Studio Notes no.149

November projects & book paintings

Hello Everyone

photo: recent sketchbook pages

I hope you have been well over the past fortnight. Here we are in November, my birthday month (7th - yes me and Joni Mitchell). There have been times in my life when I did not know if I would make it to my fifties - life challenges us all in different ways - and I have written about some of those challenges here in previous notes. And now I will be 55 - already? I feel better being me now than I did years ago and am grateful for having the chance to make it here. I think that’s how many of us feel, perhaps.

November is a month for writing poems after a time of not writing poems - those intriguing autumn into winter poems always find me, somehow (see below). over the years poems have saved me, and rattled me, made me shy of the world, made me laugh and cry.

And I have begun a daily project of making a work on brown paper - for November is a month that needs brown paper (it’s warmth and utility).

November works on brown paper

Here are the first two of my November works on brown paper:

I don’t know if each day will bring a portrait - I will just see how things go. But I hope they all have something of a November-ish mood about them.

**

Autumn into Winter Poems

I hope to share a series of these over the weeks ahead - here’s the first::

November Poem

November sends the birds off on a dull postcard;

reminds me to write to you and forget,

remember, remember - the feathery breath of me.

Trees are wearing shadowy skirts, hopeless,

hoop-less. No use longing, no going back for 

all the pretty leaves. My shadow craves

pockets of poems - scratched on dull acorns -

and bitter, thick coffee. Meanwhile,

Winter’s black dog looks sweaty on a hill,

eyeing us up. And later, fright and glitter,

fireworks lit in an alleyway -

giddy, damp squib and hopeless beauty.

My dreams are smoky mirrors, are yours?

***

Shop News

Many, many thanks to everyone who has purchased a copy of my zine of small stories: A pocketful of Ghosts. I have sent out copies to people near and far. I do have a few more copies left and I will add this next batch to my shop today when I update -

Next update: Sunday 3rd November at 7pm UK time - I have a trio of new book page paintings.

No Wednesday update on 6th Nov (I was going to do a small update but am too busy at the moment)

I am busy with autumn landscape lucky dip paintings - thank you for all recent orders - these will become available again from this evening.

So the next update after today will be next Sunday - I will share more here, of course.

Autumn into Winter plans:

I am focusing on painting and drawing. But I am also working in textiles. My plan is to have one doll update and at least one stitch update in November. These will be special collections and I will share more about them here. I hope to update my shop most Sundays and occasional Wednesdays over the weeks ahead.

My winter landscape lucky dips will become available on the 1st December.

December will see a few shop updates - to be decided. I have work going to a few galleries for that month and will let you know more here. I will have my annual archive sale shortly after Christmas and before the new year.

I have decided this year I am not producing a Christmas card design - I have done this in the past few years - but I have decided this year to take a break. A couple of reasons: I feel fewer people are buying Christmas cards, for various reasons, not least the fact that first class post in the UK is now £1.65 a stamp. There are many other artists selling cards, so I hope if you are in the market for buying some from an independent artist - you will find some that suit your giving. And I might just write a little feature here about cards by other artists because that’s something I feel I can do to share the word/joy. I will take a look at what other artists are producing for this year and share a few favourites. I personally like Christmas cards - but last year I received far fewer than I sent (I had to laugh and I know I am not alone in this) - I don’t mind this at all - I have a growing collection of vintage/antique cards I can put on display.

I hope to put together, as an alternative to Christmas cards, a set of winter postcards. These will be available in the new year (to avoid the Christmas post rush).

Thanks always.

photo: one of three new book page paintings - this one is called Still Life with yellow robin redbreast jug. I often add buttons, thread and other textile objects in my paintings because these are things that are honestly hanging around me all the time, in my working space. Even if I do invent jugs, now and then.

**

Open House

Alas, I did not make it to Kath Hitchings’ open house/studio last weekend. Due to family illness, I had to miss out on saying hello to the nice folk who visited. I am told people did enjoy taking a look through my sketchbooks. I hope there may be an opportunity to meet with people in the future. Thank you Kath for your kindness.

**

Ask Me Anything (just about)

This is no. 149 of my studio notes - and so next will be a bit of a milestone: 150 - well, I have decided 150 is a bit of milestone. To mark this, I would like to answer any questions you might have for me - so yes 150 will be a special edition: ask me anything. The only crucial detail will be: at least a few of you need to ask me something! So yes, please leave a question in the comments or email me. Please do not write lengthy lists of questions. Let’s not get carried away - I can’t be that interesting. Perhaps I might suggest a max of two questions per person? I am open to questions on any topic. Just about. I am not committing myself to answering all questions! We shall see…

**

photo: Still life by a window with portrait jug and feathers - a new book page painting - I like to have layers of papers and small bits of text just visible. I am forever interested in looking out and at the same time looking in.

A Few Small Stories

Pockets

A man and a woman, laughing together, meet up with an acquaintance. How are you? they ask the man. Oh living the dream! he says in such a deadpan rehearsed way hearing this makes me smile. Aren’t we all, the woman agrees. The way she pushes her hands deep into her coat pockets and looks suddenly bashful gives something away. I dare not guess. Something from my very dim past gets woken up. Yes, I dare not guess. Both men wait for more; she lowers her head and smiles.

**

Mistaken

My daughter and I are at the monthly market. I know you, the man sitting behind an array of pottery says. I know you, I see you everywhere! (Surely mistaken identity? Is this a hazard of living in the centre of town, people, despite my decrepitude, notice me?) I smile at his striped mugs. He then proceeds to admire the small folded vintage table I have tucked under my arm. That’s a lovely little table, did you buy it from a stall downstairs? Yes, I say waiting for him to suggest I really do need a striped mug to put on the table…. What you need, he says, is a nice jug to put on that table. My daughter raises the bag she is holding and helpfully or otherwise declares: we bought one already.

**

Coffee

Coffee ice-cream and a flat white coffee in the Italian cafe. Somehow the coffee is cancelling out the coffee. All I can taste is a sweetness that is not quite sweet. Ha, fancy thinking I am a rebel for eating ice-cream in October! Now I wish I had cake. I sit at a window seat, watching someone in an upstairs window of the building opposite. They are so pale and expressionless, I wonder if they might be real or just a paper cutout. Is it this dark, ghostly afternoon that is hampering my taste buds? I finish the last spoonful of ice-cream and drain my coffee cup. Walk home, put the kettle on.

**

photo: portrait of a sampler stitcher - a new book page painting

**

Thanks for reading here, for all your kind comments. Please feel free to leave questions below - or you can email me. If you are not already a subscriber please consider signing up to receive these studio notes most Sundays. And if you would like to support my writing you are welcome to become a paid subscriber, or perhaps you might prefer to buy me a coffee - either way, so very much appreciated.

Shop