THE OLD CAPTAIN'S HOUSE, WINTER AFTERNOON, 1909... (My new poem inspired by Harald Sohlberg's painting...)

 The Old Captain’s House, Winter Afternoon, 1909…

(My new poem inspired by Harald Sohlberg’s painting…)

Chopped wood lies redundant in crisp snow afoot

The writhing, distorted boles, anchored, enabling

The myriad of naked and thinned branches to claw

At the icy air, like wind blown tresses of black, silhouetted

Against the winter sky, glorious in a sunset’s pale peach hue,

A gleam matched along the worn track, which slithers

Sinuously towards the dwellings, both proud against the weather’s 

Vagaries. And beside a cottage, rising powerfully into view

Is a fine dwelling, the old Captain’s house, impressive and feted,

Its pallid walls bedecked by windows, spying upon a climate too often raw.

And like a sentry-box the front entrance lingers, a humbling

Guard for such an illustrious property of some repute… 

Pete Ray…

19th February 2026…

Norwegian artist Harald Sohlberg painted this snow scene, likely around Oslo.

I was taken by the late afternoon sky and the snaking lane leading to the homes.

The number of windows, presumably to allow in as much daylight as possible are remarkable but for me, the ends of the branches of the trees add a spectral flavour to the work…

The additional thoughts of The Sand Martin:

‘As the sun goes down and the night sky moves softly into the picture, the

immediate attention is drawn to the three enormous dark, bare trees in the

foreground. 

It is clearly winter and the branches are devoid of any leaves, so that their strong structures dominate and reach across almost the entire width of the painting. 

Behind them stands the rather large and imposing Captain’s house with an adjacent cottage and a number of much younger looking, flimsy small trees, close to the properties. Thus one has to peer to look carefully at the buildings.

The yellowish hues along the track to the buildings indicate that the doorway to

the Captain’s House is well used and with little to no snow on the roof it is very

possibly well heated and poorly insulated. 

The cottage roof is almost entirely covered in snow, like icing on a cake.

In fact all the ground looks icing sugar soft, being white and blue-grey as it gently

undulates up from the track and away into the far distance. 

There is a powerful contrast for attention between the huge dark dominant trees, the very pretty snow scene and the Captain’s House, yet this is a peaceful, calm picture, showing the beauty of Nature in harmony with man-made buildings.’

DAWN... (My new poem inspired by a Peter Brook painting...)

 Dawn…

(My new poem inspired by Peter Brook’s painting…)

He really didn’t want to be found. Nothing serious

You understand, just a matter of a rabbit or two

Poached. It wasn’t his fault though cuz his dad was hurt

In a factory accident and couldn’t work but his mum had her kids to feed.  

He was the oldest of seven you see and they all needed to eat.

He nearly got away too but the farmer was furious

When he caught him scurrying along a stone wall, in view

Of his shotgun and the old chap gave chase, his language vicious and curt

But the lad found spiky grass to hide in, wet with dew and rueing his misdeed,

His boots were soaked with animal blood and were chilling his sore feet.

The dawn though had mesmerised him, its pinks glorious,

But though the walls hid him in their shade, through the gap he spotted a few 

Curious sheep which gawped  back at him with quizzical expressions, yet alert

And they involuntarily threatened to give him away, this staring ovine breed, 

Accusing with staring eyes and forcing the boy into a rapid, tense and hurried retreat…

Pete Ray…

18th February 2026…  

A lovely sky, a golden field and almost cartoon-like sheep stare…

I imagined a young lad after rabbits on a farmer’s land being chased but getting away, then hiding, until the sheep spooked him into rushing away…

The thoughts of the Sand Martin...

'The faces of four staring sheep look outwards towards the viewer in this idyllic painting of a rural scene. They are well spaced and look as if standing stock still. The rear of a fifth sheep is just apparent within what appears to be a cosy and contained spot almost surrounded by dark stone walls. 

Two substantial almost vertical dark stone gateposts without a gate allow the viewer access into this beautiful and almost private scene. 

Behind the vista of the sheep is a sloping stonewall that completes the framing of these farm animals. Their inbred characteristics to be alert to the slightest possible danger and to all follow suit bring all faces up from constant grazing towards any possible intrusion or threat. So while an onlooker looks at them they look back and outwards from this painting. 

The range of bright warm colours and tones around the sheep together with their whiteness draws the eye to focus on the sheep and particularly the one mid-centre of the gatepost framing. 

The apricot to blue grey of the sky foretells a bright warm day ahead and it seems very early with grey mist in the far distance. Maybe a glint of sunlight has lit up the grass around the sheep to such stunning effect. Tall dark green grass in the foreground has a sharpness of texture against the soft low grass at each side giving yet another contrast of texture that makes this agricultural scene so realistic and true to life in every small exquisite detail.'

WOMEN ON THE BEACH- A CHILLY DAY... (My new poem inspired by Dee Nickerson's painting...)

 Women On The Beach- A Chilly Day…

(Inspired by Dee Nickerson’s painting…)

Fashions are displayed on a dog walk, during a cold, bracing

Stroll across a winter beach, featuring small stones and an irritable,

Restless ocean the texture of ice, whilst seabirds glide on updrafts  

To tantalise the pooches below, gallivanting across the sand.

The women wear coats in dark shades of green, blue and

Dun, there is a curious assemblage of headwear, long patterned skirts, as wafts

Of hair billow like tendrils in the sea breeze. But only one face is visible: 

Pale, placid and pensive, which both the elements and the company is embracing… 

Pete Ray…

17th February 2026…

The women are quite remarkably dressed, the dogs aren’t chasing slung balls and the gulls are doing what they do on chilly days…

Such a fine view of an English beach…

The thoughts of an anonymous source...

‘The textures, colours and scene of this painting all pique my interest; women walking on a beach in chilly windy weather along with a number of dogs.

The pale shades of the blue and white sky and sea and the pallid sand contrast strongly with the deep colours worn by the women, such that they are the immediate focus. There are five almost in a line or row, with one other a little way off..

All appear to be wrapped up very well with thick winter coats, long skirts, with several also wearing trousers beneath skirts. One is hatless, a young figure at the front of the line with long auburn hair blowing out behind her indicating that they are walking into the wind. Her green coat and low slung cross body bag are the perfect contrast to her beautiful hair. 

In contrast the next in line looks to be an older person as her hair appears white and her stance is hunched. She looks fragile as if the wind is blowing hard against her body as she huddles with her hands deep into her pockets. 

Alongside but slightly behind is another younger looking figure perhaps trying to look at the older lady as her head inclines towards her or possibly towards the sea. 

A little way back one woman has stopped and turned around to speak or listen to the last in the line who casually stands with hands in her jacket pocket, as her long flowing hair or scarf fringing escapes from beneath her hat.

All women are wearing dark footwear in grey or black as if in some sort of club. Perhaps they are part of a women’s group of some sort and exercising their dogs, yet no notice is being taken of the six animals by any of the six women. 

All six dogs are facing the same direction as they and the women are following a familiar route along the beach. Curiously small stones or shells flag up the path the five are on and this may be firmer underfoot than the stretch where the lone figure is walking.

The seabirds swooping and soaring overhead are plentiful and the sea itself, a pale blue white, deepening in colour towards the horizon, looks cold but inviting with a blue sky above and light fluffy clouds. The day looks full of promise.

Could this picture be a metaphor for life? That we all go along in the same direction even if one may strike out alone? Does one take a moment or break to stop, consider, question, confer and share? 

Perhaps it is simply women on a beach on a chilly, windy day, out for a walk and then off for a latte and natter…

Or maybe off to begin their various busy days…’ 

MORNING WALK, MARPLE... (My new poem inspired by Lucy Manfredi's painting...)

 Morning Walk, Marple…

(My new poem inspired by Lucy Manfredi’s painting…)

Reflecting its early morning chill in the canal’s cold

Stillness, a cottage takes succour from a timid sunrise,

Barely noticed by the figure on the snowy towpath and

Who treads a furrow with vigour, perhaps by solace enthused  

In the icy solitude of Marple’s historic cut.

Reflecting upon the canal’s history, a tale might be told

Of barges hauled by working horses with sad, accepting eyes,

Transporting cotton perhaps and urged forth by human hand;

Or of the industrial air by smoke and smells and noise diffused,

As hooves dropped uneasily along a well worn rut…  

Pete Ray…

17th February 2026…

  

Such an atmospheric painting.

Couldn’t help thinking about the past…

Marple is in Greater Manchester, a few miles from Stockport…

  

A source of mine contributed the following about the painting…

‘This beautiful icy snowy winter scene depicting a canal bridge and towpath along with an adjacent house situated in an enviable location has a light ethereal feel.

A recent heavy fall of snow is apparent from the white and blue-white icy shades of the trees. 

All foliage is completely obliterated by the snow and even the towpath is hard to distinguish due to snow. 

A solitary figure wearing hat and a red coat trudging along draws the eye and offers a clear focus of attention to the scene.

The scene is painted in such a way that there is almost an impression of a haze as if very light, almost undetectable snow is falling into the eyes.

The canal bank merges imperceptibly into the icy water that could well be frozen in places and the stunning detached house next to the bridge is delicately reflected in the canal, reminding us that at one time whole families actually lived their lives on canal barges. 

Those times, so different from our own times, saw the canals used as busy highways transporting goods and coal for industry. 

At that time canals were most likely heavily polluted with all manner of human waste. 

Now heavy pollution caused by people is not always so obvious and the canals are places of leisure, relaxation and joy. Even in winter the picture shows us that they are places of great beauty.

The warm brown tones of the bridge, the house and the wall all built, like the canals, by human endeavour contrast with the delicately painted snowscape and the entrancing sky. 

We are reminded that Mother Nature may at times be inconvenient but is always awesome to behold, as in this gorgeous picture…’