Mr Briggs

I've had a long term affection for the work of  British illustrator Raymond Briggs. His work to me is magical, pure, emotive, ethereal and probably synonymous with Christmas to most; but that to me I know he's done so much more, (though I do admit to humming along to associated Christmas tunes). I still remember at the age of about 8, being so enamored by a cake so carefully and skillfully crafted to look like like a scene from the snowman, that I went over board buying raffle tickets in an attempt to win it. So hooked on his beautiful illustrations am I, that yes I still own DVDs and books of his work. 

Having visited the Bronx zoo in NY during September and capturing some images of various species there, I knew there was one in particular that had caught my heart. The most forlorn and sad looking polar bear. I'm not surprised, given their natural habitat and tendancy to travel for miles across the wilderness. A concrete showroom is incomparable. 

What can I say, not an ideal situation for the life of the poor guy, but hopefully he will serve as an ambassador for his species like many others in captivity. We can only hope that their position will not be abused in such circumstances. Hopefully people will learn about him and his natural life. Why his preservation and his habitat is so important to the world and how he and others like him maintain an equilibrium on this earth. 

 So here is my kind of humble tribute to my love of Mr Briggs. Named 'Polar love'. I guess it could take on a multitude of connotations. Yet another case of the polar opposite views of many people and a specie needing to be safe in the knowledge that we think enough of them and understand enough to do something about the decline of this earth.


 A4 Pastel on pastel paper. 

Quiet

If you knew the things I knew,
You wouldn't say the things you say.
You'd process life more gently,
Or quietly be on your way.
Stuck inside a personal war zone,
A mind wound up too tight.
Flammable and intolerable,
Ever ready to ignite.
A victim of one's own theory,
An overactive head.
Dictating your own fatality,
A lonely life ahead.

The work of an insomniac....

It's amazing how stress can affect a person's ability to cope with emotions, pain levels, resilience to illness, skin condition, thought processes, muscle tension, fatigue and sleep patterns.....knew I'd get there in the end.

These are of course things I deal with at work on a day to day basis. Trying to find coping strategies for people, providing a more holistic approach to management than just reaching for the most conveniently placed bottle of red....aherm...

After visiting Edinburgh's Fruit Market gallery back in December, I discovered an artist by the name of Louise Bourgeois. During a period of her persistent  insomnia, (November. 2004-June 2005...how on earth did she cope??), she took to drawing and writing nightly. Whatever was going on in her head on whatever scrap of paper she could find.

I thank my lucky stars for insomnia not being such a persistent problem for myself, but during the times I haven't been able to switch off properly lately, it has proved to be a bit of an inspiration. I'd say a good deal less frustrating than chewing the pillow or staring at a dark ceiling.

As for the content, yes it all appears to be winged. I entitled the first (unofficially)'Angry Bird', not a more vulgar reference to myself, though as it happens I was very angry at the time. It is now simply 'Insomnia'.
The other two have no titles. All created between the hours of 1-3.30am. I've yet to have a full blown session in oils at such unearthly hours.