Welcome to the bar, where words fizz and flow, and rhymes can be ordered to go. 

Today’s post is a very special one for me. Some of you may recognise it from the past. The very first prompt that I did for dVerse was this post, asking for ekphrastic poems inspired by the work of Fay Collins. Very sadly, Fay developed cancer during lockdown, and died in September this year. I asked the team at dVerse for permission to re-run this prompt as a tribute to her. Looking back at her paintings, what stands out for me is how much love for the world there is in them. Please write your poems with joy  – Fay’s art is so full of joy. Thank you. 

DVerse has “done” ekphrastic poetry before, but the beauty of ekphrasis is that every artist is different, as is every poet, so the result is always fresh.

I had to sneak in the work ekphrastic. I’m enjoying learning the jargon of poetry. You poets will know that I just mean a poem inspired by a work of visual art. I looked up some tips on writing ekphrastic poems here: http://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/5-tips-writing-ekphrastic-poetry – and you’ll be glad to hear that No 4 is “Make it a party” and No 5 is “Share your work” – that pretty well sums up dVerse for me.

So now I want to introduce you to Fay. Fay Collins is an artist working in the North West of England, producing beautiful images of the natural world. She has very kindly given me permission to share her paintings with you all.  I find her art extremely moving. I love the subject matter, the depth of colour, and the emotional interpretation she brings. I’m sure her work will inspire you to produce some amazing poems.

Fay mainly works in oils, oil pastels and water colours, though she has produced some limited edition print runs. She is inspired by “the complexities of nature and landscape”, and the way the landscape changes with the fickle weather of the north of England. As you can see, there is a massive range of weather systems and landscapes to inspire her. If you want to read more about her, you can find her here:  https://faycollinsart.co.uk/

All you have to do, dear poets of the bar, is to choose a picture, and let it inspire your words. If you can’t find inspiration here, have a look at Fay’s website and see some more of her amazing work. You are very welcome to use your chosen picture as an illustration, with credit to Fay, of course.

That’s it. Look at some great paintings. Write. Share your poem via Mr Linky, and don’t forget to read, appreciate, and comment on the work of your fellow writers.