Hi Michael. Great to catch up with your writing again after being away from home/Substack for a couple of weeks. Really enjoyed the bringing together of the different threads here. Your painting is excellent. A colleague of mine, Rob Mackay, has been tracking and making music around the migration routes of Monarchs for some time as well as recording the sound of the butterflies. He's recently been in Mexico again to follow up on some of the projects he's involved with there and in the US. There are some updates at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robmackay73/.
So much to love here, the mythology, the music, your painting, which I'd like to hear more about. I love the title too. What medium were you using to create it? What inspired it?
Wow, Michael, what a lovely piece of writing this is. I fairly religiously follow a couple dozen writers on Substack and few stay me with me for as long, or affect me as deeply, as some of your pieces have and do. I still regularly think about your reaction to the Rothko paintings at the Tate Modern that you wrote about a few weeks ago.
This piece hit me in so many ways. The folklore and mythology around butterflies, their incredible migration patterns, and the link to the transformations we experience as humans. The Zero 7 album – one of my desert island discs – that so few people seem to know about. To me, that album, and some of Sia Furler’s early solo releases, represent the best expression of her talent (a judgment, yes, but taste is a highly personal thing). And finally, the grace and the love you express for your daughter is a breath of fresh air in a hate-filled and close-minded world. I love your love for her.
Lastly, your painting is absolutely incredible and seeing it I can begin to understand why someone capable of creating art like that could have such a visceral reaction to the Rothko work (even as I’m not necessarily a fan of abstract art).
Thanks for your inspirational and deeply affecting writing, I feel privileged to have found you here.
Hi Michael. Great to catch up with your writing again after being away from home/Substack for a couple of weeks. Really enjoyed the bringing together of the different threads here. Your painting is excellent. A colleague of mine, Rob Mackay, has been tracking and making music around the migration routes of Monarchs for some time as well as recording the sound of the butterflies. He's recently been in Mexico again to follow up on some of the projects he's involved with there and in the US. There are some updates at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robmackay73/.
So much to love here, the mythology, the music, your painting, which I'd like to hear more about. I love the title too. What medium were you using to create it? What inspired it?
Wow, Michael, what a lovely piece of writing this is. I fairly religiously follow a couple dozen writers on Substack and few stay me with me for as long, or affect me as deeply, as some of your pieces have and do. I still regularly think about your reaction to the Rothko paintings at the Tate Modern that you wrote about a few weeks ago.
This piece hit me in so many ways. The folklore and mythology around butterflies, their incredible migration patterns, and the link to the transformations we experience as humans. The Zero 7 album – one of my desert island discs – that so few people seem to know about. To me, that album, and some of Sia Furler’s early solo releases, represent the best expression of her talent (a judgment, yes, but taste is a highly personal thing). And finally, the grace and the love you express for your daughter is a breath of fresh air in a hate-filled and close-minded world. I love your love for her.
Lastly, your painting is absolutely incredible and seeing it I can begin to understand why someone capable of creating art like that could have such a visceral reaction to the Rothko work (even as I’m not necessarily a fan of abstract art).
Thanks for your inspirational and deeply affecting writing, I feel privileged to have found you here.
Michael I love your beautiful painting
Beautiful post. I didn't know the band you mention, so I'll be sure to check it out!
Lovely song and piece. And a reminder to play Zero 7, who I haven’t in far too long….Hopefully new music from them soon.
Beautiful post. A great way for everyone to wake up.