VISUAL HAIKU

I’ve been thinking about using my photographs to create visual haikus. The original inspiration is a Japanese poem often evoking nature and ephemera. The traditional format for a haiku is three lines containing 17 syllables (the first line has 5 syllables , line two 7 and line three 5). Here is an experimental autumnal haiku … Read more

Autumn 2022 – A Leafy Diary

The images in this blog were primarily shot over two months – between late September and November 2022 and all reference London’s autumn leaves. This was the scene on Highgate Road today as I headed home: However this year, because of the UK drought, what appeared to be autumnal scenes also occurred earlier in the … Read more

Journey Towards the Last Days of Autumn

In this post I’m featuring new images taken in the last month that contain references to nature’s golden and metallic hues, and combining them with visual associations photographed in previous Novembers. The journey starts locally, just up the road to me. A pile of golden fallen leaves is juxtaposed with a rolled up Persian rug … Read more

Leafy Walls and Abstract Photography

Yesterday was a glorious autumnal day in London and I decided to walk through Hampstead Heath and then get the tube from Belsize Park. On my way to the station I saw a red fringed throw hanging out a window, reminiscent of red flag on May Day. The throw was framed by green ivy which … Read more

Motivational Graffiti and Rosh Hashana

This evening heralds the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana. As Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman writes in the Jerusalem Post: Rosh Hashana is an opportunity for change. It is “not just the beginning of the Hebrew Calendar; it is also the symbol for renewal. This is when we begin to scrutinise ourselves and … Read more

Highgate Cemetery in late autumn

A few days ago I decided to visit Highgate Cemetery. It had been a glorious day and parts of the cemetery were still illuminated by the late afternoon sun. Here are some of the photographs I took at the East Cemetery: I like the way the ivy encircled this sunlit stone figure and the fusion … Read more

Autumn Leaves, Sculpture and other juxtapositions

I like seeing how sculpture interacts with the environment.  The following two images were taken on a trip to Japan a couple of years ago. The first was taken in Hiroshima. A mother and child; the mother’s hair flowing behind her. They seem to be perched on a crescent moon, and are surrounded by an … Read more

George Michael: George’s Garden in Autumn

I walked through Highgate the other day and spent some time in the memorial garden for the late George Michael who died on December 25 of last year. The garden is in the small green bordering his home on The Grove. Here are some photographs I took at George’s Garden, which is lovingly tended by … Read more

Glow

In the last few months I’ve been increasingly drawn to looking at the way the sun illuminates objects, noticing light and shade. Maybe this is because I’ve been regularly life drawing and painting, in natural light when possible. There’s also a desire to seize the warmth and colour of sunlight, to balance out the grey, … Read more

London’s Autumn Colours

I was privileged to go to Japan last November and witness autumn in several cities. That is a hard act to follow! However, London is teeming with beauty and colour at the moment, and I thought I’d show some images of urban nature that have caught my eye in the last few weeks. I’ve always … Read more