Vincent van Gogh mutilates his ear
This item also appears on Dorian Cope’s wonderful blog On This Deity. On this day in 1888 in Arles in southern France, Vincent van Gogh performed the most infamous act of self-mutilation in art history. He cut off part of his left ear lobe. From that point on, the world pointed, laughed and called him [...]
Eynsham winter weather report
The weather forecasters did warn us that central southern England might see some heavy snow today… and it came. When I woke this morning we’d had a light dusting overnight, but at 9am it started to snow heavily. It still is. I went out at lunchtime and took a few shots. Here’s Eynsham church looking [...]
Doctor fish
The Garra rufa, also known as the reddish log sucker, is a minnow-sized fish from the rivers of the Middle East; but look out for it on a high street near you. For these sweet little creatures, also called doctor fish are being put to work to clean your feet. At a chain of new [...]
Greenham Common Peace Women ‘Embrace the Base’
This post first appeared here on Dorian Cope’s blog On This Deity The 12th December 1982 was cold. Not really the kind of day to be hanging about outside unless there is something you really have to do. But there was something that I and thousands of other women really, really had to do. In [...]
E-cards: fun, free and festive
Whichever way you celebrate the festive season, and whether you believe in Father Christmas or not, you’ll find a suitable e-card right here. And there’s no annoying log in – just choose the one you like and click to send. Easy. I have a number of e-cards featuring my painting of birds, including lots of [...]
Audubon’s Birds of America
“With the exception of the mockingbird, I know no species so gay and frolicksome” Audubon wrote of the red-headed woodpecker (Picus erythrocephalus). Yesterday a copy of John James Audubon’s (1785-1851) epic Birds of America sold at auction for more than £7.3million. It’s the most expensive book in the world. And arguably the most beautiful. Only [...]
Frank Turner won’t shut up
I’m notoriously bad at keeping abreast with popular culture, I don’t read celeb mags, or watch the ‘right’ (wrong) telly for these things and I hardly listen to the radio. So I tend to get introduced to new bands by accident. It was my 20-year-old daughter Cleo who introduced me to young singer-songwriter Frank Turner. [...]
