Depression

Last week, for the first time, I went to a creative writing group, that has just started to meet here in Truro. I found the prospect of going along quite daunting, because I thought I would be out of my depth. I was a bit.

I didn't know what to expect, but thought I would go because for years I have dreamt about writing something; a novel.

It felt a bit like being back at school, and I hated school. One of the reasons I didn't get on well at school is because my handwriting is awful and I was ashamed of it, so I didn't go very often.

The creative writing group leaders informed us that during the evening we would be attempting to write various things. I had taken a notebook and pencil with me in case they were needed. We did three exercises during the evening, and although I didn't fully understand what was expected, I had a go. I was relieved because I was the only one who was going to have to read my handwriting. In the end I enjoyed the evening, even the bits where we were asked to read out some of what we had written. I think I learned from it and I will attend the next meeting.

Anyway, this is rather a long introduction; lets get to the point of this post. At the group we were asked to do some homework. One thing we were asked to do was to sit down and write something for ten minutes every day; it doesn't matter what we write, as long as we write. So far I've managed it. What follows is the piece I wrote today. It is some of my thoughts about Depression. I hope it is not too gloomy. It's just me reflecting on the subject:

Depression is strange thing; it seems to me that once you’ve got it, it never goes away, not completely.

The doctor prescribes anti-depressants, you take them for a few months; you feel much better, and the future is looking bright.

Doctor says maybe its time to come off the pills, so starts a reduction program.

Eventually, with the future still looking bright, you are pill free.

‘Voila’, end of depression; not so, there it is lurking in the background waiting to pounce, like a cat on an unsuspecting mouse.

Then it suddenly jumps on you.

But, it has changed its tactics, it comes now, not during a dark, gloomy and stressful time, as when it first appeared.

Now its comes out of the shadows and pounces on you when you are walking in the light; when things are going well.

Again it has changed its tactics; now its jumps on you and beats you up a bit, leaves you with some bruises and walks away.

It hasn’t moved in with you like it did when it first appeared.

These days it just tries to wear you down gradually with irregular, unexpected visits.

It stalks you.

Some attacks are more violent than others, at times the attacks are quite brutal, on other occasions it’s just a light slap around the face.

It knows there is no point seeing the doctor again, because by the time you get into the surgery, depression is skulking in the shadows again and cannot be seen.

What to do?

Pete's Green Man

This is what I put at the end of my last blog post:


I am currently working on a relief carving of a Green Man on an old pine log, but I haven't got far and there are no photos of it yet.

But this is a picture of a Green Man by Master Carver Chris Pye which I am trying to copy:

If I am half as successful as that I will put a picture here eventually.

I have now finished the carving of the Green Man, so here's the story:

I have always been fascinated by the image of the Green Man, I'm not sure why, its just something that touches me. Since I have been doing this carving quite a few people have asked me what the origins are, of the image. Well I don't really know, it speaks to me of growth, springtime and new life. But if you want to know more, Mike Harding (DJ, Writer, Folk Singer) has a web site dedicated to the subject called Mike Harding - The Mystery of the Green Man (if you click on the blue writing it will take you there). 

Davina bought me a small Green Man Plaque which has been hanging in the garden for a couple of years. But, one of the reasons for taking up wood carving was so that I could create a Green Man which I had made.

My carving tutor (DJ) and I decided that the image above was a good one to try and copy, but on a curved surface, not a flat one. He, DJ, also found me a piece of old pine (we think), to do it on:

So I stuck on an outline drawing of the Green Man and started to carve (slowly):

You can see that the wood is quite stained, some of it had rotted and broke away as I carved,    so that gave me what DJ calls design opportunities, which meant I had to change it as I went along.

You may not realise it, but the image is made up of six leaves (three on each side of the face).  The two bottom leave are supposed to be emerging from his mouth, but after many attempts I decided it was easier to make them as extensions of his moustache.

When I finished the carving and some sanding, I decided to treat the wood with some Boiled Linseed oil, to preserve it and give it some colour. The end result was a bit darker that I wanted, but its too late now:

This was the first picture of the finished sculpture

I wasn't very pleased with that picture, because it doesn't show some of the detail. so I asked my friend MC, to take some for me. These are MC's pictures:

These pictures are all good but, my favourite is the last one.

I hope you like my first effort of a Green Man, I want him to be the first of many.

Beginning Wood Carving

I thought it was about time to do another blog, as it has been a long time since the last one, so here it is:

In August we received a magazine from Truro College advertising part-time courses. As there are many things I have wanted to try for a long time, I had a look through it. In the end I had to decide between Pottery for beginners or Wood carving & sculpting. I went for the carving as its a lot less messy, and the class is held in a school just a few minutes drive from where we live.

On the first evening DJ (our tutor) showed us a relief carving of a  Fleur de Lys that he had carved, and told us that our first project was to produce a similar one.

 This is what we were hoping to achieve

We were given a block of wood (Lime) with the outline of the Fleur de Lys stuck on it:

At the end of the first evening this is as far as I had got:

Mine after week one

We had the option of changing the design however we liked. Which gave me a problem, because I don't much like making decisions. I would rather be told exactly what to do.

After week one I decided I wanted mine to be a bit deeper, so in week two I took a lot more wood out:

Once I had chopped out most of the waste wood I was able to begin giving some real shape to the design:

By this stage I had decided how I wanted the finished piece to look.

It didn't always go smoothly. A couple of times a took off more wood than intended. Which gave me a bit of a problem, but DJ called them design opportunities.

I decided I would leave the cut marks on the outside of the leaves, for a bit more definition.

When the basic carving was finished I had to start the sanding:

This was after about 5 hours of sanding

Then another couple of hours sanding and treatment with Danish Oil and a bit of wax, and this is the finished product:

 I was very pleased with the result for my first effort.

Whittling (carving with a knife) is part of the course so I thought I would have a go with my old penknife on a piece of Sycamore which I had been given:

This paper knife was the result.

I got hold a proper whittling knife and made this Wood Spirit, also from Sycamore.

Last Saturday I took part in an introduction to Whittling Course Which . We were given the opportunity to whittle  a Wren from a piece of Jelutong.

This little Jumbo Wren was my attempt:

I didn't carve the little foot statue she is standing on.

I am hoping my whittling skills will improve!!!

I am currently working on a relief carving of a Green Man on an old pine log, but I haven't got far and there are no photos of it yet.

But this is a picture of a Green Man by Master Carver Chris Pye which I am trying to copy:

If I am half as successful as that I will put a picture here eventually.

I am really enjoying Wood Carving. I find it satisfying and therapeutic. So I have just signed up for a second term.

Paul Auster - Winter Journal - My Review

Winter Journal by Paul Auster

Paul Auster is one of the authors that I would call ‘My Favourites’, there are several others: Kazuo Ishiguro, Philip Roth, the late Robertson Davies, Ian McEwan, Magnus Mills, Xiaolo Guo, Maggie O’Farrell and Peter Ackroyd. Whenever there is a new book by any of these authors I ‘have’ to have it. I have read every book by Paul Auster, not for the subject matter, but just because he is the author. When Winter Journal was advertised I pre-ordered it, so that I could have it as soon as it was available. I didn’t know what it was going to be about, but from the title I assumed it would biographical. I was right. An Auster book has never disappointed me and Winter Journal is no exception.

The sleeve notes begin with this: On 3 January, 2011, exactly one month before his sixty-fourth birthday, Paul Auster sat down and wrote the first entry of Winter Journal, his unorthodox, beautifully wrought examination of his own life as seen through the history of his body. That is exactly what it does. Auster takes us through his life by reflecting on things that have effected him; major events, such as deaths of family members, births, marriages, car accidents etc; addresses he has lived at; scars on his body. He writes as if he is writing to himself. He gives an in depth assessment of how all these things have influenced and changed him. It is an honest and no holds barred description of the episodes in his life, and his response to them. He is not afraid to tackle the difficult issues, such as an Aunt who doesn’t hold back from criticising his Mother just a few hours after her death, or the car accident for which he feels responsible and stopped him driving.

This book is a really good read. It caused me reflect on my life and made me think about the many things that have happened during my lifetime. I am just a few months younger than the author. I don’t know if all men of my age could relate to it as I have, but there are lots of similarities in our stories. The only thing I disagree with and could not relate to was the last sentence of the book:

“You have entered the winter of your life.”

I personally, don’t feel that way. I feel as though I am in late summer/early autumn of my life. There’s plenty to do yet.

Winter Journal is an excellent and very well written book, which I would thoroughly recommend. Auster once wrote that the purpose of a book a book is to entertain. It certainly does that. I just hope he keeps writing, because I am already looking forward to the next one.

The Evolution of Inanimate Objects - My review.

The Evolution of Inanimate Objects: The Life and Collected Works of Thomas Darwin (1857-1879) by Harry Karlinsky

I don’t usually do book reviews because I can never think of clever things to say. But, I enjoyed this book so much I thought I’d give it a go.

Loved it. I read it over a couple of days, that’s quick for me; it is a short book, and enjoyed every bit.

The Evolution of Inanimate Objects: The Life and Collected Works of Thomas Darwin (1857-1879) by Harry Karlinsky is a novel and does not pretend to be anything else. Thomas Darwin the son of Charles Darwin did not exist. Having said that, the book is so well researched and written that you would think it is biographical.

Thomas is a man who is obsessed with cutlery, he believes that cutlery, and other inanimate objects, evolve of themselves, as with plants and animals. Whilst at University he presents papers on the subject and of course he is well received at first because of his Fathers’ reputation. Soon though people begin to realize he’s a bit bonkers. He ends up dying of Tuberculosis in a Canadian asylum, at the age of twenty-one. 

The research carried out by Karlinsky into the works Darwin and others is phenomenal. The book is an easy read and humorous; it had me laughing out loud, in public, on a couple of occasions.

There are some very good illustrations in the book.

I read it in Kindle on my iPad, but felt I would like to have had a hard copy so that I could ‘feel’ the book and see how it was laid out. The benefit of reading it on iPad is that you can enlarge the illustrations, which you can’t do with a hard copy.

It is one of the best books I have read this year, and I would recommend to anybody. Well done Harry. More please.