I am one of those creatures at home in the water and summer isn't summer without finding plenty of H2O. The first week or two of this holiday season the H2O came tumbling down from the skies. A lovely mellow quiet descended. I was happy - the painting was happening and it was a relaxing time. Then the sun started bursting through again, the temperature rose and the thirst for water was upon me!
I am just back from a brief visit to a very beautiful coastal spot north of here...and here I am posting images from elsewhere. This is the third post tonight with water images!
Inspired first of all by Louise of 52 suburbs - she got me going on this theme. Then, remembering the beautiful Bronte ocean pool in Sydney led me to the next post of Bronte images from Sally of Nearly Daily Photos. Then I discovered she had a blog called SWIMMING at swimsallyswim.blogspot.com and I thought I just have to post this... its curiously my kind of thing - not that I would have ever thought up this blog! Its rather wonderful with all kinds of references to swimming - literary, artistic, historic and definitely experiential! It got me thinking of the all the places I have swum and the layers of detailed thoughts that come flooding back once those memories are triggered.
Sally has even made some artist trading cards inspired by Bronte baths here. The rest of the images are either her own photos or images from her blog which you can read about at length if you happened to be as aquatically inclined as me!
It seems this blog was started in 1989... This astonishes me... being such a latecomer to the art of blogging! I have to add this small image below from 1989 as it is taken in Pamukkale in Turkey and I actually swam in this same pool in 1987 (if only I had photos!) It was absolutely astonishing. I seem to remember the water was sparkling spring water - carbonated - and the ancient marble columns were scattered on the floor of the pool for one to loll about on! This antique pool was a health centre during the Roman period and it was reshaped in the 7th century AD by an earthquake which toppled the columns.
Travertine pools flow down a steep hill-side at Pamukkale. This was a totally enchanting pace to visit over 20 years ago! Swimming amidst the marble columns was an extraordinary experience. I'd almost forgotten about this till viewing the 'swimming' blog tonight. During 2008 Sally has posted on a number of artists who have been in some way inspired by this theme:
Julian Beever - Taking the plunge
David Hockney: postcard image
1964 David Hockney - Picture of a Hollywood Swimming Pool
David Hockney - Rubber ring floating in a swimming pool, 1987
Edgar Degas - 'peasant girls bathing in the sea at dusk'
Sydney Nolan - above: Anzac swimming at Gallipoli
below: Swimmers at Gallipoli
swimming in ancient Greece
Photo of Ian Thorpe
Birthday Card
2 comments:
How lovely to see all these images of summer while, thousands of miles away, I am looking out at mid-winter snow.
We are indeed in very different stages of nature's cycle at this moment Altoon!
I'm feeling for all of you enduring this long, long season of snow, ice and freezing conditions while I sit next to the fan to keep cool here.
Keep warm!
S
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