Tag: painting

Artistic Inspiration

News from my world of Art, and it was wonderful to discover that my painting, ‘Rural Market’, won an Honourable Mention Award in the 2023 Teravarna Art Competition.

Rural Market; by Susie Williamson

This piece is from my collection of African inspired landscapes depicted in my Abstract Landscapes blog – click here. These pieces are painted from memory, thought, feeling… work motivated quite simply to remember friends from a time I lived and worked on the continent in 1999 into early 2000s, including three years in South Africa. Those friendships inspired the following poetic conversation…

Abesifazane base-Afrika

You were meant to be guardians of your homeland…

Not suffer to be stifled by cruel apartheid,

The greed, the violence, the pillage and rape,

Of your gifted ancestral lands.

*

You were meant to sing the chorus of your homeland…

You were not meant to face your name replaced,

Your identity scarred by language stripped,

Your songs and prayers denied.

*

You were meant to know freedom in your stride…

You were not meant to suffer the indignity of poverty,

To see with clouded eyes from your tin roofed shack,

As the lights flicker off.

*

You were meant to sow fertile soil of Africa…

You were not meant to strain on mountainous terrain,

Rock littered earth, soil too thin to harvest,

Lingering memories of forced evictions.

*

You were meant to be proud of your ancestral lands…

Not suffer shame-filled hungry pangs,

Belly empty, mouth watering, looking down over vast fields of crops,

Where your homes once stood.

*

You were meant to carve the future for your children…

Not be shackled to a fate of criminal debt,

While you walk cracked earth, parched droughts, breathing fumes,

Of industries of the rich.

*

You were meant to know peace in Africa’s sun…

You were not meant to know the violence of desolation,

Cool breath of fear, as gunshots chime through the midnight hour,

And a distant scream rings.

*

You were meant to smear red earth and white clay on your skin…

Your blood was not meant to stain that earth,

These were not meant to be your stories,

You are the keeper of your stories,

And you sing with heads held back and mouths wide, as your notes carry far and wide, in a tune…

POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWAY THE MOUNTAIN.

I still sway in the harmony of your song, and feel the tremors of the steps you take,

Your words remain on the tip of my tongue, my pen is poised with the rise and fall of your name,

My heart swells with your fears, your hopes and your dreams…

But…

…you are the keeper of your story,

While my brush sweeps on canvas to house memories of you,

Shared times we aspired and I cherish your smile…

Sicula ngesizulu,

Abesifazane base-Afrika,

Ekhaya e-Afrika,

Iningizimu Afrika,

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.

Quiet Contemplation

It has been a long and productive day on catch up with emails and various admin tasks, mostly in relation to up-and-coming events and conventions. Countdown has begun for WorldCon, the 80th World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago – thanks to Zoom I will be attending from the comfort of my writing room.

I’m looking forward to taking part in more panels and readings at WorldCon and other events coming soon. There’s certainly no time like the present to hone in on some of the subjects that strike a chord for me in reading and writing: intersectional feminism and queering the genres, non-conforming women warriors, challenging stereotypes, power dynamics, worldbuilding and the societies and creatures that inhabit them. I could go on…! It will be wonderful to share thoughts and ideas, be inspired, and add to that all-important reading list that never seems to diminish. Magic, literally magic!

In the meantime, around home are colourful corners for quiet contemplation. With more recent artwork to hang, I’ve been discovering unexpected partnerships between portrait and abstract mosaic landscape.

For further afield moments of calm, I feel grateful to have a river close by. Last Saturday involved a day’s cycling trip downstream as far as the sea, seeing the changing flow and feeling refreshed as the ocean’s vast expanse takes shape.

Yesterday evening, in need of a quiet moment and a big breath of fresh air, we took a meandering amble along the river, catching a riverside scene basking in a golden glow, before resting a while in Belle Isle park, where the weeping willows drape feathery tendrils against the riverbank.

Wishing everyone a good weekend ahead.

Art and #IWD2022

Following on from my last blog, this is part two of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, and news from my world of art. It has been a pleasure to, once again, be a participating artist with the Menduina Schneider Art Gallery’s virtual collective in celebration of International Women’s Day. Looking through the exhibit I’m inspired by the creative interpretations on the theme, and reminded of the role art can play in raising awareness, highlighting injustice, and offering inspiring messages of strength, resilience and empowerment.

My own contribution to the show was my painting entitled, ‘Women’s Movement’. This piece draws on colours, symbols and language from the International Women’s movement. It highlights the historical suffragette movement, and current campaigns, including those against sexual abuse, domestic violence and female genital mutilation. The cogs of the movement are set against a shattered backdrop, representative of broken pieces coming together to form a whole.

To view the accompanying video, click here for the YouTube link.

Until next time…

Tuti Island

More news from September and this time from my world of art, with my painting, ‘Tuti Island’ appearing in the Menduina Schneider 6th Salon of Painting.

It’s wonderfully inspiring to exhibit alongside such a diverse range of international artists, and this piece, from my hand-painted mosaic collection, holds significance since it tells the personal story of a turtle I once met while living in the Sudan.

To listen to the story, click here for the you tube video. Read on for the extended version:

Happy Reading!

 

Tuti Island

In the shade of a steel truss bridge she stands,

On a not-so-deserted strip of sand,

Red fiery sun akin to warm Sudanese smiles,

At this place of confluence of the Blue and White Nile,

Behind her, Khartoum, a tale of two rivers,

And bustling streets, but her gaze drifts and lingers,

As young lads fish a turtle to torment,

She walks over to barter with intent.

 

Downriver she finds a secluded spot,

A safe place where the turtle won’t be recaught,

The turtle looks on at the water with longing,

But ‘Khawaja’, ‘foreigner’, the boys are calling.

In the mid-day sun, she heads further downstream,

Past crocodile watchers, asleep, so it seems,

Nervous, she casts an eye on the water,

Boys still following, unfazed by danger.

 

Her basket rustling, she heads for home,

Across the White Nile bridge to Omdurman.

Her sink becomes a makeshift pond,

For a turtle, of which she grows so fond.

When its skin begins to flake and dry,

She rubs fish oil into its leathery hide,

Days pass and still no-where to go,

With a turtle who needs a river for home.

 

Bemused smiles from friends sipping mint tea,

To see a turtle burrowing beneath her knees,

After call for prayer customary tales are whispered,

Of friends and neighbours disappeared,

Her heart aches for Aameira, never to return,

Brother and child left with hearts that burn,

Tears shed for the sorrow caused by those holding sway,

With check points and rifles never far away.

 

A maze of souks with brightly coloured tobes,

Great bowls of coffee beans, dates, cinnamon and cloves,

Shared trays of fuul beans laden with chilli and salt,

A taste for this staple, she has got.

Then finally news of a place,

A stretch of river where the turtle will be safe,

Basket full they leave the bustling streets,

Untempered by the stifling heat.

 

A boat ride to Tuti island she lands,

At the shore she gazes at the turtle, her friend.

Before releasing it to swim to its hearts content,

She’s taken aback by her own gushing sentiment,

And the turtle catches her by surprise,

Ducking under her skirt, reluctant to break ties,

Until finally it swims away,

And she stands alone, feeling emotions sway.

 

Time to leave this fertile shore, she knows,

But falters when a trail of bubbles show,

It couldn’t be… but then a head poked out,

This was a friendship she could not doubt.

It’s okay to go, she gently said,

Unmoved, the turtle raised its head,

The woman smiled and gently sighed,

In return, the turtle blinked its eyes.

When finally they parted ways,

She wiped away a tear that strayed,

Thoughts of women declaring with knowing smiles,

‘Nothing washes tired skin better than the Nile,’

 

Multidisciplinary Salon 2020

While I write in the fantasy genre, as a painter my work is rooted in the real, or at least, real inspired. Among the landscapes I work in the abstract, a creative expression of an imagined setting, sparked by a thought, a memory, an experience. The majority of the landscapes are African, of which I shared my collection, Perspectives, in a previous blog – click here. I currently have three pieces in my Perspectives collection, Long Walk, Home and At Market, all inspired by snapshots of rural township life in South Africa.

I am soon to complete another three-piece collection, which I will share another time. And as the white-washed walls of home steadily fill, I’m slowly venturing into the realm of exhibits. My first exhibit starts today, and if you like, you can take a look!!

Some time ago, I entered my Perspectives collection to the Menduina Schneider Art Gallery in LA (click here), to apply to have a piece exhibited as part of their online Multidisciplinary Salon 2020. And they accepted, choosing Long Walk, which I was thrilled about, as well as to receive the following review:

‘We’re so happy to showcase your artwork, as it bears great depth into what it really is to be human beyond our self-made borders.’  

See video entry here.

I am honoured to be listed alongside so many wonderful artists, whose work is exciting and bold. I love the international flavour running throughout the whole exhibit, and am excited to watch it live today. @menduinaschneiderartgallery will run the exhibit live on Instagram, at 11am California time. That’s 7pm UK time.

See you there!

 

Quiet Reflections for a New Decade

Tuti Island

Two decades ago, or thereabouts, I was in the Sudan. Last year, after returning my revised manuscript to the publishers, I thought about a snippet from life in North Africa, and a place called Tuti Island. The snippet begins with a walk along the river Nile, where I spotted some boys tormenting a small turtle they had fished. Feeling sorry for the turtle, and possibly unwisely, I handed over a few Sudanese pounds in exchange for the turtle. I headed off down the river, intending to release it, but everywhere I went, the curious boys followed. Unable to find a quiet spot, I took the turtle home, filled the sink with water and stones, and fed it flakes of fish. It wasn’t ideal, but then I heard about Tuti Island, a nearby place which friends were sure would offer a quiet spot for releasing the turtle. So one day I put the turtle in my basket, caught a bus, then a boat, arriving at the small island situated where the White Nile and Blue Nile meet. I found a deserted strip of sand, placed my turtle in the water, and watched it swim to freedom.

I never forgot that island, or the colours and designs the Sudan inspired. And so my recent painting is titled ‘Tuti Island’.

Christmas and New Year have been a series of quiet reflections. Following a year of ill health and loss, it’s a comfort to slow things down, to take deliberate note of the small details, and breathe the fresh air. With its dark evenings, crisp air and sodden ground, winter feels like the perfect time to just take the time, to take stock, to gain a wider perspective, to remember that the moment is now to create what we choose.

As a writer who also indulges in painting, I am no stranger to the blank page, and the blank canvas. And yet perhaps it’s never really blank to start with. We create, and we recreate, capturing moments, thoughts and lives we’ve known and returning them to us in fresh new forms.

The last decade saw my first novel published, the new decade promises more. So much of Return of the Mantra was inspired by life in Africa: people, places, situations I had known, recreating the real into an almost unrecognisable fantasy. The Warder picks up the story ten years on, and by this time it really does have its own life and momentum. I was particularly encouraged to see a recent comment on Twitter from a reader, saying how much they loved the character, Wanda. He was inspired by orphaned children I had known, out of a desire to create an unlikely hero, a gifted young boy. In book 2, aged 18, Wanda takes a more prominent role. Together with his female counterparts they are exposed to a land beyond their shores, and so continues their journey in understanding that the world is not a dichotomy of black and white, good and evil. Rather, it is shades of grey, cause and effect, where personal growth and self-discovery are essential in realising the effect each character has. Not too unlike the real world.

And on that note I wish you a Happy New Year and a peaceful new decade.

Abstract Landscapes

A question came up a while ago, at a local book club: how important is place in a story? For me, as a writer, it’s essential. It’s the first heartbeat that begins the planning process. It’s the atmosphere you will be ensconced in as a reader, and the writer. It’s the place that will define the rules, the culture, the day to day life. It’s the thing that sparks my imagination the most.

Whilst in recovery from a recent illness, I’ve had more time to read. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorofor, and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adenyemi, are now on my list of firm favourites. Both works of fantasy, both Nigerian-American authors, the sights and sounds of Nigeria ooze colour from the pages.

I’ve talked before about how various African landscapes influenced place and culture in Return of the Mantra. It’s a subject I also incorporated into a recent guest blog I did. Click here. Books 2 and 3 venture further into the unknown world of creativity. Awaiting the edits of Book 2, revisiting the first draft of Book 3, I’m reminded of the importance of place, the importance of digging deep for those details that will bring to life a land of my imagination. I’m excited for these new lands that I can see so clearly.

Place also features in my painting life, in the form of abstract landscapes, mostly African inspired.

At Market:

Home:

Long Walk:

These three pieces are from a collection I call Perspectives, capturing snapshots of rural township life in South Africa. When I started this collection I decided on three pieces. Now it is finished, there may be more. As is so often the case, one thought generally sparks another…

 

 

 

Winter Nights

There’s a cold wind blowing and grey clouds brewing. Time to ‘batten down the hatches’. Apparently, in winter, we actually produce hormones that make us sleepy, designed to restore body, mind and soul. Well, whilst I appreciate cosying up on a cold winter night, my mind still races on. It seems, for me at least, the writing struggles to keep pace with the thinking.

It never gets old, seeing the book I wrote in print. I’m generally hopeless at remembering dates, but 24th May 2018 will likely stick for a long time to come: the date I held my first published book. Since then I’ve ventured out, introducing people to the story of Return of the Mantra. I appreciate each person who has taken the time to let me know how much they enjoyed it. A recent moment of excitement when it appeared as Day 8 of a reader’s book advent list – thank you twitter.

And now I’m working on a sequel; I’ve lost track of how many years ago I started it. The first book was complete, with an ending, but there always was going to be loose ends. I decided to re-visit the characters ten years on (in their world). And as they struggle to come to terms with their own history, a whole new land is introduced. In the planning stages I looked at some of my paintings and had a thought.

The paintings that offered up inspiration were hand-painted mosaics – though at this stage I couldn’t possibly tell what it was that inspired the story!

Desert Mosaic

City Mosaic

Both canvasses are big, approximately a metre square to fill with painstaking detail. Always it comes down to inspiration. So I thought of oases in the desert, the detail of henna, and the vibrancy of Durban amid the grey. It took a total of almost three months to complete the largest, in what felt like a sort of meditation. Tuning out and focusing on the detail is not dissimilar to writing.

Each project goes through the same cyclic process. For the sequel, I’ve thought, I’ve written, I’ve edited and hopefully now I’m on polish. And as I tighten the narrative and fine tune the characters, the world gets sharper in my mind. It’s not a world of black and white, but rather varying tones of grey. And yes, there’s a book 3, although think and write is about as far as I’ve got with that, so a long way to go. But first the polishing of book 2, and hopefully, with perseverance, it will find itself in print, nestled on my bookshelf.

Happy Tuesday!

 

Inspiration

For me, painting is like storytelling; another medium to creatively put down thoughts. I started painting years ago, then when we bought our current house and white-washed the walls, I saw blank canvasses I was driven to fill. As with my first book, Return of the Mantra, thoughts born from time spent in Sudan and South Africa would feature in those canvasses.

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Balance

It’s been a busy few months amid an unusual heatwave. Long sunny days are a great excuse to get out and about and enjoy the delights of your local area. I often think people’s tendency to explore gets saved for when they’re away on holiday, but what about the treasures on our own doorsteps?  For me that’s Devon, and while we haven’t actually ‘been away’, we have made a point of having holiday days.

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