photo: recent sketchbook pages (2023)
Hello everyone. Being here, right in the heart of town, I can of course see and hear people going about their daily lives. Being up here in the attic with old windows I am often startled by an early morning cough - whether it is human or fox ( I can usually tell the difference). I can report an increased level of sneezing and coughing generally, for it is that time of year…. So, I do hope you are keeping well.
A busy week has gone by. Thank you to everyone for keeping me busy! It is much appreciated. Stitched pieces often take me extra time to make and I am sure you appreciate I won’t ever wish to rush these. It’s a fine balancing act, always - making sure I pace myself and do not feel too pressured. I am really very grateful and humbled by the interest in my imaginative world.
This week I am sharing here a look at autumn sketchbooks, both recent and from the past. It’s been interesting to look back and see what I have from the past many years! Not so many autumn pages as perhaps I thought I had, or at least not so many according to my Flickr archives (I am posting again on Flickr, as it is a useful place to keep a long-term record especially of sketchbooks).
I am also including here poetry notes (my own writing). I hope to perhaps make time to stitch a few poetry pieces in the next few weeks - perhaps smaller hearts or birds with a fragment of poetry notes rather than complete poems - we shall see.
***
photo: sketchbook pages from 2021
Autumn whispers -
a rattle of birds and seeds
for time is slippery amongst the leaves
photo: sketchbook from 2022
Fox barks furiously
at the fox-coloured leaves,
walks the car park perimeter, looking
through fox-coloured branches
at the rust of her youth -
all the lost trees singing again with the sun
in their heads.
photo: sketchbook from 2022
Crow wanders across town
in a rush of gold and silver moon,
in every window a different glow,
too many moons to call upon.
photo: sketchbook pages from 2018
For rain and rainbow,
twig and ‘shroom,
the deluge and the warmer hour,
bring together autumn’s
rusty charm.
photo: sketchbook from 2014
Forget the names of trees and clouds
as you remember old paths.
Find new ways to celebrate the fog.
Watch for a moment, the defiant flowers,
a dark shadow of selves,
trace their songs and keep them in your pocket
with acorns and rose hips.
photo: sketchbooks 2016
Be stoic as the world flutters madly.
Walk with your heart as fiery as the trees.
Fill your baskets with bird song,
your pockets with emptiness.
Become a little mysterious to yourself.
photo: sketchbook from 2010
Fallen Gold, brittle wings,
a jigsaw of weather,
fragmented bird voices
in a sweep of leaves
photo: sketchbook from 2023
Thank you always for reading here - for your kind comments too (still playing catch-up). If you enjoy reading my studio notes please make sure to subscribe if you have not already. I am pleased to say the three people who won my postcard giveaway (for the 100th) have been in touch and postcards are sent/received. There will be another giveaway for subscribers some time soon!
Meanwhile, you are welcome to support my writing/sharing by buying me a coffee. You might like to know my latest shop news (next update Sunday at 7pm UK time).
Your beautiful sketchbook art and lovely poetry are delightful! I'm so happy to have found you on Substack and subscribed :)
Your studio notes are an absolute gift of calm, peace & mindfulness to my inbox. I treasure them & my ritual of reading it. One day very soon I'm going to purchase one of your artworks. It seems like I'm going to need a speedy pointer finger to quickly click the "buy" button. Your artwork is selling like hotcakes, which is a very good thing.