them there hills
Them there hills – byways of the Quantocks
When I started working on the Quantocks, as always, I was looking for wide-open spaces, big skies, and forever views. The Quantocks has this in abundance with sea views thrown in. I had no intention of following in the footsteps of the Bards. I like to relate my work to poetry, but that usually comes into play once a piece has been finished.
Coleridge and Wordsworth, the Quantocks are associated with them and their poetry. It is a part of the identity of the region. Making it hard to wonder ‘them thee hills’ without feeling a pang of Romanticism, for they helped give birth to the Romantic movement here. Wondering about appreciating just what it was they saw and must have felt for the place. How could I not revisit their works, written whilst living and roaming in this special place
‘Upon smooth Quantock’s airy ridge we roved, unchecked, or loitered ’mid her sylvan combes’ (Wordsworth)
‘Now, my friends emerge
Beneath the wide wide Heaven—and view again
The many-steepled tract magnificent
Of hilly fields and meadows, and the sea’ (Coleridge).
So, this body of work is about place, my feelings, and impressions, as always. The words of the Bard's influence not only what I see but how I express it. I have named each piece in this series from a poem that has also been the inspiration for a particular work.
When I started working on the Quantocks, as always, I was looking for wide-open spaces, big skies, and forever views. The Quantocks has this in abundance with sea views thrown in. I had no intention of following in the footsteps of the Bards. I like to relate my work to poetry, but that usually comes into play once a piece has been finished.
Coleridge and Wordsworth, the Quantocks are associated with them and their poetry. It is a part of the identity of the region. Making it hard to wonder ‘them thee hills’ without feeling a pang of Romanticism, for they helped give birth to the Romantic movement here. Wondering about appreciating just what it was they saw and must have felt for the place. How could I not revisit their works, written whilst living and roaming in this special place
‘Upon smooth Quantock’s airy ridge we roved, unchecked, or loitered ’mid her sylvan combes’ (Wordsworth)
‘Now, my friends emerge
Beneath the wide wide Heaven—and view again
The many-steepled tract magnificent
Of hilly fields and meadows, and the sea’ (Coleridge).
So, this body of work is about place, my feelings, and impressions, as always. The words of the Bard's influence not only what I see but how I express it. I have named each piece in this series from a poem that has also been the inspiration for a particular work.
![late summer on them there hills late summer on them there hills by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/late_summer_on_them_there_hills_thumb.jpg)
late summer on them there hills
![magic in the air magic in the air by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/all_is_still_2_thumb.jpg)
magic in the air
![Distance brings us close Distance Brings us Close by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/Ah_me_what_lovely_tints_are_there_1_thumb.jpg)
Distance brings us close
![a breath of fresh air](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/a_breath_of_fresh_air_2_thumb.jpg)
a breath of fresh air
![come come bleak wind come come bleak wind by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/come_come_bleak_wind_thumb.jpg)
come come bleak wind
![milk of paradise milk of paradise by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/milk_of_paradise_thumb.jpg)
milk of paradise
![roaming the Quantocks with the Bards roaming the Quantocks with the Bards by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/roving_the_Quantocks_with_the_Bards_1_thumb.jpg)
roaming the Quantocks with the Bards
![all is still all is still by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/all_is_still_thumb.jpg)
all is still
![walking in the air walking in the air by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/walking_in_the_air_2_thumb.jpg)
walking in the air
![glimmer of green light glimmer of green light by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/glimmer_of_green_light_thumb.jpg)
glimmer of green light
![hello September hello September by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/hello_September_thumb.jpg)
hello September
![by the way by the way by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/by_the_way_thumb.jpg)
by the way
![whispers whispers by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/whispers_1_thumb.jpg)
whispers
![enchanted enchanted by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/enchanted_thumb.jpg)
enchanted
![luminous cloud luminous cloud by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/luminous_cloud_2_thumb.jpg)
luminous cloud
![green, red and pearly white green and red by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/green_red_and_pearly_white_thumb.jpg)
green, red and pearly white
![phantom light phantom light by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/phantom_light_thumb.jpg)
phantom light
![one last look onelast look by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/one_last_look_thumb.jpg)
one last look
![this way or that way o'er silent hills this way or that way o'er silent hills by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/this_way_or_that_way_oer_silent_hills_1_thumb.jpg)
this way or that way o'er silent hills
![balmy, serenity of the western sky balmy, serenity of the western sky by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/balmy_serenity_of_the_western_sky_thumb.jpg)
balmy, serenity of the western sky
![hope, forever on the wing hope forever by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/hope_forever_on_the_wing_1_thumb.jpg)
hope, forever on the wing
![colours of late summer colours of September by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/colours_of_late_summer_thumb.jpg)
colours of late summer
![on a clear day on a clear day by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/on_a_clear_day_1_thumb.jpg)
on a clear day
![red and pearly white red and pearly white by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/red_and_pearly_white_1_thumb.jpg)
red and pearly white
![breath breath by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/breath_thumb.jpg)
breath
![slowley comes spring slowley comes spring by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/slowley_comes_spring_thumb.jpg)
slowley comes spring
![rimmed and circled by a silver thread silver thread by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/rimmed_and_circled_by_a_silver_thread_thumb.jpg)
rimmed and circled by a silver thread
![purple shadow purple shadows by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/purple_shadow_thumb.jpg)
purple shadow
![sonnet to a summers day sonnet to a summers day by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/sonnet_to_a_summers_day_thumb.jpg)
sonnet to a summers day
![that green light that lingers in the west green light by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/that_green_light_that_lingers_in_the_west_thumb.jpg)
that green light that lingers in the west
![the song thrush song thrush by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/the_song_thrush_thumb.jpg)
the song thrush
![theres gold over them there hills gold over them hills by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/theres_gold_in_them_there_hills_thumb.jpg)
theres gold over them there hills
![road to Xanadu i road to Xanadu by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/road_to_Xanadu_i_thumb.jpg)
road to Xanadu i
![road to Xanadu ii road to Xanadu by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/road_to_Xanadu_ii_thumb.jpg)
road to Xanadu ii
![road to Xanadu iii road to Xanadu by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/road_to_Xanadu_iii_thumb.jpg)
road to Xanadu iii
![road to Xanadu iv road to Xanadu by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/road_to_Xanadu_iv_thumb.jpg)
road to Xanadu iv
![road to Xanadu v road to Xanadu by ashar](https://amazon.clikpic.com/ashar/images/road_to_Xanadu_v_thumb.jpg)