sweet’…or is it ‘Sweet meadow’? Baby bunnies seem to be in abundance, there cute white tails bobbing everywhere. 
In the early morning light the deer appear more royal and beautiful in the summer months, to their proud and aloof stances in the winter time….or is just my imagination? The heather on the fells is beginning to flower, I have never seen masses of heather in bloom before, and in my heart, I know it will be spectacular. But of course, none of this helps the farmer with his hay….or does it?
‘Nichi, nichi kore ko niche’ is a Japanese Zen Buddhist saying, which means depending on the translation, either, ‘Every day is a beautiful day’ or ‘Every day is a good day’, The artist John Cage was rather partial to the saying, and so was James Stewarts lead character, Elwood P. Dowd, in the film ‘Harvey’. I’d like to also add myself to that list. Its funny really, over the last few days I have had a series of tough, agonizing and painful experiences, funny not in the “ha ha” sense you’ll understand. I have spent three days doing something I really dread and find extremely difficult…and if given the choice, I would avoid it at all costs… writing about my artwork. It’s catalogue time! Jilly gets to get her very own FIRST catalogue of her artwork, and agonizing aside, it is extremely exciting! The photographer arrives next week, this is also a first for me. What, a professional take photographs of my artwork….wow, blimey, how cool is that! I did say I was excited didn’t I? 
So I have been somewhat desk bound whilst also dashing to the studio every now and again, to paint another coat of bitumen onto canvas, whilst tearing my hair out trying to write coherently about my creations. I spent one sleepless night in huge physical pain (trust me you don’t want to know), so instead of lying in bed groaning in agony, I got up and wrote in agony instead. It’s amazing what pain can lead you to do sometimes! Anyhow three days later and one sleepless night, the first draft has now been sent off for approval. Consequently I am rather ‘written out’, no more words, no more coherence left...pot is empty, I am also not particularly well this weekend, so a much shorter bloooogy blog than usual is the order of the day. 
Last weekend was a very special weekend for me, as my brother Malcolm and his partner Tony came to stay. It was a mini holiday for all three of us, a trip to the seaside to see a castle that dominated the shoreline, and to of course eat the obligatory scrumptious fish and chips with the sea air. A magical moment with wild horses in the evening light, a trip to the Baltic Gallery in Newcastle, to see the excellent exhibits of John Cage, Cornelia Parker and Tomas Saraceno. We saw and did as much as possibly allowed, we giggled loads, ate lots of cake and went out for dinner. We were the three musketeers… and it was fab! 
Malcolm is still waiting for a diagnosis with an illness, it is a really frustrating and worrying time for all of us not knowing why his walking, memory and talking have all been thrown out of sync over the past few months. Malcolm is my favourite brother (sorry Mick), we are both alike in many ways. From my family he is the only one that really understands and appreciates the world of contemporary art, he lives and breathes it also, and he is a successful contemporary jeweller in London. I love him very much, so it was important I spent time with him. 
I was sad when Malcolm and Tony left, for the first time this year my artist residency paled into insignificance…some things are just more important. I tell myself to remember…..‘Every day is a beautiful day’ Week Forty One…done!