Autumn feels like it’s in full swing now. Here in New Brunswick, Canada, the warm temperature has left it feeling more late-summer than early-fall. And I suppose it really is still summer here. Whereas, back in the U.K., this time of the year feels very autumnal.
This time of year, I want to be going on long suburban walks, drinking hot coffee (I mean, when am I not drinking coffee?), sitting in warm cafés , and reading a good book. Okay, I’m basically describing every single day of the year for me. I suppose winter will be drastically different for me this year, as the mild weather I’m accustomed to in England is a far cry from what I’ll experience in the Maritimes of Canada. I don’t see myself going for January strolls out here in the -30c Canadian snow, that’s for sure.
Sorry, I’m starting to ramble a bit. This upcoming winter in Canada will be a good excuse to stay cooped up inside, reading, writing, and watching movies. Sounds like heaven if you ask me.
Speaking of writing, my two major projects are in full swing now. Human Zoo is in its first editing stage, which feels like it’s going really well. I know everybody says this when they create something new, but I honestly think that this is my best work to date. Like my second novel, Like Pigs, it’s an experimental novel, in as much as it delves into brave new territory for me. Both of these novels are my attempt at making sense of the chaos that is British culture, the dark side of humanity, and the value of life. Whereas Like Pigs deals with issues such as animal farming, working-class struggles, and class dynamics, Human Zoo addresses the question of “What is a life worth?” head on.
You can probably tell by my incoherence that I’m really excited about this new novel, which I hope stands a good chance of finding a literary agent.
The other project I’m currently working on is the sequel to my first novel, The Black Rook. This sequel goes by the working title The Fool’s Crown at the moment, but seen as how I haven’t fully plotted out the narrative yet, this subject to change (and most likely will). I’m so happy to be writing in the fantasy genre again. It’s been several years since I penned anything true fantasy (unless you count editing The Black Rook).
I had another painting session today. You can see the result of one of my canvases in the image at the top of the blog post. I love… and I mean love working with acrylic on canvas. At present, my aim is to develop my techniques and establish my style. As I progress with my practice, I want to develop my theoretical abilities, experimenting with various themes and issues.
As you can see from this photo, I have produced quite a bit of abstract art as of late. This piece, as of yet untitled, explored a primal, undefinable aspect of my subconscious. That sentence probably sounded like absolute nonsense, but that’s the best way I can describe it. Abstract art is for me an attempt to expel and express unexplainable thoughts and feelings. The thoughts themselves are not constructed of words or images, so why should the art that expresses them?
Anyway, that’s enough of my incoherent nonsense for now. This blog post was a bit all over the place, I realise. That’s just how my mind works.
Davey Cobb 