Nuneaton Escape Bookshelf: Ted's Shelf
Participants attending Escape Arts Nuneaton Escape community group worked with Artist Jonny Nicholds on the Double Negative project. The group decided that they would want to use this theme to show their real selves and speak their hidden truths. In discussions, we decided that a library was the ideal setting for showcasing their stories and memories. Each member created a shelf housing book spines which are personal to them. This is Ted's shelf.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64ec8f0fa12fe6140fbe0568/667bfea775598625134bade6_Bookcase.jpg)
Origins: Birmingham late 40s then North Wiltshire from the age of 4. Growing up in the countryside very significant to me, fields!
Passions: Painting from an early age... Arts and the outdoors, walking the Wiltshire downs. And now still painting and loving spaciousness.
Journey: Love and loss the landscape of life, accepting and working with both.
Appreciation: Stopping and looking and hearing. Moments in the midst of difficulties.
Gratitude: Giving thanks for being here and working with what is,… counting, literally the blessings.
Spirituality: Valuing the inner journey, taking time out. Trusting the mystery …something beyond all this.
Longings: The wistfulness of landscape, poetry and music…. Almost beckoning.
Love: Physical, emotional, spiritual …. Acceptance of those you love and all that they bring.
Reflection: A tool for survival! It works! Sometimes we need to take the long view, especially when the going gets tough.
Solitude: Simply getting the balance when there’s too much noise!
Mortality: At the age of 75, time to accept and embrace the inevitable, and trust the beckoning mystery. Loving those lost. Love persists beyond all else.
Culture: The lifeblood of life. Radio 3 or Radio 6 on in the background whilst drawing or painting. Connecting with others through creativity. Discovering poetry Mary Oliver’s “The Wild Geese”, Bruch’s “Violin concerto”, The Eurythmics “Miracle of love” and so much more . Don’t forget George Eliot who walked the fields and canals near where I live.
Place: Touching a rock in the hills near the Mawddach Estuary. Seeing the sun rise on the Far West Pembrokeshire coast. Lying on leaves in a woodland glade.
People: No pedestals, only love and fun and stimulation. The importance of connection and holding on to the love of those no longer with us. Reach out and touch our companions on this journey.