New hopes and new beginnings by LawrenceCornellPhoto on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

I am a big fan of winter. I make no secret of that but as the end of winter approaches there is always a feeling of 'new beginnings' as nature slowly pulls back it's blanket and lets it's plants breathe. This sense of new beginnings is maybe felt even more than usual this year. After last year, which was, in many ways, a bit of a write off there is a feeling that this year things can only get better. As I write this it feels like Spring has arrived here in the south east of England. Strangely warm and sunny for the time of year. It is hard to think we are still in February as it is 17°c (about 62°f) outside and my garden is showing signs of waking early. It is even stranger when, barely a fortnight ago, we had two weeks when the the temperature remained at around freezing day and night. How quickly things change. One moment I am in snow with frozen ground, the next I need to be weeding the flowerbeds. It is always so uplifting to see the crocuses and daffodils start to bloom. I won't be unwrapping any of my tender plants yet though as we will still probably have cold nights and frosts in March. The great poet Ted Hughes saw Spring as a healing time after Winter which he sees as some kind of hospitalisation.

"The earth, invalid, dropsied, bruised, wheeled

Out into the sun,

After the frightful operation.

She lies back, wounds undressed to the sun,

To be healed,

Sheltered from the sneapy chill creeping North wind,

Leans back, eyes closed, exhausted, smiling

Into the sun. Perhaps dozing a little.

While we sit, and smile, and wait, and know

She is not going to die." Ted Hughes

As a sunrise heralds the start of a new day with all it's promise and dreams, so Spring signals the beginning of a new year. Whereas we get the hope of a new day with each fresh dawn, Spring only comes once a year and comes with much bigger promises which we always hope will be kept. I can't remember when this time of year has promised so much to me. I have boked two trips later in the year. I have been cautious and also predictable in my choices going for two of my regular haunts that I sorely missed last year due to all the restrictions here. So In September I hope to spend a week in Northumberland in north east England and in November I hope to go to the Isle Of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. I can't tell you how much I missed Skye in 2020. It is rare that a year goes by with me not going to Skye. I hope, with all my heart, that we will all be able to begin to return to a life with less restrictions, or even no restrictions. Of course this is dependant on many things. I am not reckless in this regard. I know we have to wait until the situation allows it. Having said that I am itching to make 2022 the year when I will return to the world stage. This last lockdown has been the hardest yet. Three months already and, according to our government's plans, I will have another three months or slightly longer before I will be able to be doing any meaningful amount of work as all my clients are in hospitality and leisure which will be the last to reopen. That's how it is so I will have to be patient and read more Dickens.

It does mean I have lots of time for dA. It has been one of the real and meaningful benefits of all these lockdowns for me. When I am working full time it is often very hard for me to find all the time I would like to be here. I was thinking about that the other day. When I was working flat out, three years ago, I regularly worked six days a week. I reduced that so that I rarely do more than five days a week but when I return to work, initially, I don't expect to do more than three days a week on average until business picks up again. All the more time to spend here looking through your work and enjoying your creations. Having more time is not always a blessing to me though. In some respects it appears I work better under pressure Anyway, I love the luxury of time that I have never had before in my life. I still feel like I have to do things today though and not leave them until tomorrow.......even though I have a lot of tomorrows still in front of me. Sometimes I find myself hard to understand.

I think I should stop my rambling now and focus on your art. This selection starts with some dawn pictures in keeping with the overall theme of this journal and then will feature your art that I have collected in the last four weeks or so. How have you been coping with the situation in your own country? How has it affected you and your life. Do you think it has affected your art in any way? I'd love to hear from you. Here we go then. Please drop a comment or a fave on any of these works that you particularly like. The artist will probably be even happier than usual to hear from you at the moment.

As always I thank you for taking the time to look through this collection. I really enjoy putting these together. I love to share your work. It all deserves to have a big audience. Thank you for making it as I find it all very uplifting to see every day.

Now we can look forward to "new beginnings" 2021 style. Hopefully it will be a marked improvement on 2020. I wish you all the very best for the year coming up and hope it will bring you much joy and happiness and, above all, love and health. We are led by time into the forthcoming months with the great hope that with each passing month we can see progress and feel optimism for the future. My love to you all.

Take care of yourselves, your loved ones and each other. Be kind and be loving.

Reading: Winterkill

Watching: The Turin Horse

Listening to: Sick to Death Podcast

Eating: Gingerbread Man

Drinking: Mango and Orange Squash with sparkling water

Playing at: Photography