Artist works with nephew on painting and poem about Covid-restricted New Year

An Ely artist has collaborated with his nephew who lives in Madrid, on a sketch and drawing about celebrating New Year under Covid-19 restrictions.  

Ted Coney, who has continued to make paintings about family life under lockdown but hopes to open his pop-up gallery on Waterside later in the year, did the sketch while Andrew wrote the poem.

In the meantime, Ted has decided to extend his appeal for NHS Charities Together until the end of March through his virtual tour which can be found on his website. 

For 99p, visitors can have four of Ted’s paintings explained as well as see him fly back in time to 1930s Hollywood in his 90-year-old Morris Minor to understand the ideas behind one of them. 

Read the poem below:

With hearts of gloom,

In a world of doom,

Under siege by a plague,

From Mumbai to the Hague.

With months at home,

And no right to roam,

A man and his wife,

Strode out through the night.

As they walked along,

They heard a song,

A Scottish tune,

Which made them swoon.

And then by chance,

They began to dance.

And laughed and screamed,

As if in a dream.

Two sprites in the night,

It was such a delight,

So nimble and quick,

With movements so slick.

With a twist and twirl,

And light-footed whirl,

Their arms in the air,

They danced with flare.

The sky was aflame,

With flashes that came,

From fiery fireworks,

That drove them berserk.

Although this scene,

By no soul was seen,

The moon looked down,

Upon the town.

And on his face,

So full of grace,

Appeared a smile,

That lasted a while.

This moment of glee,

He gladly did see,

And as he shone harder,

The world turned brighter.