photo: recent sketchbook pages
I have been looking back through older sketchbooks, some more than ten or even fifteen years old. Over the years they all add up. It has interested me to see how my approach to sketchbooks has evolved over the years. I’ve had my junk journal moments in the late 90’s, followed by more wordy books with loose sketches and then pages of handwriting. More recently, my sketchbooks have been either completely painted or larger collage books. I realised that my completely painted pages have been a little neglected, so I began over the past few days a concentrated approach - that is to paint at least a few pages each day.
I’ve managed this, despite the time it takes, because I have enjoyed the freedom of them so much. The painterly books are very much about taking up the space with mark making, colour and shape. The subject matter is mostly figures within in interiors but there really does not have to be a subject matter, as such. And I love to paint and make textures that need not feel refined or one thing. It’s that almost ghostly appeal that appeals to me!
photo: recent sketchbook pages
What inspires my sketchbooks is just about everything and anything, but especially these books are a response to, in some ways, historical painting. They are not, really not, my attempt at copying or mimicking in anyway. I doubt I will ever wish to me a large scale oil painter who paints in the style of - no, you know that’s not me - I do my own contrary thing. I look, I have a dialogue, I see ideas, find abstraction in the early nineteenth century, make use of the colours that resonate with me, add in a good move toward whatever else emerges. It’s understanding how to move these pages along that makes them what they are - it’s that when to stop thing. And that is only discovered through yes, experience - anticipating what will happen if one two many elements is added, for example. But it’s also about something I can’t explain, an intuitive response to seeing, that comes from knowing what you need from a picture.
photo: recent sketchbook pages
**
I recently picked out some lovely books from my local library. I got lucky - it is only a modest size library but they did have several books that appealed to me. Here are two that caught my eye.
The Constable book is lovely and I would like to own a copy of my own some day. I enjoy so much about William Morris and his world and will say more in future notes.
John Constable had a sister named Martha. Whilst paintings of his other sisters, Ann and Mary, exist, there is no known portrait of Martha. When reading about this I noted Martha was also known as Patty. My paternal grandmother, our Granny, was Martha but known to mostly everyone as Pat. I used to think this was a name she had adopted for herself because she did not like the name Martha so much.
However, it seems, looking up the Martha and Pat connection, there was a fashion for some time to change christian names beginning with M to names beginning with P. So, for example, a girl or woman called Mary might be known as Polly. And so on - and I did not know this before now??
And of course this has now taken me down a rabbit hole reading up about George Washington’s wife Martha and her daughter Martha - also known as Patsy, or Patty….
Happy 4th of July to all my American family and friends (that’s you) - hope you enjoy your holiday tomorrow.
**
A few smaller notes from this week
The library is so quiet, except for the loud-speaking librarian it would be silent. I am the only person in the whole of the main section. There is a woman with her two young children in the children’s corner. I note a large display of Ukrainian children’s books - there are several families from Ukraine now living in my local community.…. But the library is so quiet and I worry that no one comes here any more. It is Saturday morning. I try to think back to earlier times when I might come to the library and think perhaps by this afternoon the place will be busy with borrowers. My childhood library was a sanctuary to me - it felt like a luxury and just a short walk round the corner from my home.
*
A lovely afternoon spent with a lovely friend and a new acquaintance at a tea shop - a real treat, somewhere I have not been before. It is a proper village-y place with not just the tea shop but a cosy craft shop filled with hand knitted things, jams and pottery. It reminds me of the out of the way villages I used to go when I loved in Cambridgeshire. I have an odd sense of deja vu - as if I should know this place. I certainly want to go again some time in the future - the cake was delicious and I loved spending time in good company - it really did lift my spirits.
*
Goldfinches - one two three - all tangled up in the fluff of ragwort going to seed. They jump about then flit off as I approach….
*
My daughter tells me how she went for a walk across the meadow area of the park and just sat in amongst the grasses, watching the butterflies. There are many, many different winged things in the meadow. It is something not to be taken for granted.
*
Yes, I am taking a break from Instagram - not sure for how long, might be a few weeks or more - I just want to see how things go. A breather (if only short) is necessary. I will miss seeing other people’s posts, of course, but will hope to stay in touch. I am grateful to have a small group of artist and photographer friends on Flickr (I am happy to see you there).
But I am still updating my shop each week! Yes - the preview last week went very well. I showed everything ‘coming soon’ from midday on Wednesday and I could see many people did come and take a look. So please do remember you can check my shop from midday on Wednesday to see what’s new. And the update will be at 8pm UK time.
This week I am aiming to offer a little of everything! So we shall see, but expect to get to see a mix of tiny paintings, a few smaller stitch pieces, collages, drawings and maybe more - thanks always.
photo: recent sketchbook pages
*
Thank you for reading here, for subscribing and for your comments - much appreciated. All these posts are shared as free to all - if you enjoy reading please do consider buying me a coffee - it really does help out. Thanks to all who have done so.
Intrigued by people changing their M names to P names. So strange! Any idea why the fashion came about?
Yours is the only newsletter I read and it is always a joy. I keep seeing tiny jewelled goldfinches. They make the day seem precious