Slice of Life

Bluebells in Oxford, UK
April 2018

Hollyhock, Barbican, London, UK
July 2020

I would wash myself in these pictures of plum trees and apple blossoms, sakura pink, bluebell, green, purple and smooth, all over again, until I’m drowning in petals like guests of Roman emperors, metaphorically – the idea behind art, no, the idea behind reality, without the pettiness and the evil meanings and the drama.

Alexis, Iles du Gaou, France
October 2020

Andreia in the gardens of Hatfield House, UK
2017

Wisteria in Hampton Court, UK
May 2018

Spidery rose in Hertford, UK
June 2018

Golden square sunflowers, London, UK
July 2018

Hampstead, London, UK
March 2019

Filters or no filters, no way to mask how beautiful it really is, at twilight, at night, under the rain, the pouring rain, the mist and the blurring of my daydreaming.

Hampstead, London, UK
March 2019

Pergola Hill Garden, London, UK
March 2019

Alexis, Barbican, London, UK
July 2019

La Garde-Adhemar, France
August 2019

Le Mans, France
November 2019

Le Mans, France
November 2019

I will sit in awe, virtually surrounded by this image of truth, however far in space and time, or even, however near, and rediscover all the tiny details and the big panoramas I already know, the ones I’ve seen, the ones I dream about.

Epping forest, London, UK
November 2019

Wishwood, Canterbury, UK
December 2019

The lost gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, UK
February 2020

The lost gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, UK
February 2020

Hollyhock, Barbican, London, UK
July 2020

Jasmine in Barbican, London, UK
June 2020

Magnolia in Barbican, London, UK
September 2020

Ladybird, Six-Fours-Les-Plages, France
November 2020

And hopefully the roots will take, the trees will grow in my brain, the blooms and leaves will rain in my mind.

Sunset study on Krita
2020

Nachi falls, Wakayama, Japan
September 2019

Seigantoji, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, Japan
September 2019

Hatfield House gardens, UK
Pic taken by Andreia Silva, April 2018

Le Mans, France
May 2018

Postman Park, London, UK
August 2019

An internal Hanami will morph into harvest into Halloween into Hemanta into hibernal into harmattan into holidays into healing.

St Bartholomew the great, London, UK
September 2019

Hampstead, London, UK
October 2019

Barbican, London, UK
November 2019

Wishwood, Canterbury, UK
November 2019

Wishwood, Canterbury, UK
December 2019

St Giles, Barbican, London, UK
December 2019

The lost gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, UK
February 2020

The lost gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, UK
February 2020

St Paul’s cathedral, London, UK
March 2020

City of London, London, UK
April 2020

Barbican, London, UK
April 2020

Barbican, London, UK
May 2020

Barbican, London, UK
June 2020

Krakow, Poland
December 2018

Alexis reading – sketch
June 2020

Barbican, London, UK
July 2020

Barbican, London, UK
July 2020

Wisteria in Hampton Court, UK
May 2018

Alexis, Six-Fours-Les-Plages, France
November 2020

Gorky park, Moscow, Russia
November 2018

Wisteria in Hampton Court, UK
May 2018

Le Brusc, Six-Fours-Les-Plages, France
December 2020

Syon, Switzerland
December 2018

Miyajima, Hiroshima, Japan
September 2019

Train to Hakone, Japan
August 2019

Alexis in the Site of Reversible Destiny, Yoro, Gifu, Japan
August 2019

Jasmine in the Barbican at night, London, UK
July 2020

Gourdon, France
October 2020

Just the unadulterated slice of life, the seasons seasoning my senses and smothering my stress.

Drome, France
October 2020

Ladybird, Six-Fours-Les-Plages, France
November 2020

Alexis, Six-Fours-Les-Plages, France
November 2020

Stream of consciousness, written during the 1st lockdown (an entire season ) 2020, and reworked now, during a second lockdown.

Slice of life animes, philosophy and taking pictures provided a lot of solace when I was feeling anxious or burnt out.

Here is my Pinterest board of some Slice of Life art that inspires me:

You can also find a list of Slice of Life animes on Anime Planet.

The ones I really liked this year are Non Non Biyori (the epitome of slice of life I guess), Flying Witch (slice of life with a witch), March comes in like a lion (about a shogi player and his friends), School Babysitters, Teasing Master Takagi-san, or School-Live! (much recommended slice of life with shocking twists!) on top of some Ghibli favourites like Kiki’s delivery service or My neighbour Totoro.