#fountain pens, inks and paper, #meanderings

Nothing nicer….well there is. But that’s another story.

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There is a very nice vibe in sitting with red wine, doodling with Onyx Black and Winter Miracle Diamine inks, filling various coloured vintage pens with said inks and just mucking about with a few simple thoughts. Or another’s thought in this case. (K. Bradford Brown, Guide Lines to Feelings). To feel is to be alive. Whether it hurts or gratifies. Or anything involved in complexity of emotions really.

Usually the exercise of otherwise non-complexity doodle-land can last an hour or two. Sometimes a lot shorter. However. At any given point, a guitar gets noticed out the corner of the eye and……well, a tune on the mind is a tune you can’t help but find. And guitars play tunes. And songs you want to get across to the other guys in the band are played as rough as rough. Do you care about how rough it begins? Nope. Rough is okay when you capture the moment. Bit like writing and find a way to shape a letter differently. It develops as you get familiar with the understanding of how to catch it out of its infancy.

Within the photographs below is a Mushroom House. Who, in any frame of mind, cannot love a Mushroom House? They speak of childhood and a safe place to escape to.

Please tap on the individual photos below and lo and behold, a larger photo unfolds.

22 thoughts on “Nothing nicer….well there is. But that’s another story.”

    1. A guitar introduced itself when I was a teenager way, way back when. A guitar in many forms has been present ever since. If you can express on six simple strings played in synchronicity, harmoniously and holistically with accompanying voice and feelings, as many of us can do. And… as you yourself can certainly do. Then you are never alone in this world. Thank you for your thoughts again cookie. Brilliant. I hope the Gibson has settled into your way of thinking. And shown you its own history too. Cheers and good fortune. 🙏🏽

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  2. WOW! Again, every post you write, Gray, is so fascinating (and elegantly done)! Not to flatter falsely, from the inks, stylistic penmanship, to “To feel is to be alive” statements, to guitar playing and your pondering of the creative process. Hat tip to you, as always, Gray.
    The spiral staircase/door/tree? Carved or molded clay? Exceptional!! Took my breath away. I’m saving that picture.

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    1. The pottery isn’t from my hand Sheila. It is a little collective addition from another craftsperson. Used to have bits and bobs from many craft people around houses. Mainly when I was a potter. I do tap into others’ thoughts and energies to uplift my own living. Those little ones that give a bump up for the day. Write my own thoughts too for reminding myself how to get on with the grand scheme. Usually the words can find themselves in a bit of prose or a lyric. Thank you Sheila for the encouragement. And, you yourself follow the same ideals and principles in the way you work, write, create and share music and live day to day too. 🙏🏽

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      1. Ah, thank you for confirming the spiral staircase/mushroom piece is pottery, Gray. I think we have chatted about clay before—yes. It is stunning (me being the spiral geek as of 2019)!
        Thank you for your “tap into others’ thoughts and energies to uplift my own living,” and I do feel the same. Thank you for noticing and commenting that I do too. Yes, I love how each of us (especially artists) deliberately put our energies into our creations. Ah! Your words are certainly embued with Energy, Gray. Many blessings!

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      2. Spirals not circles is a blog, or maybe prose, I wrote a fair while back. May go seek it out now. Others’ thoughts can certainly take you from the circular mind entrapment to the freedom of spirals. Thank you again for your insightful comment. Many blessings to you too Sheila. 🙏🏽

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  3. moment captured… 😁
    lovely tune, Gray. when inspiration calls… can’t ignore that.

    all images shared wonderful.
    for sure… who doesn’t love a mushroom house 😁 escaped to them many times lol. I recall you saying you didn’t make mushroom houses… ?

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    1. Thank you Destiny. This isn’t my work. I did make about half a dozen mushroom pieces very early on in my clay experiences. The mushroom tops were on very spindly long thin stalks. I think it is called ‘pyro-elasticity movement in heat of the kiln’…..but I could be wrong. Heat in the kiln bent the thin stalks over as they were top heavy. They went on the drop until they hit the kiln walls……and stuck due to a Matt glaze being on the mushroom tops. So, I never made them again. 😆 This tune here will be a true song. Have it mapped out in my head. All the best Destiny. 🙏🏽

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    1. Hi Shep. Cheers for this. Just a quiet sing and warble into the iPad mic to get the tune across to the guys. I’d still like to get a few extra instruments around my lonesome pursuit up here in rural land. 😊 Since retirement it’s been a hermit like existence for long periods. Much needed after the nurse work days of chaos. But it needs more ‘get out there and meet people’ again now. I have a little Shure MV 88 microphone for iPad that can pick up bass on the amp. Really great piece of kit. The iPad mic just can’t do bass sound at all. So, it won’t be long before I record some of the bass patterns. Voice, bass, acoustic and electric can find their way on to the GarageBand app. Next year, January, I’m planning to travel to see Steve and John in a rehearsal room. So will record the results of voice, bass, guitar and drums. Good to hear your voice too on the radio last month. As said, you have a fantastic enquiring mind. All the best Shep. Good luck with your new single too. 🙏🏽

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      2. Nice festive pastimes. It would be good to give this link a five minute read. It explains how David Mitchell interlinks his characters at times across his books. It is a very unusual way though. His books have no central theme. They are all different in their own ways. But he has little Easter eggs in them with nods to the surreal. Sounds like your Christmas is going to be a very nice one Shep. 🥃🥃 All the best. Link below.

        https://ew.com/books/david-mitchell-how-utopia-avenue-connects-previous-books/

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    1. Thank you for the nice comment. Writing style, for all of us, is born from being restricted in our early strict learning. Of how to write properly from schooldays lettering discipline to then find a personal presentation unique style later. Early writing develops from being taught the uniform ways and then we change to how we write naturally. Forever changing year on year. It expresses us as individuals.

      Writing from those early disciplined days rebels and then develops into a ‘just relax and go with the flow’. Mimics life I suppose. I just love to let the letters flow and find their own space on the paper.

      All the best and, again, cheers for your reply. Much appreciated.

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      1. Wow, those were some of the nicest words ever said about handwriting. I haven’t found my own style – I guess it will take unlearning all those years of being taught how to properly write in school. Maybe I will get there someday. Keep writing! You have the talent for it.

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      2. Thank you. I looked at your site quickly and am very impressed. I am currently away and will be back home later today. So will be able to look at your posts properly then. On first glance, you have really interesting and knowledgeable posts. And your art and writing styles look brilliant. Again, thank you for your comments. All the best and cheers.

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