Angela Harding
Some of you will be familiar with Angela Harding's distinctive artwork, for instance on the book cover of The Salt Path (which I have not read but seen in bookshops and read reviews on blogs).
Last summer, when my sister and I visited Fountains Abbey and, as always, paid a visit to the National Trust shop in the visitor centre, I saw this book and immediately wanted it. But... it's relatively big and a hardcover, and so I decided against buying it there and then, keeping in mind that I would have to drag my luggage across several train stations and foot bridges on the way home.
Instead, I took a photo of the book cover with my mobile phone. When some time in late autumn O.K. asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I sent him the photo, and then happily unwrapped this beautiful book on Christmas Day.
It's the kind of book you can read from cover to cover, but also just pick up every now and then, look at some of the wonderful pictures and maybe read a paragraph or two.
There six chapters; not just the usual four seasons, but one extra chapter each for early spring and early summer, since the author feels that these seasons are so rich and important in their own way that they deserve their own chapters.
Of course, I especially loved the pictures that had a fox in them, and the ones of places I know, such as Newby Hall, Richmond and Whitby.
Many pictures have an explanation of what the artist was trying to convey, what the picture is based on etc. Chapters are introduced with a poem, followed by a one-page description of what this particular season means to her.
On a few pages at the beginning, the book contains an introduction to Angela Harding and her work, with photos of her studio and the views from it and the equipment she uses.
Of course there is loads about her on the internet; wikipedia has an entry about her, and on youtube you can find short and long videos, including this one which is ca. 3 1/2 minutes about this book.
I have greatly enjoyed the book, neatly dividing the time I spent with it when I wanted some cosy downtime after work in my yellow armchair, wrapped in my "Annie" throw (another find at the National Trust shop which O.K. kindly ordered for me as a present some years ago), a cup of tea and maybe some biscuits.
It was nice to arrive at the chapter about winter just when we had another snow fall. I am certainly going to return to this book every now and then, to set the mood for each season as the year unfolds.
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