Breathlessly I tell a friend, “I just watched a couple fabulous films, each starring ‘water’ in the leading role. Won’t you sit with me and watch them?”
That particular friend just now is my seven year old Labradoodle, Iz. She might prefer to actually visit a bit of saltwater south of town. I believe she’d love Orkney.
I concentrated, squinted, to see a trout snatch a fly from the air. Perhaps as I looked away to have another gulp of coffee? Your film-poem “Sink” let me feel the water’s presence and movement just as water courses through all life on the planet. Mark’s own composition offered an interpretation of water, life, the speed of which suggested the movement of water and ecosystems across millions of years.
Thanks for cranking the engine of this Model T Ford. I might now be able to keep up with Iz on our morning walk. Past a pond.
In the outdoors-in Nature-she exudes Joy! I keep expecting her to ask, “May I take a leave of absence. To be free of pack commitment’s like 24/7 guard dog, crumb vacuum at meal’s end, and commands to be your snuggy puppy at bedtime?” Honestly I wonder if a way exists that would let her experience a sense of freedom? To chew a stick of her own choosing and not the store-sourced Kong objects.?
A choice devoid of danger? I think of wild animals raised in captivity after an injury that, once healed, are returned to their native habitat. But a domesticated dog going off into the wild? I imagine more of a sense of fear than freedom without a chance to acclimate by degree.
Thanks so much Samantha for sparking this thinking. Not the first time I’ve considered her experience of freedom and quality of life.
Following Samantha's readings from wonderful Annie Dillard here is a link to a blog post from tapestry weaver, Rebecca Mezoff (not yet been persuaded to come to Substack) quoting writer, Ann Patchett on the transfiguration of an idea from creative mind to physical existence. https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog/2014/04/crushing-butterfly.html
Oh Wow, Linda thanks so much for this link! Not only does the Ann Patchett book sound absolutely perfect, but back in the mists of time I was once a tapestry weaver like Rebecca. That was my undergraduate degree and my first full-time job, as a weaver at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh!
But this, from Ann Patchett is just...perfection: "Forgiveness. The ability to forgive oneself. Stop here for a few breaths and think about this because it is the key to making art, and very possibly the key to finding any semblance of happiness in life"
If you felt able to it would be fascinating to learn how, why, where & when you moved away from tapestry to painting. I'm a late arrival at tapestry weaving with no artistic training but it seems to attract a few of us with a science background seeking something that frees our minds!
Thank you Sam for sharing all of this wonder with us! I love the ocean. Your film was beautiful - and full and quiet and then sad and beautiful. And I did like being a seal in the 2nd film. And loved being in the water and seeing the rock and all the animals. See you tomorrow in my morning time here. Looking forward to being there with you and everyone!
So happy to watch/listen to both of these, thank you. Lovely text and images in the first; again something that one wants to share. Liked the second one too, very much, including the title. Was surprised at how much I preferred coming back to the surface each time the film did that; just the comfort of coming back to a familar perspective, perhaps. Thanks for both of them.
Edited to add: “the calligraphy of reeds” - so accurate and precise.
Thank you so much for sharing part of your place with us in this way--it is so beautiful. I live near water but it is a glacial-silt-filled inlet that boats and people can barely interact with--there is beauty in it but also an ease in forgetting that we are on the boundary where earth meets part of the sea. I love how it is so present in all of your work. 💦
Hi Karen maybe you can save the url thats in the browser? Or just bookmark a post that has the link? I’m away next Wednesday so there won’t be co-working this week, but I’ll share the recording from last week 😊
Breathlessly I tell a friend, “I just watched a couple fabulous films, each starring ‘water’ in the leading role. Won’t you sit with me and watch them?”
That particular friend just now is my seven year old Labradoodle, Iz. She might prefer to actually visit a bit of saltwater south of town. I believe she’d love Orkney.
I concentrated, squinted, to see a trout snatch a fly from the air. Perhaps as I looked away to have another gulp of coffee? Your film-poem “Sink” let me feel the water’s presence and movement just as water courses through all life on the planet. Mark’s own composition offered an interpretation of water, life, the speed of which suggested the movement of water and ecosystems across millions of years.
Thanks for cranking the engine of this Model T Ford. I might now be able to keep up with Iz on our morning walk. Past a pond.
You can't get a more watery dog than a labradoodle - born to splash! I hope Iz enjoyed the watery films ;-)
In the outdoors-in Nature-she exudes Joy! I keep expecting her to ask, “May I take a leave of absence. To be free of pack commitment’s like 24/7 guard dog, crumb vacuum at meal’s end, and commands to be your snuggy puppy at bedtime?” Honestly I wonder if a way exists that would let her experience a sense of freedom? To chew a stick of her own choosing and not the store-sourced Kong objects.?
A choice devoid of danger? I think of wild animals raised in captivity after an injury that, once healed, are returned to their native habitat. But a domesticated dog going off into the wild? I imagine more of a sense of fear than freedom without a chance to acclimate by degree.
Thanks so much Samantha for sparking this thinking. Not the first time I’ve considered her experience of freedom and quality of life.
Following Samantha's readings from wonderful Annie Dillard here is a link to a blog post from tapestry weaver, Rebecca Mezoff (not yet been persuaded to come to Substack) quoting writer, Ann Patchett on the transfiguration of an idea from creative mind to physical existence. https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog/2014/04/crushing-butterfly.html
Oh Wow, Linda thanks so much for this link! Not only does the Ann Patchett book sound absolutely perfect, but back in the mists of time I was once a tapestry weaver like Rebecca. That was my undergraduate degree and my first full-time job, as a weaver at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh!
But this, from Ann Patchett is just...perfection: "Forgiveness. The ability to forgive oneself. Stop here for a few breaths and think about this because it is the key to making art, and very possibly the key to finding any semblance of happiness in life"
If you felt able to it would be fascinating to learn how, why, where & when you moved away from tapestry to painting. I'm a late arrival at tapestry weaving with no artistic training but it seems to attract a few of us with a science background seeking something that frees our minds!
It’s been a slow creative meander, following my nose…
Thank you Sam for sharing all of this wonder with us! I love the ocean. Your film was beautiful - and full and quiet and then sad and beautiful. And I did like being a seal in the 2nd film. And loved being in the water and seeing the rock and all the animals. See you tomorrow in my morning time here. Looking forward to being there with you and everyone!
That's great you can join us Emily! Sleep well...
So happy to watch/listen to both of these, thank you. Lovely text and images in the first; again something that one wants to share. Liked the second one too, very much, including the title. Was surprised at how much I preferred coming back to the surface each time the film did that; just the comfort of coming back to a familar perspective, perhaps. Thanks for both of them.
Edited to add: “the calligraphy of reeds” - so accurate and precise.
Me too - I think I took a breath of air in each time! So glad you were able to take the time to watch them and enjoyed them 😊
Thanks for sharing these watery visions. I particularly enjoyed watching Mark Jenkins' film 'Surface'.
Me too!
Hypnotic… I sit locked by land, mesmerised… thank you for sharing the magic of your sea.
Beautiful moments of quiet reflection
Thank you Linda, glad you enjoyed them!
You are very fortunate to be where you are, when you are, who you are! Water is Life. Don't leave the windswept islands...
I'm not planning to any time soon!
Thank you so much for sharing part of your place with us in this way--it is so beautiful. I live near water but it is a glacial-silt-filled inlet that boats and people can barely interact with--there is beauty in it but also an ease in forgetting that we are on the boundary where earth meets part of the sea. I love how it is so present in all of your work. 💦
Hi, I’ve tried to save the link to the life raft, but it takes me to the app, and there seems to be no way of saving links.
Karen
Hi Karen maybe you can save the url thats in the browser? Or just bookmark a post that has the link? I’m away next Wednesday so there won’t be co-working this week, but I’ll share the recording from last week 😊