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.
A very happy day and year are hoped for you, Cathy. This is my first time reading your studio notes and it felt like a friendly visit over a cup of tea. I’ve not heard of the music artists you mentioned or the author. So much music artist and authors out there to discover! I am more familiar with folk/ acoustic music genres. I appreciate your thoughts on re-homing things. Im not a minimalist either but finding new homes and giving someone else the joy of something I’ve had for years is uplifting in every sense of the word. Thankful for your wonderful paintings and inspiring sketchbooks. Your talents are so diverse! I appreciate your humor and, your - thoughts on celery.
All the best.
Happy birthday!
I surprised myself today with really enjoying a new album by the countertenor Philippe Jaroussky; I never knew I would… as I tend to prefer instrumental classical music, but I think it’s a good thing to surprise oneself- to evolve and change even when one reaches midlife (and beyond). Like you I also like the work of Arvo Pärt, at the moment his “Fratres” is a favourite.
Looking forward to hear more about Margaret Drabble, I don’t know anything about her earlier work, but found “ The Dark Flood Rises” to be a great read.