Sometimes we need to wait for the mist to clear...
...to see the wonders around us & find our way!
Mist
It amazes me when mist
chloroforms the fields
and wipes out whatever world exists
and walkers wade through coma
shouting
and close to but curtained from each other
sometimes there’s a second river
lying asleep along the river
where the sun rises
sunk in thought
and my soul gets caught in it
hung by the heels
in water
it amazes me when mist
weeps as it lifts
and a crow
calls down to me in its treetop voice
that there are webs and drips
and actualities up there
and in my fog-self shocked and grey
it startles me to see the sky
Alice Oswald



We’ve been in a land of rivers and chateaux, woods and gardens…and mist. At this time of year, early mornings have been heavy with dew, carpeting fields with diamonds. Early sun sends clouds of ‘mist’ rising, shrouding tree tops and crags. Crow calls pierce the air - eerie, raucous sounds. The bark of a muntjac deer from nearby woods is otherworldly. Towering castles reveal themselves slowly as the ‘mist’ rolls back.
At the confluence of the Dordogne and the Vézère, the foliage remains mostly green, only falling sweet chestnuts and a scattering of bronze leaves hints at the changing seasons.
We wander around the medieval streets, have coffee and crepes in the sunshine…



…and discover Cyrano - twice…


We scale the castle ramparts, imagining lives past. We delight in the gardens at Marqueyssac, and marvel at the tightly clipped boxwood - the result of 3500 man hours/year…
Bergerac, the Dordogne, we barely scratched the surface - so much to see, to do, and to savour. A return trip is a must!!
Returning home, there is the inevitable ‘sigh’ and wails of “I wish I was still there!” (And yes, I do realise how lucky I am that I get to spend time in such places…)
In the time it takes to unpack the case, we’re back to reality. And yet…
Whilst away, I didn’t post a thing to social media; the most I did was to check if I had any DMs, and click probably a handful of ‘likes.’ Last week’s Substack post was written and scheduled before I left.
Inevitably, catching up with my September figures showed a drop in website visits, a lack of connection with Instagram and Facebook, a drop in Substack subscribers - although a rise in YouTube numbers.
Have I sunk into a ‘pit of despair’? No.
Don’t get me wrong; I like social media for the connections I can make around the world, for the art, for the conversations - and yes, I’ll admit, it’s great for marketing purposes. But do I want to be a slave to it? No. I will always prefer real life experiences.
I haven’t rushed to post to IG or FB. I haven’t felt the need to post a ‘photo dump’ of my travels. There isn’t a sense of urgency - yet! Maybe, when the October sales figures are non-existent I might rush to post, but at the moment, I want to take my time. To curb my mindless scrolling. To be intentional with my social media usage.
That relaxed holiday vibe is something I want to bring more of into my day-to-day life. Of being able to take my time. Of feeling ‘lighter’. Of feeling that I’m in control, not the elusive algorithms, nor being driven by what I think ‘sells’.
So, instead of rushing straight back to the studio, I’ve been taking my time. Catching up on household chores, steadily decluttering, sorting - I can’t tell you how much ‘lighter’ having an orderly, tidy house makes me feel… Are you the same?
Instead of scrolling, I’m reading. I’m reflecting, noting how I work best. I’m planning - what do I want to say yes to? And what don’t I want to do. I’m walking, always walking…
Already, realisations, ideas, acknowledgements are forming, becoming clearer - as if the mist is clearing…
What I’ve enjoyed this week:
Discovering the art of Adam David Taylor… I love his colour palettes, and the minimal marks, each one a considered addition.
If I needed a reminder about the transitory nature of life, this piece on ‘Fall’ by Joy Williams is it…
Holiday reading: ‘Over My Dead Body’ by Maz Evans. A little wacky, but funny!
Watching All Creatures Great & Small on Channel 5. Old enough to have watched the original series based on the books by James Herriot, starring Christopher Timothy and Robert Hardy, I wasn’t sure the new series would be as good. I was wrong. Samuel West plays Siegfried Farnon fabulously, and the attention to detail of the scenery/props etc looks amazing!
My recent travels have imbued me with a sense of wanderlust, so I’ve enjoyed listening to ‘The Travel Diaries with Holly Rubenstein’ podcast.
I had fallen out of love with Pinterest, (so many platforms, so little time), but I’m slowly getting back into the groove. Reviewing saved pins is a great way of seeing if ideas still interest me… I still like this Black & White Board!!
And that made me dig out my black & white sketchbook - created using mostly the black Art Graf:
Until next time, happy painting!
The black and white work. Gorgeous. The power of your marks. The simplicity AND complexity…but that is all your art, is it not? Thank you for sharing, Carolyn.
I’m not surprised to see there’s a lot of overlap in our Pinterest art boards :) Your holiday looks like it was wonderful.