Wood Pigeon Clock

I was woken - or should that be awoken? - this morning by the sound of a wood pigeon perched in a nearby tree telling me the time was six-oh-one. Six-ooh-won, it cooed, six-ooh-won. Six-ooh-won. How does it know the time so precisely I thought and decided to check its accuracy by looking at my mobile phone which was on the shelf beside my bed? I was somewhat saddened to note that the time was actually six-oh-nine. But on thinking it over decided it had done extremely well for a wild creature which even from its lofty perch was probably unlikely to be able to see the time on the village hall clock. If indeed it knew how to tell the time from a clock.

I dozed off again only to be woken - or should that be awoken? – by the insistent cooing of a collared dove telling me -in Arabic- that God is great. Al-oooh-akba, it cooed. Al-oooh-akba. Why, I thought, is it cooing in Arabic? I decided to check the collared dove’s origins on Google. It turns out that it originated in Asia. It could therefore be Muslim. This explanation was acceptable to me and I turned over and went back to sleep. I awoke naturally about an hour later. All was peaceful apart from the gentle twittering of small birds. None of whom seemed to require my attention.

The Surreal Last Supper

This is a painting I was recently commissioned to do. It took me about six weeks to complete. That is a long time. I usually like to finish a work in one or two sessions. I like to work on my painting at night and into the wee small hours. This disturbs my sleep patterns which are always quite erratic anyway. Perhaps this is what caused the strange mood I spoke about in my last post? Anyway, I am much improved today.

I hope this painting doesn't cause offence. I have called it, 'The Surreal Last Supper. Painted on plyboard. It measures 60in x 30in.

The man who commissioned this work had only one stipulation: That he should appear in it. That is him playing the double bass. In reality he plays bass guitar but I changed it. He is a Scotsman and the mountains you can see are Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. I will leave all the other symbolism for you to decipher. He was very pleased with the finished painting I am pleased to say.

Please click on the photos to enlarge them.

A Quick Note.

Hello my dear friends,
                             
                                       I am not myself lately. I don't know why. Except I feel something is missing. I am not depressed but something is not quite right. Physically, I am well enough.  I am however going through a very lazy streak. And yet, at the same time I am fairly busy. I am learning to play the cornet and read music. I am learning to speak Scottish Gaelic. I am painting and drawing. I am taking walks with Mia the German Shepherd.
But as I say, something is missing. I feel the need to do something more. I don't like this feeling. This feeling of something needing to be done. Does this happen to you? I don't like it at all. I hope it will soon pass. Soon resolve itself.
                                     Much love to you.