Recent tiny sketchbook pages
Hello, yes this is studio notes 38a - as I made an error - last week should have been 37 but I jumped ahead… so, here we are with 38a…
I am writing this a little later than usual as I have been tinkering in the garden. I say tinkering to suggest a kind of creative play rather than heavy duty spades gardening. I love gardens but have limited space, budget and time - indeed, I have no garden of my own, living in a rented property. However, I do enjoy other people’s gardens and am much inspired by them. My paintings and drawings often depict gardens, often semi-wild spaces, as these are my favourite kind of garden to discover. I like walking about a neighbourhood and seeing mature gardens that have wild areas, gnarly orchard trees, overgrown roses with wildflowers in the lawn. At the same time, I especially enjoy seeing little courtyard spaces, urban gardens that make use of fondly recycled ceramics, glass, handmade sculpture, pebbles, mosaics…. Cloister gardens fascinate me, the idea of being contained by a garden and happily walled in. Tiny, secret gardens in unexpected spaces (city alleyways for example) fascinate me. I like the idea of making hidden gardens within gardens. As one idea for a tiny garden comes so another emerges. I have been fortunate to visit the Chelsea Flower Show a few times (years ago now) and each time I lingered the most in the tiny garden areas.
A few of my neighbours have fairy gardens - in their front gardens. I love this as they are being shared with the local community. When I pass by I feel an urge to leave some kind of offering, as thanks for their generous and playful spirit. Perhaps a shiny pebble or feather from my own garden. But I have yet to do this because I recognise these gardens are quite possibly carefully managed by grandchildren who like to find things just so…. I still keep a few of my now grown-up children’s garden toys in our garden space. There is a dragon or two still lurking amongst the ferns…..
My ‘blue and white’ garden in progress
A few months ago I had a strange dream, one of those lucid-before-waking dreams that was actually pleasant. The dream was a visit to an unknown house. It had a Japanese look with a walkway around the perimeter. Before reaching any door I had to walk by a garden planted with serene green plants and mosses, and punctuated with blue and white ceramics. I wished to linger in this garden, it was such a delight to see. It was simple and yet caught my attention. As soon as I woke up I wrote this dream in a notebook and decided I must make something inspired by this.
And so finally this morning I found the energy and time to wrap up warm and get on with it. I have still plenty to do. It seems each year I reinvent the little garden space by my kitchen door, which this is (see above) and that is another good reason why having a small space is a good idea for me - I can reinvent more easily. It’s like having an outdoor sketchbook….My dream garden did not have broken blue and white ceramics but complete vessels. However, I have decided to embroider on the dream and add a layer of interest with broken blue and white, as I had things to hand (to smash, I should say). I now need more to-be-smashed blue and white plates, just a few, so if anyone local to me has a few plates I will happily trade you for something you might be looking for….
I will update here on how my gardening develops over the coming growing season and how it might inspire my art.
I found this blue and white vessel in a charity shop.
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Alys Fowler’s book The Woman Who Buried Herself - I have been a little slow in getting this organised, my apologies. If you are interested in reading this book and discussing then I am starting to read soon and the first discussion of the book will take place online later this month - if anyone wishes to join in. I know I got a few people saying yes they would like to read along with me. All are welcome.
I have started a Goodreads group to discuss the book. Please sign up to the group if you would like to join in. If you don’t have a Goodreads account it is simple to set up and you don’t need to share lots of details. It is just a simple space to discuss.
Thank you!
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I enjoyed making my mixed media March work, which is a kind of tongue-twister, but an honestly good month was had in the studio and I am very grateful to you all for your interest. April is going to see a continuation of some ideas - definitely more stitch. I am happy to say that my sewing machine and I seem to be cooperating and making progress with ideas. Making use of my collections of plant dyed fabrics, papers from old books - that has to be one of my most favourite ways to explore drawing with my machine. I have been cutting up hand-stitched patchwork and making use of fragments; it has felt liberating and exciting to ‘begin again’ after a break from any machine work. At this time, I just want to continue with where I am and enjoy the lightness, the abstraction that is coming through the figures that I draw.
Meanwhile, I am going to devote some time each week to new tiny landscapes and other paintings. I have felt the tiny landscapes calling me - I just enjoy the storytelling and the challenge of working on that scale. So expect to see a few or more through April.
Sketchbook pages from April 2013
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Thanks always for reading here and for your sharing, comments and support. If you would like to buy me a coffee that would be very welcome.
I really love your blue and white garden! The contrast with the plants is quite lovely. We are going a step further this year with rewinding the back of our yard. Planning to sprinkle wildflower seeds across the lawn and then mow only a path to meander amongst the ancient trees. The side of the yard has been given over to wildlife, providing food and water to all types of birds, rabbits, and squirrels. Looking out the window often feels like watching a Disney movie! ❤️