Compassion, Spring 2023

Spring 2023 - Compassion | tcf.org.uk 16 After we lost James to the River Thames in 2005 in an accident, I was asked whether I still enjoyed being by water; and my honest answer was, “Yes, despite what happened, it doesn’t necessarily trouble me”. In fact, when we lived in Surrey near the Basingstoke Canal, I found my regular walks and jogs along the towpath to be some of the most healing and tranquil times that I have experienced. I have a problem crossing the clapper bridge at Tarr Steps, however. I think it is because the water runs and rushes underneath the stones and my mind can’t process the movement beneath me. I feel as though I will lose my balance when I am walking on the stones; it is like a strange kind of vertigo. I can cross easily if I have someone to hold onto, as long as I keep my eyes fixed firmly on the other side. So at least I can do it! I love the quality of the late afternoon light on the water in the image. The sun was dropping quickly behind the trees; the reflected light on the water was beautiful. The shutter speed of the camera stilled the sinuous ripples round the stones and the people on the bridge introduced a splash of colour. I think that moving into the mourning light is like crossing a bridge that has a maelstrom going on underneath it. It’s akin to the analogy of a graceful swan, serene on the surface and paddling madly beneath. Fast forward to November 2022 and I was pondering a choice of images to paint in my local art class. (I live near Tiverton in Devon). Our teacher Gill saw my Tarr Steps photo and asked if she could paint it herself. Gill is a skilled, experienced artist who has a wonderful knack of capturing the balance of landscape, light and water. “All my favourite ingredients are there in your image, Different Steps into the Mourning Light by Andrea Corrie BEM