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R is for River

R Illuminated letteris for River, with its soothing lap licking its flanks, waving its pelts of animal weed to its own rhythm and pulse, swinging to the music of rock, soil and tree beneath a tourmaline sky. Willows crack their bent, untidy branches into the flow. Through shadows, eddies and pools, the river journeys through transformation; a meandering, belly-through-the-earth passage on a sunken, sinuous path.

An underground river courses silently and slips beneath the everyday fabric of my life. Half in water, half on land it seems. The link with water is ancestral, as old as when our wild, creature ancestors crawled on to land.

All things ‘river’ draw me to them; the sea with it’s distant horizon and churnings is just a little overwhelming right now. From a plane to Abu Dhabi I saw gleaming ribbons of rivers emptying themselves into the Persian Gulf, wishing I had my camera ready.

In Norfolk, I sought out and relaxed beside the River Bure, entranced by its verdant depths with willowing pelts of weed. In the cool light, I saw a humble but beautiful river whispering archaic messages, carrying memories from source to sea, a quiet voice snaking its way through the landscape.River Bure at Itteringham A witness to the drinking of trees, a carrier of dreams, a passage of mirrors and when she — as I’ll give it a gender, why not — finally arrives, an Empress, proud, loud and with skirts rippling against the tide, mixing voices of the land and sea.

I have had a thirst….

… a longing to reconnect to water, to the emotions, to the well or river of creativity. I’ve been feeling like the proverbial ‘fish out of water’, adrift from my moorings. I’ve had lots of dreams about the sea, floods and being out in boats on a big blue swell. The sea is in the distance at the moment. Here, with the river, I can take it easy, relax, watch, listen, follow its soothing passage back into the throng of things or back to the source, to begin again. I feel at my best when I can connect to the inner river.

River Bure with weedsThe Celts, long ago, made offerings to the waters. Often items of warfare, shields, swords, helmets have all been found in waters or where rivers, lakes or bogs once existed. Many rivers have their own Gods and Goddesses. Favourites of mine include Saraswati the Goddess of the Sarasvati river who went on to become a Goddess of the arts, culture and speech, Ancasta a Celtic goddess of the River Itchen where I’ve swum and Verbeia a Romano-British goddess of the River Wharfe.

I have a smattering of river memories, big rivers like the Congo in what was then Zaire. Taking a passage from Kinshasa to Kisangani with a giant ferry heaving with people, music, crocodiles and chickens tied up beneath the seats. River Bure underwaterPeach coloured skies were reflected in it’s serene expanse; I remember the tiny lights of fires along its rainforest banks and fruit bats winging their way homewards overhead as I lay on the ferry roof. While swimming alone in a rainforest river in Costa Rica, I noticed a green snake doing the same; it’s small rivers that I like best, at quiet times when I can swim or sit and watch clear flowing waters.

Back to the Source

Enough musing, I’m back in Brighton and have busied myself with some illustration. I’ve been fascinated by old manuscripts with illuminated letters so I’ve done my own. Below is a new drawing, “Back to the Source” that’s the largest I’ve done with watercolour pencils, a whole sheet of A1! I had to photograph it as it wouldn’t fit in the scanner.

5 thoughts on “R is for River

  1. Wonderful post, lovely photos, and great art! I am drawn to water, too. Here’s to the inspiration of ocean, sea, pond, beach, river, etc.!

  2. beautiful post! fabulous combination of wonderful photos and art with fluid words (can’t resist a pun!) love it Alexi, just gotta share on my fb page – hope that’s OK???

  3. Love your ” back to the source ” illustration – it is beautiful. This could be copied to be a poster you could sell ? Do you know the Australian illustrator ( and poet ) Toni Carmine Salerno ? If not, I think you would LOVE his work. I have a few packs of his oracle cards and a book of poetry with illustrations……..

  4. There was a time, when the Sarasvati was the supreme river in the Indian subcontinent by far. It was the time when the Arya tribes were finding their feet in Northern India, Pakistan and then later Afghanistan. A time of many great battles, wars and also the composition of the Rig Veda – perhaps the most ancient texts in the world.

    The Sarasvati stood witness to cataclysmic events for centuries until one day it just dried up….

    Blood on the river Sarasvati is my attempt to bring to life events that may have occurred several thousand years ago, when the river was at its mightiest.

    http://rigvedafiction.blogspot.com/2011/08/birth-of-divodasa-part-i.html

  5. Gorgeous! Have you thought about creating a children’s book of letters A is for, B is for ect … it would be stunning, thankyou for sharing, very inspiring!

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