A quiet Christmas day with my parents and Deborah, Boxing Day spent visiting a few shops. I bought some leather gloves and some perfume shaped like a gold bar, which will make me feel rich and probably increase prosperity by psychological action. In the evening, a second Christmas meal cooked with great élan by Deborah. A former professional chef, her skills are as useful as they are enjoyable. On the 27th we went to Knutsford for the weekend, visited Elizabeth Gaskell's grave and several charity shops. We went into the Oil Art Advisory gallery and had a wonderfully warm welcome, and inspirational talk and browse at the art. The entire place looked beautiful, it was certainly something beyond a high street gallery.
We returned home to spend a few hours with my brother and his partner, and a board game in which we had to make objects from wooden pixels to be guessed by other players.
The lack of normal activity has been causing me stress, too little creativity, too much disorder, and no routine. I feel I need to throw lots away. Last night I designed a new artwork which continued one I started in summer, a strawberry with a hole in the canvas so that it can hang. I'll make a gallows for it. I came up with a title, first 'Where Love Lies Lost', then 'I Seek My Solace Where Love Lies Lost', then expanded these lines into a poem, which will be part of the artwork:
I seek my solace
Where love lies lost
I find no comfort
Where love lives most
That which I have
Lends me no pleasure
That which I lack
Extends forever
This week, work on art organisation, and archiving the year's activities. Tomorrow, my annual computer backup and clean, which will take all day.
