pennies from heaven. september. 2021.
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Pennies from Heaven. etching.
sepia on cream paper. 6" X 4". drypoint. copperplate.
With Indonesia as a maritime nation one certainly saw and experienced it best by mostly navigating it by way of the sea whereby one gained a grand sense of the relative vastness of this extraordinary archipelago of islands with its many various cultures and widely varied geography which one ventured through before returning to a wharf to then head to the next destination. Thus it seems befitting to provide a 'travel glimpse' focusing around venturing on the sea...
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Leaving Flores island we both caught one of the large PELNI ferries which cruise the whole of the Indonesian archipelago. These ferries usually follow a two-week course stopping at different ports for about two hours giving just enough time to disembark and board their human cargo. These large passenger boats, which hold up to 1,000 people impeccably keep to their timetable. Sometimes there is a carnival atmosphere at the wharf when the PELNI ferry comes in as people wait to meet visiting relatives or farewell departing ones. (I still have a strong memory of two large middle-aged women in their splendid full length ‘Sunday dresses’ each holding a colourful little umbrella in one hand and waving little hankies as the PELNI left. While we waited for the PELNI to leave Flores several canoes approached the large white ship. I looked far down over the rail to see boys in these canoes call up at the passengers to drop coins; after doing so I watched as they dived into the water to collect their ‘treasure.’ Looking down at these industrious boys from the high vantage point of the top deck one felt like a god; I was so high up I really did feel that I was in heaven dropping coins to mortals below.
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A link to a particular page of the etching website which includes other Indonesian etchings of which the main series is displayed here in this row. (i) nirvana. (view from mt. merapi (ii) creation of the world. ubud. bali. (iii) tree of life. wooden puppets. yogyakarta. java. (iv) pennies from heaven. flores (v) adam & eve. rinca island. (vi)anu krakatau is angry. sumatra.
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Borobudur. Java.
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