[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 13 December 2021].
fruitful
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 11 December 2021].
for no one knows his dying day
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 5 December 2021].
lily and the snowman
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 9 December 2021].
sister
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 7 December 2021].
untitled #19
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 5 December 2021].
rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 3 December 2021].
untitled #174
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 28 November 2021].
the gardener
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 2 December 2021].
It's that time again.
I'm posting the first one slightly later than planned but aiming to share new images from the season's grievings series every couple of days between now and Christmas and make them public approximately two days later.
I hope you enjoy!
st eugene
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 21 November 2021].
untitled #171
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 15 November 2021].
untitled #161
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 8 November 2021].
fell into the sea
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 18 October 2021].
Hello, my lovelies!
I'm ever so sorry for the radio silence! It's been a manic week or more, and I'm desperately trying to catch up at the moment.
Please bear with me over the next couple of weeks while I'm completing two more kitteh-sitting gigs and working from the laptops of my clients.
I'm fortunate to own a 27" 4K iMac, but I'm currently working from a standard 27" monitor and a 13.3" Macbook Air screen. Neither of which are calibrated. So apologies if things look awry (though I'm sure I'll notice the issues more than you!)
My current wards are two devastatingly cute but mischievous characters who are only five months and one year old, respectively. So they require more wrangling and attention than my last gaolers. As a consequence, it's taken me a while to get myself back on track after relocating last Thursday afternoon, even though I'm only an hour's commute from my home.
After a false start at the beginning of September, I now finally have an excellent new flatmate joining me on 1 November, so the past week has been busy with the admin required to make that official.
I also spent a chunk of last week completing some design work for a client.
And I managed to sneak in a self-portrait shoot in the second bedroom in my flat before it becomes occupied again. I look forward to sharing some of those with you in the coming weeks! It's shocking that I've lived in the flat for about five and a half years but had not managed to shoot in there until recently because it was almost always someone else's space. And when it wasn't, I was away from home.
I also have quite a few self-portraits remaining to share with you from my time in Shepherd's Bush.
I may manage some self-portraits in my current location in Wandsworth. But I'll have to see how confident I feel about putting my camera and tripod at the mercy of two kitties prone to cutting laps in hot pursuit of each other.
I'm also hoping to get out and about one day this week to explore the local and Battersea areas.
My next kitteh-sitting gig - starting straight after this one - will take me to Wales! My first time back in another of my ancestral countries since 2001!
That holds the promise of potential self-portraits but also the opportunity to explore the area a little. And the company of two "furry idiots" I've been assured are low maintenance but prone to bringing "gifts" to their owners in the form of moles and mice (another potential photo opportunity for me, of course!)
Meanwhile, tonight I'm sharing a full-length photo of the grave at the Holy Trinity Church in Bosham I shared in a previous post, going overboard. The inscription aroused quite a lot of interest across my social media accounts a couple of weeks ago when I shared it there.
It reads:
In Memory of
THOMAS son of Richard and Ann
BARROW, Master of the sloop Two
Brothers who by the Breaking of the
Horse fell into the sea & was Drown'd
October the 13th 1759. Aged 23 years.
Tho Boreas's Storms and Neptune's waves
have tos'd me to and fro
Yet I at length by God's decree
am harbour'd here below
Where at an Anchor here I lay
with many of our Fleet
Yet once again I shall set Sail
my Saviour Christ to meet.
going overboard
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 3 October 2021].
his end was peace
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 13 September 2021].
It's been a crazy busy few days.
I have so much to tell you.
New friends to introduce you to, as well.
And, hopefully, tomorrow I'll have a new self-portrait to share with you and can share a little of my new assignment with you!
monday mourning
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 6 September 2021].
Last week was another rollercoaster of emotions, for better or worse.
A phantom anniversary. Remarked upon but left uncelebrated.
The fire under emotions briefly rekindled. Absentmindedly stirred and warmed then left forgotten upon the cooling stove once more.
A meeting related to the new assignment I mentioned last week inspired me, excited me and made me at least a little jealous. But at least that jealousy will be assuaged by the opportunity to live and work in a space for a few weeks that I see as hugely inspiring.
Maybe this experience will lead to other similar opportunities. Let's see...
And then, on Friday evening, it seems I found a lovely new flatmate (subject to referencing). All going to plan, she'll move in at the beginning of October.
Between emotional and physical upheavals, September will potentially be looked back upon (and for now, looked forward to) as one of impermanence.
But, mostly, I hope, in a good way.
unstained glass
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 29 August 2021].
This week has been such a mixed bag. A rollercoaster of emotions.
High points: spending the evening with friends doing a BYO quiz at a pub on the other side of town, and long chats with friends far away about life, love, art, work and the future.
Low points: feelings of panic, fear and dread. Some of that feeling has calmed, but it'll be a while before it goes. And there is so much more left to do to lift it.
Meanwhile, and possibly related, the past few days have been the most productive I've been able to have since before I caught Covid. Especially in terms of working on things long overdue that will move me further in the direction I want to go.
I've been working on avenues to find new clients, including updating and adding projects to my profile on The Dots. I still have more projects to add, but it now includes some social media design and copywriting work I did in my previous job.
Unfortunately, you can only view the content of my projects when logged in. If you're a member, feel free to connect with me.
I've also been working on profiles on other sites. And I need to create a portfolio website showcasing my design, social media, book design, editorial photography, writing work, etc. Not just my photography, which is what my main website is for.
I also seem to have fallen into a new line of work. My first assignment is expected to start from 13 September for three weeks, running alongside any other projects I pick up during that time.
Some of you already know what it is (no spoilers in the comments, please!) But I'm going to keep it under wraps for everyone else until it starts.
I hope it will inspire me, lead to new photo series, and maybe even involve collaboration. I'll say no more for now.
I hope those of you in the UK are having a pleasant bank holiday weekend and that all of you are staying safe and well x
swan song
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 23 August 2021].
I'm a day late with my Sepulchral Sunday offering for last week. But I was out most of yesterday catching up with Phil to visit The Wallace Collection.
It was an inspiring day that included seeing Les hasards heureux de l'escarpolette (The Swing) by Jean-Honoré Fragonard up close.
Other highlights included:
two views of Venice by Canaletto I was familiar with from a book I read about the city many years ago, and
a selection of Animalia and hunting-trophy paintings by Jan Weenix.
I was pleased my second attempt to visit a gallery almost a month after my previous disastrous attempt was successful!
Sorry things were a little quiet around here last week. I finally managed to finish cleaning my flat post-Covid and then ended up laid low for about a day and a half after getting my second dose of the vaccine.
The pain from the vaccine was less this time. But I had a few dizzy and nauseous moments and spent most of Tuesday evening and Wednesday feeling like I was about to come down with something. My face felt warm and like I was on the verge of a headache or fever - neither of which came, thankfully - so I took the time to rest until the side effects passed.
Around that, I did some research for a client and continued my hunt for a new flatmate.
Hopefully, all the health issues are now behind me. So I can get back to the things I need to do, including regularly sharing work with you here!
until the day break and the shadows flee away
communing with nature
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 8 August 2021].
A new image from my stained glass series for you this Sunday night.
Wednesday to Friday of this week was full of cleaning and life admin. On Thursday and Friday, I wanted to share work here but was too exhausted to manage it.
On the plus side: all of my flat except the kitchen and my bedroom is now clean and tidy. I'm hoping to get both of those rooms sorted early this week around everything else I need to catch up on now that I feel mostly back to normal.
Yesterday, some lovely friends visited my neck of the woods, and I was spoiled with a large, tasty lunch and lively conversation. It was good to see friends in person for the first time in almost a month.
Eating out and being maskless in a busy restaurant felt a bit daunting. But we managed to get a table on the edge of the outdoor area, which made it feel slightly less so.
The in-person conversation was complimented by another long and winding phone conversation with a friend into the wee hours afterwards.
Today was relatively short but productive. I feel like my body and mind are in recovery mode after a physically and emotionally exhausting week. So I'll be having an early night - by my standards - to try to help me face all the things I need to get through this coming week.