About a month ago I nearly fell down the stairs but I managed to save myself by catching my hand in the banister, resulting in a fractured finger. I heard a sickening crack and thought I'd broken bones so a fracture was getting off lightly. Since then my hand has had to be taped up and you realise how important every digit is when you don't have use of all 10 of them! Luckily it was my right hand and I am left handed so it could have been worse. In fact I could have fallen badly and done myself a bad injury so I consider myself very fortunate. I have been able to carry on drawing this month and I have been working on ideas for a screenprint as I am going up to Bristol this weekend to get some screens exposed with Simon again. He has set up a special day for me and one other so I aim to make the most of it and I need both hands strong enough to pull that squeegee!!
I've been drawing beetles and hellebores - as usual, with more ideas than I can fit into the time allowed - but I also want to do something local to here so I went up to St Davids Cathedral yesterday to add more photos to my groaning files.
I've lost count of how many times I've been up to St Davids in the 20 years we've lived here but there is always something new to see. Yesterday it was empty of people, probably because Wales were playing Italy in the Six Nations at the same time. St. Davids was like a ghost town so the cathedral seemed like it was all mine, except this time I got more involved with what was outside rather than inside.
I realised that I had never walked around the whole perimeter and looked in detail at the statues either side of the big windows. The two above are either side of the main door but the others are towards the east end, mainly in shadow in the afternoon. Some are eroded beyond recognition but others stand out.
I love this lady clad in her sandstone wimple and the creature below was a real find.
My favourite is the young man. Something about those flowing locks and the faraway look in his eyes just speak to me. I can see me returning just to see what he looks like in different light. Yesterday was cold but sunny and he was in shade for the afternoon. I might try an early morning to see if his features are highlighted more sharply then.
And finally, when they restored the east end of the cathedral they added a sculpture of the last Dean, John Wyn Evans, a figure I remember well. My husband said 'Oh look there's Eric Morecambe'.....
which got a withering look from me, but at the moment I need him as a driver so I kept my thoughts to myself. I need to stay strapped up for at least another two weeks but when I go back for the next look , I shall drive myself, and leave him at home!
7 comments:
Hoping the fracture heals steadily...and that it won't be too much longer before you are able to fully make use of your right hand. (I'm a lefty, too, and yet am very aware of how much my right hand adds every day.)
The St David's sculpted heads are quite wonderful. Thank you for sharing the photographs.
Do have some fun with the silk screening. Having done quite a bit of this technique long ago, I know it is demanding, yet so great when all goes well with the registration and so forth. xo
Sorry to hear about your finger - I know just what you mean about needing all 10 of them in working order since Dave slipped on the icy pavement a couple of weeks ago and fell breaking his little finger! I have had to tie his shoelaces, do up his shirt buttons, do his share of chores including making the early morning cuppas since he can't carry the tray and hold on to the bannister at the same time and so on and so on. I also missed my own hospital appointment as I needed him to be my driver as it was at 5.00 pm when everything in Dorchester would be closed so nowhere to while away time till my sight cleared if I had dilating eye drops! Am going tomorrow instead and driving myself as my new appointment is at noon! Love your carvings on St David's - wonder what the modern Dean feels being up there with the medieval carvings!
I'm relieved to hear you didn't fall and do even more damage but how frustrating (and painful) fo you to have fractured a finger. I hope it heals quickly and you manage to get all you want to do on your day out in Bristol.
Love the tour of the statues around St. Davids... Eric Morecombe indeed!
The carved lady and tousled young man look as if they've stepped from a Walter Scot novel. And your husband's remark made me laugh. It's my worst nightmare to break my hand or wrist, I would be so frustrated - so I hope you are back in action soon and your finger is healing well.
Sorry to hear about your finger, hope it soon heals. Love the post and a different take on St David's, I'll look at it differently next time we're their, it's ages since we've been. Enjoy your day screen printing.
Thanks for sharing the images of St. Davids Lesley, I've visited the Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace a few times and I know if I lived nearby I would never tire of it, it's magical.
I love the idea of introducing contemporary figures too. He does look like Eric Morecambe; does the latest Dean look like Ernie by any chance? If they keep up the tradition of sculpting the retired Deans they would make an excellent pair...
Look after that finger.
Hope your finger mends quickly. I especially like the strange beast
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