Well, friends, it’s been a dark and heavy week. I hope you are doing okay. Here’s a glimmer of what has provided some light and contrast in that time.
I finally got off the waiting list for the audiobook of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, and I gobbled it up in its entirety that very same day. Of course, I started the show on Hulu immediately after, and have been slowly savoring them. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this wrapped up in a work of fiction.
I rather enjoyed listening to Louis Theroux interviewing Helena Bonham Carter on his podcast Grounded. Her authenticity and honesty made it quite a lovely listen. I’ve always been a fan, but learning about the texture of her life really endeared her to me.
Why, yes! I’m still here sifting through old episodes of Armchair Expert and inexplicably enthralled in this interview with Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. I’ll leave you with this quote, which I found very helpful for the times we are living in: “If you try to mess with the things you can’t control, you’re gonna be a mess.” It’s always a good time to hold things loosely, and I’m thankful for the reminder.
Thanks to my illustration course, I was introduced to the work of David Gentleman. There’s a short film of him sketching and talking and hearing him say he tried to resist tidying up sketches gave me a newfound sense of freedom in my own approach to sketching. The mixture of both detail and sketchiness in his work is truly astounding to me. A few pieces I’m loving in the early days: Lodi Tomb, Hadrian’s Wall, Seven Sisters, and his sketch of Trafalgar Square in London, You’re Beautiful: An Artist’s Year.
Finally and nonsensically, please excuse me while I toss every salad in the foreseeable future in this cilantro vinaigrette.
Take good care.
xoxo,
Sally