Hello, I really hope you had a good week. It seems to have been another grey one here, with small exclamations of sunshine. Walking along after a rain shower, I saw sparrows enjoying their baths in puddles and for just a moment I saw why rain must come. Apparently, we have not had enough rain, which baffles me.
photo: a new tiny painting - rabbit with gold bird in hand (coming to my shop next Wednesday)
I am looking about my living spaces and realise I have yet to do any spring refresh. I would like to change around my walls of inspiration. But a sign that I got things right, previously, is that I still enjoy staring at what is up there currently. It is though time for a quiet change-about. This will be something I will attempt to do over the next few weeks. (I also need to dust upstairs but that’s a universal problem I am sure)
Still have not completed the rabbit I shared with you a few weeks ago. He will get his moment of final details, hopefully soon. Got obsessed with stitching a chick, for some reason to do with it being spring soon-ish - I made a huge chick. It sort of scared me, being larger than life. Why did I make a big one? I am not showing you for reasons of bafflement. Sometimes it is good to baffle myself and sometimes it just feels like a slight waste of stitch. I shall laugh about it years from now when the chick is re-discovered, nestling in a box of scraps.
My painting life has become more focused and I am enjoying it. The tiny paintings are, yes, tiny but taking up all my desk and time. This I shall embrace. I know a certain joy in painting on a small scale, from the experience of living within those tiny worlds - as I really do get in there, you know. I am actually there in the picture, if you can believe it. And I believe that when it comes to translating ideas into something smaller than the palm of my hand - anything is possible, so long as I take care of my paint brushes, so long as my hands do not tremble, so long as I can sooner rather than later buy new specs. When I paint I challenge myself to get better and better at it.
And yes that now over-quoted but apt phrase from William Blake: to see a world in a grain of sand…..
Most recently some of my tiny paintings have been inspired by my reading. I have been engrossed in history books. My current book is: Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England by Alison Weir. I love to read about English and European history, particularly much earlier times, especially as I was only taught patches of eras in school. I chose History as an option for exams but our syllabus was twentieth century history. As much as this is worthy and interesting, it was not what I really yearned to know about. I talked about this with my sister recently and she agreed with me that so much was missing from our history education.
Of course, what I paint is not a representation of history or any one historical figure - I take the inspiration and make it into my own storytelling. I look at old paintings, tapestries and other folk art, and I make ‘new’. I retell in my own brushstrokes.
I thought I would share here a tiny preview of tiny paintings. So here are a few coming to my shop this next week.
photo: a king on horseback peacefully riding through his land - a new tiny painting
To feel you belong in the world that you paint is all that an artist can really hope for.
I hope for you a happy week ahead and sunshine. As we approach a new season, I will try to not put too much pressure on myself to do all the things at once. It does not matter if I do not grow my own tomatoes from seed. It does not matter if I do not post to Instagram as much as I used to (hardly noticeable). It does matter that I take things day by day and give time to the things I enjoy.
I will be back next week with more stories, but for now more photos, because this week the photos are taking over from the storytelling.
photo: an angelic portrait - a new painting
photo: and another tiny rabbit portrait because where there is one rabbit there are usually many others - and a peek at a sheep. The paintings I am showing you today will all be available next Wednesday. These and many more!
Wishing all fellow Mums a happy Mothering Sunday - which is today in the UK - but I send my best wishes to you where ever you may be in the world - and whether you are mum or have a mum to celebrate. It’s always a day of bittersweet thoughts for me, personally.
Thanks always for reading here, for your kind comments and likes. Please feel free to share this post with friends and please do subscribe. If you support me by buying a coffee I am most grateful indeed - it really does make a difference and helps me give time to writing.
Studio Notes no 80
You also allow us to feel like we belong in these tiny worlds--what makes them especially magical.
Just love all of your paintings so much! Especially the rabbit with the bird ♥️