Creative but not stitch!

During the past 3 weeks I have been sorting and disposing of the church studio, as I mentioned in my last post.

I did however manage to fit in a poetry workshop.  As a warm up exercise we were asked to use the opening words of the Mary Oliver poem:Franz Marc's Blue Horses - 'I step into the painting.

Sara-Jane asked us to use Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) by Henri Rousseau for inspiration. 

Here's what I wrote during the workshop.

Surprised!

I step into the painting
as torrents of rain
cascade from monsoon clouds
and permeate my clothes.

Surprised by my sudden appearance
the tiger cautiously retreats
under the cover of the undergrowth
that conveniently camouflages him.

Strangely, the canvas of the painting
feels soft and warm.
The fronds of plants envelope me
as if made of cloth.

Stitch-like brushstrokes feather in
the greenish hues of foliage
whilst each leaf emerges
well-defined from its neighbour.

Surprised by the textile quality
of the painting, I step back
out of Rousseau’s artwork
and the tiger stealthily returns.

The theme for the session was horses but I didn't write about that.  Instead after the session I tried writing another poem based on a painting.  This time JMW Turner's Rain Steam Speed.

Maidenhead

The hiss of steam.
The smell of burning coal.
The heavy trembling of the viaduct.
I could hear and smell and feel
The monster rushing toward me
Through the rain that surrounded it.
It was as if I had stepped into the painting.

I sensed staring eyes
But there was no one near.
I wrapped the long velvet cloak
more closely around me.
The hem of my dress was muddied
spoiling the pale chiffon.
Why was I wearing this?

Steam hissing.
Bridge shaking.
Ground rattling.
The clatter came closer
Constantly drumming.
Clickety-clacking.
Never stopping. 

The train charged past me
Thrusting me back from the line.
The sounds and smells faded
as the train headed west.
And I found myself
back in the National Gallery
amongst the staring crowd.

If you like to write creatively whether prose or poetry why not give this a try.

Thanks for being here today
Bernice