Tag: #susiewilliamson

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!