How do we begin?

I wanted to make the first update today. Waking in the night, feeling good, then a dream of my father knocked me for six on second waking. Beautiful to feel so close. Sad to feel so far away, separated by death. 

Outside the air was cold autumn, sharp, sun rising, birds singing. Light, bright, cats in the kitchen.

I'm away from home tomorrow and too many things to do, so the dogs and I went to walk at the airfield, and the air was still, but the grass was still heavy with dew.

Over the stepping stones, searching for words, holding fast to the beauty of all things and on the way there I saw a heron, low of flight, lower than the early rising sun. The air is so clear here the lichen grows over the sloe trees.

Pi loves this place. So many small birds, her blood ran rich with the scent of them. I found a feather in the water.

Words found their way through the absence of human voices, to rest in the mind. I sat for a while to catch them with pen onto paper before turning them to leaf thought. And Ivy was kind, and sat beside me, leaning her warmth into me, sensing a sadness. She's good like that.

Back at home I had ink to work with, filming the painting of a snow leopard. Grinding ink, trying to work out how to catch the soulof a leopard in it.

Also making a couple of things for Blue Ginger Gallery for an auction for the Acorn Children's Hospice.

And then some stones to carry to the far north.

And this was my day, in step and in ink. 

Other days are spent tidying and clearing my studio, trying to make the space to move forward. I have cleared one part of my studio, made a place for writing. This is where I worked yesterday, with my father's old and heavy typewriter.

I love this new space, watched over on one side by a Mary Fedden drawing, and on the other by a beautiful portrait by Evelyn WIlliams.

And this was supposed to be a welcome to what will be updates on progress for what was Leaf Thoughts, but has become The Space Between. Over the next few weeks I will introduce you to my typewriters, and Ivy and Pi, who feature in the film, made by Chris and Davina from Number Seven Dulverton. 

In the meantime I am travelling up to The Sill to touch base with The Lost Words exhibition, which has been experiencing lockdown there. The show is open now and I'm taking The Lost Spells with me. I've a need to look back before I move forward.