This site is based around three small sketch books that I reverted to from time to time during our stay in Himachel Pradesh for a "long spring"
They are in unlined books, not specifically designed for drawing in. Normally used at school, as such they were useful for collecting ideas, notes and "minds eye stuff"
I have also included some bigger pictures which relate to the books.
Also some writing I took whilst there, The writing will appear smaller so as not to look boring or start to take over from the note books.
Funny thing is that the note book sketches took me five minutes to draw and are now taking at least two hours to tidy up.
Digitally re-mastering it could be called
Himachel Pradesh Spring 1981
There are three note books but six named boxes.
This is because I used the books up till about the middle and then turned them round.
I expect that a couple of extra groupings will emerge and they will appear off the page that they are most closely related to.
Conclusion
These notebooks tie in with the illustrated airmails I was using to punctuate my general stay in India with Anne Armstrong.
This is a picture of two very jet lagged people.
I sent letters to half a dozen people, these are letters that I sent to I.S.Bell and Karen Wilson
Links
A big outing taken from Srinagar. This monastery was on the way to Ley
​
My first, general stab at how I was going to put more than a years worth of intensive work and adventurous into some sort of readable and chronological format
I went back to Kashmir to live on a house boat for three months in 1983, This is moving on a bit from this site, but is a follow-on
There will now follow a short conclusion outlining why I put this site together or maybe the why/how?? Why I did it like I did
And maybe also explore & link a few of the things that maybe I could attribute to this “Spring experience”
It must be right!!
To take an old picture and alter it digitally. Re-master it, make it better.
The question is: can you keep hold of the life force?
I think I can.
Mainly just by believing what I’m doing and getting high on the old stories again.
Many of the pictures have had a fold in the page line running down the middle, it’s been a glorious opportunity to present the separate stories in a clearer light.
At times even – explaining what the stories were to myself!.
Hope you are not unhappy with the fact that most of these images have been re-mastered. I can see the point of view that feels they should be viewed almost as an archive.
but,
I kind of feel that I am in the now – re-defining good ideas (experiences) on making a new rather than simply dwelling on the past.
Maybe some early sketches for a later period in my life!
I’m not sure if this is a defence or a conclusion!
Its –why did I do it and I suppose I really don’t know –I mean, I like fresh painting!
Don’t know if it’s relevant – but – that’s the best I can do for the moment.