I’m really pleased to be collaborating with Cornwall-based artist Colin Brown on the next series of morning bell. Colin paints in oils, and his most recent work has been done in his home-town of Falmouth. He calls this set of paintings ‘Opeways‘ and explains that ‘Falmouth has many historic passages that link the main streets with the quays. The Cornish name ‘Ope’ derives from ‘opening’, and the paintings of these portray a sense of journey’. Colin’s Opeways paintings are being exhibited from 4-15 June at Stuart House Liskeard, Cornwall.
This coming week the Church celebrates two saints from the South West of the British Isles – St Petroc (6th century and particularly associated with Cornwall) and St Boniface (or Wynfrith – 8th century and associated with Devon) – and it seems good to be remembering them by working with an artist who is walking in their footsteps, exploring the Christ path in the South West. Both Petroc and Boniface embarked on pilgrimages of faith and mission, and they would, I sense have been very familiar with both the possibilities and demands of opeways. The words I have written for this series have been inspired by them and by Colin’s paintings. Wherever we are, may we be encouraged to explore the Christ path with renewed hope…