Cemetery Work

The joint exhibition I had planned for next month has been cancelled.  Topically, for November, it would have been on the theme of remembrance and I was vaguely planning pieces around Wilfred Owen poetry which I studied at college many moons ago. 

I have perceived much beauty
In the hoarse oaths that kept our courage straight;
Heard music in the silentness of duty;
Found peace where shell-storms spouted reddest spate.

from Apologia pro Poemate Meo Nov 1917

The college I went to was next door to a theatre where they had a special two tickets for the price of one offer every week if you were a member of a particular scheme and my mum and I used to go every week.  It was a fanatstic introduction to all manner of theatre experiences, I saw drama (Chekhov, Moliere  and Shakespeare as well as murder mystery and comedy),  ballet, opera, G & S, musicals, jazz bands, you name it we saw it!  In the tiny studio theatre above the main auditorium we saw a fantastic one man show based on the life of Wilfred Owen incorporating his poetry.  The end of the show was with just a spotlight on the chap's face, everything else in darkness, as he spoke some lines of Owen's poetry and the spot faded to darkness as some Chopin played.  It was moving stuff.  If you'd like to know more about Owen and his poetry The Wilfred Owen Association is a good place to go.  However,  I'm digressing....

The remembrance theme led me to thinking about my ongoing on and off exploration of cemeteries with a view to producing a body of work from it.  That, in turn, led me to looking at some of my photos and work from cemeteries I've visited and I thought I'd share a few on here.  ;o) 

A couple of sketchbook pages:

And some gravestone rubbings:

And, courtesy of my daughter, a few photos from a local cemetery: