Lynette Willoughby – Artist ….

Needing to fix (and then dry) the graphite rubbings I’d done at Brantwood – from the path that Ruskin walked and the seat he sat in – too smelly a job for inside, a sunny day but a bit windy so they pegged them to the hedge.

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Just had a wonderful weekend at Brantwood – Ruskin’s stunning home in the Lakes. ‘Spiritual Landscapes – the power of landscape to move us’. Led by the curator there, Howard Hull; thoroughly enjoyable, stimulating, enlightening and engaging weekend with a really lovely, interesting group.

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We’ve submitted another book to the second stage of The Frankenstein exhibition, in Kirkby Gallery, Knowsley, opening this month. This time we focused on the themes of Remorse and Revenge in the book – Frankenstein’s remorse and anguish at having created such a monster; the monster, rejected by Frankenstein and everyone he meets, seeks revenge. But in the end Frankenstein turns to revenging the deaths of his loved ones killed by the monster and the monster finally remorseful beside the bed of his dead creator.

The concertina of the book (pages from a lovely copy of Frankenstein) follows the development of the story – told by an explorer (Walton) sailing to the arctic (pop-up boat from a graphic novel edition of the book; the pages all icy white, the words whited out except every instance of revenge, remorse, anguish, repent and compassion); all written in letters to his sister (flying little envelopes addressed to her).

Maps of Frankenstein’s travels are included – Ingolstadt where Frankenstein studied; Geneva where he returns to his family; Chamonix where Frankenstein goes to grieve; Tilbury Docks, London and Edinburgh on his way to the Orkney Islands where he goes to create a companion for the monster.

The final page is a mesostic using the monster’s final speech. Under the concertina pages are little blotters, as Walton might have had on his desk as he wrote the letters telling the story told to him by the dying Frankenstein.

I’ve posted a video of the book here.

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Can’t resist adding these pictures from my trip to Switzerland with Jan this June. Stayed in the lovely Berghaus Toni in Reideralp (run by my friend Linda’s cousin) before going to Zermat valley to walk across the suspension bridge near Randa (longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world, almost 500m long). When at Reideralp we did a ‘practice’ bridge (I’m scared of heights so needed to ‘warm up’ before tackling the longer bridge, but in fact the practice bridge was much scarier than the big one) – and half way across a goat started across from the other side! – Billy Goat Gruff and all that. It pushed past me then followed me back to the far side – and then proceeded to lick me! – obviously my sweaty arms and neck were tasty sources of salt for it.

Altogether a great holiday – so good to be amongst all those mountains –

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