Studio Notes no. 19

a birthday list of sorts

a few favourite sketchbook pages from earlier this year

Today is my birthday, so I thought I would share a few things I have learned in the last twelve months. 

I started writing something that quickly became maudlin  - along the lines of ‘the world is on fire and I don’t like how things are’ etc… So I have spared you from reading that. Instead, here are some more lighthearted and art-themed insights.

There are so many new-to-me musicians and composers I have discovered in this past year. Music is my primary entertainment as I don’t watch television and only dip into YouTube now and then. I need a break from the visual, especially at the end of a busy day. So music is what I enjoy the most. I have discovered I really like Grouper, Brian Eno, Julia Holter, Marrisa Nadler, Arvo Part, a great deal of what the record label ECM puts out.

I also enjoy listening to a lot of contemporary folk/alternative music and subscribe to Folk Radio which is a mix you can listen to on Mixcloud. You can visit their site at www.folkradio.co.uk where they give info on the artists included in mixes.

I have discovered I like celery, after all! Celery was one of those veg that I was not offered as a child, it being terribly exotic (it isn’t, it is grown in this country but for some reason I never got to taste it). For years I thought I didn’t like celery. Now I happily add it to my homemade soup. I will eat a small amount in a salad. Feeling quite grown-up about it!

I love making soup more than ever. It is the best thing to eat after a busy day.

An author I have discovered for myself this past year: Margaret Drabble. Why did I think she was just AS Byatt’s less interesting sister? That’s so unfair to her. I love her writing. So far I have read her first couple of novels and would like to continue to read in the order they were written. I don’t do that with all authors there’s so many to choose from with Drabble - she is such a prolific novelist. Witty, insightful and concise. I like very much. 

I’ve gone off Bonnard. I have been a fan of years and years but - I am going through a meh phase with his paintings. I open a book for inspiration and come away feeling less than revved up. It’s not the subject matter, nor is it the way he paints women as objects - there’s an honesty to that. No, it’s something I can’t quite articulate. A clunkiness? I know I will come around to looking at his work with fresh eyes, some time, possibly. This happens when looking at art, especially painting.

I like red, the colour. I have never disliked red but I am finding I am more attracted to it, especially when working with textiles. Something happy and reassuring about it - perhaps I am reaching for those things.

I like pencils. See last week’s post. I like drawing more than ever. 

I value my sketchbooks more than ever. They are even more of a big deal for me, because I see them at the centre of what I do. Finding interesting ways to share them with others is good and I want to see that coffee table book featuring sketchbook pages - I just have to figure out how it can happen whilst still doing everything else.

I have discovered having a good phone camera is just as a good as using a digital camera. This has saved me a great deal of time. I use an iphone 11. I can edit photos easily. It copes well with low light. Oh the time I save though! I liked my old digital SLR and will still use it for certain things, but to be honest I haven’t used it much at all lately. Indeed I use the iphone for pretty much everything, including adding items to my Bigcartel shop, watching YouTube and shopping. 

Over the past year my family and I have been slowly sorting through our possessions. My daughter has decided to really minimise her wardrobe. I have culled my book collection - I still need to do more. My son is slowly allowing himself to let go of a few old things from childhood. I am still in the process of deciding on what other things I will let go of. But there will be more to re-home. I am not a minimalist at all. I love collecting things and I know that more than ever. I just need to focus on what I collect and the materials I hoard for making things!

I love the woods and meadows of my local park. I am so grateful to have that space just a few minutes walk from my door. I went for a walk a few days ago and wandered about alone but with many squirrels and birds and trees for company. To have that is such a blessing - it is a wonderful and not to be taken for granted….. Okay I might be moving into ‘the world is on fire’ territory so will end here….

Thanks for reading.  I am so, so grateful to each person who has subscribed to these studio notes. So I will keep this brief and get on with some relaxing stitching for my day.