Icarus @ 59 # 146

Ah the peaceful idyll, a bench, a guitar in the sun and a carefree life... but its back to Winchester today and the reality of the long drive, the dusty office, the meetings, it will be fine, it usually is but the pull to the back door is a tempting one. Its 6 a.m. in the morning and I am already on the move... time for twelve cellos and a quick departure:

Icarus @ 59 # 145

A new guitar player's chair for the patio outside the back door. Well at least that's what I am claiming it is. But it is actually a fantastic piece of work from some guys under the viaduct who recycle wood and make stuff like this - I love it, the craftmanship, the joints and the shape of it. And it fits perfectly, sit in the middle, pull up a guitar, put on a hat and shades and off you go. Sunday mornings through the summer will never be the same again and as the the dusk settles and a glass of wine beckons the same seat still has major attractions, its an early morning, through the day, early evening seat, haven't read a book on it yet, but hey, there's time. And maybe even time for a mandolin:

Icarus @ 59 # 144

I snapped this picture through a gallery window in San Francisco and it is the boy Icarus, wings attached and the sun tattooed on his back. I can't say I like it much. I am not sure about those wings and the way its framed but we are allowed to make such aesthetic judgements, are we not. The Open House thing in Brighton doesn't make it a Biennale by the Sea because its essentially a sale, but it does allow you to see a lot of art in a different setting and context. I live in the middle of the Fiveways route and I don't have to walk far (indeed there are three houses in my street). Of course there is also the Open House pub which is a splendid 
place for lunch and a browse and I might waddle down there at some point today, seeing as its a long weekend. It can all be a bit of a lottery, each house has some 6-8 artists and they can be a mixed bag but sometimes something will stand out. We have a couple of ceramic tiles which I like but also a Carousel and anyone reading this blog knows I love seeing them wherever I go. These pictures don't do them justice because they are snapped on my phone (a couple of minutes before posting this). But they give some idea. The tiles are about 6 or 7 inches and the carousel is about 18 inches and it catches all kinds of light and casts shadows depending on the time of day. But me, I walk on the bright side of the road - desk dancing music, yay:

Icarus @ 59 # 143

Saturday in the sunshine and it feels like summer is just around the corner. It has been a long time coming. And the first signs it has arrived is the Brighton Festival kicks off today and the banners for the Open Houses are already up. Its not just a Brighton thing, of course, but loads of artists in Brighton turn their houses into small galleries so they can sell their art. But what it means is people like me can have Sundays, wandering the streets and popping into houses to view a great deal of fantastic work. I have bought some over the years, around 6 or 7 pieces and they are displayed around the house simply because I like them. In fact as I sit in the kitchen, writing this (while sipping the early grey) I can see two pieces, one of which is pictured top right and is a favourite. Its by Kate Lulham who lives next door to me. I don't wear my iPod as I wander around the houses but if I did I might listen to this John Prine song - broken the speed of the sound of loneliness, just because I like a bit of country:

Icarus @ 59 # 142

This picture is the first draft of Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone. I know these things are supposed to look momentous and solemn and gild edged but the truth is most songs are written on scraps of paper, anything to hand really and I love the way these sheets have been doodled over and are in state of creative chaos. They are to be auctioned at a great price and will probably be framed and exhibited. While I would like to see them (I guess) I am not hung up on memorabilia like this, or even paying way over a real  price for a guitar just because someone famous played it. I remember once a telephone bidder paying a fortune for the piano John Lennon wrote and recorded Imagine on, only to be disappointed to find it it wasn't the white baby grand in the video but a grubby upright that sat in the corner of Abbey Road studio. Made me chuckle that one. But one thing we can't escape - this is a great song and I love this version, some say it changed pop music because it broke the 3 minute barrier, can't say it felt like that at the time I just remember the buzz and the energy, how does it feel:

Icarus @ 59 # 141

Claiming football is poetry may be stretching a point but moments like these are indeed poetic. The sun dropped, dusk turned to night, the floodlights picked out diamond droplets of dew on the grass and grown men celebrated a season of hard work. It harks back to an earlier, pre-computer age which is timeless; these are working men,  making their own way, turning up in another town after a day's work welding, building, fixing, lifting, shifting, recycling and the rest, carrying their own boots, strips and shin pads under their arms; football is a release and an escape and a way of leaving work behind. They don't get paid, they pay to play and yet sitting with them all in the changing room before and after the game you could see how much it all meant to be part of the team. I had to make decisions on their behalf, but the subs didn't mind being on the bench and those who were subbed didn't mind coming off because it was a team effort and they knew we had a plan to win. I am standing on the edge of the picture, proud of every one of them and glad they let me share it,

Perhaps pretending you never saw the eyes

Of grown men of twenty five
Who all followed as you walked...
Or kissed you on the cheek...

So if you don't lose patience with my fumbling around
I'll come up singing for you even when I'm down

where's Lord Byron when you need him for a poem - but then there is Janis Ian...