Friday, April 16. 7.30 am: My foot could now ‘stomach’ a walk uphill. I took-off in the direction of Constitution Hill on a ‘seasonably agreeable morning’, to ape posh 19th-century parlance. Before ascending to the summit, I stood on the spot where I’d made my first drawings and paintings of Aberystwyth, back in 1982. Within my personal mythos, this was…

7.15 am: Proof of presence: 7.45 am: A communion. 8.15 am: I viewed the day’s landscape and incoming missives/missiles. For part of the morning I’d be teaching at home — dealing with students who, for various reasons, preferred online tuition still — and then at the School, for the remainder of the day, undertaking (masked) face-to-(masked) face tutorials. (‘Now ……

My li’l toe is indigo. Tuesday, April 13. Last night, I accidently damaged my left foot. Today, I was hobbling. I’d not be in a position to put my feet up over the next few days, but I could refrain from walking, to a large extent. Face-to-face tutorials would have to be substituted by online engagements for the next few…

Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work (Gustav Flaubert (1821-80)). 7.45 am: A communion. 8.15 am: The beginning of the Summer Term. The above maxim was beloved of Frank Zappa — one of the most audacious, iconoclastic, and challenging musician-composers of the 20th century. In his private life, he…

Monday, March 29. WFH: DAY 65/LENT 34. 7.00 am: It was too drizzly and wind-swept to contemplate a walk into the forest. 7.45 am: A communion. I’d be clocking-off for a week’s vacation beginning on Good Friday. A social-media radio silence would also be observed. There was much to complete in the days leading up to it. Yesterday, while taking a…

I learned to love the hard way. Friday, March 26. WFH: DAY 64/LENT 33. 6.45 am: There’d be no traipsing around on the forest floor for me this morning. The wind had risen, while the rain descended. 7.15 am: A communion. 7.45 am: I undertook a little emailery and postgraduate admin, before launching into writing for the Noisome Spirits website once…

What was begun in honour will end in dishonour;And what was begun in joy will end in sorrow;And those who gave will take away.‘God is not mocked’. WFH: DAY 63/LENT 32. Feast of the Annunciation. In my dream, I was about to administer the vaccine to members of the public without any prior training. I was clueless. (Sublimated imposter syndrome, perhaps.)…

‘He restoreth my soul’ (Psalm 23.3).Distract yourself from distracting thoughts. WFH: DAY 62/LENT 31. 7.30 am: On my walk homeward from the Parc, sunlight broke through the morning mist and raked the high-ground all around. Trees that were formerly indistinguishable from one another against the dark density of the forest, now stood in stark relief. In that moment, both the world…

WFH: DAY 61/LENT 30. The anniversary of the first lockdown. On the way through the roads and streets between my house and the entrance to Parc Natur Penglais, I passed children heading (early) to the secondary school at the top of the hill. My mind returned to the days when I’d catch the No. 9 Hills of Tredegar coach from…

‘One of the most important questions every artist has to ask is: “Is it worth persevering?”‘ (Yulia Mahr) Sunday, March 21. Passion Sunday and Census Day: The details of the census will not be publicly accessible for a hundred years. Given the nature of the year in which it has been undertaken, I’ve no doubt that the returns will attract…