Sowing Seeds...
It's Spring; time for new growth, new chats, new events & a dream starting to become a reality...
A small bird twitters on a leafless spray,
Across the snow-waste breaks a gleam of gold:
What token can I give my friend to-day
But February blossoms, pure and cold?
Frail gifts from Nature's half-reluctant hand...
I see the signs of spring about the land...
[T]hese chill snowdrops, fresh from wintry bowers,
Are the forerunners of a world of flowers.
~Sarah Doudney, "Snowdrops (Consolation)," c.1881
Have you noticed too? Each morning, there is some fresh treasure to delight in… Snowdrops, aconites, blossom on the early cherry, sunrise through bare branches; branches that will soon be clothed in shades of green. Lengthening days have caused a flurry of avian activity. Agitated alarm calls from blackbirds echo as I pass by. Skeins of geese honk their way across the skies; a lonely buzzard mews forlornly. Despite the cold wind, the warmth from the sun grows stronger.
Here I’ve recorded some other observations on February, along with a poem by Mathilde Blind…
And on the subject of recordings, here’s another in my occasional series, ‘Studio Chats’. This time I’m joined by artist, teacher and mentor, Anna MacDonald. Anna lives in London, UK, and for three days a week she teaches art in a secondary school. Alongside that, she has her own art practice, runs on-line courses, as well as having a coaching/mentor string to her bow! One busy lady!
As I said in the ‘Chat’, I can highly recommend Anna’s Bujo course. Her calm approach, aligned with the well-structured lessons, make the course easy to follow, and I soon found myself putting her methods into practice. (And the great thing is, it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ course; these methods can be tailored to suit your own particular needs!)
Information about Anna’s work, along with all of her on-line courses, including the De-clutter Course, can be found on her website.
I really enjoyed chatting to Anna; we had lots to talk about! So much so, that I’ve recorded a follow-up chat with her - so keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks!!
A Date for Your Diary
Not that I’m suggesting you don’t know when Valentine’s Day is, although I acknowledge there are countries around the world who don’t celebrate the date… No, this is just a reminder that I’ll be holding a Flash Sale over on my Instagram feed on 14th February at 10.30am (UK time). Full details will be posted in the coming days over on Instagram - this is just a head’s up that if you would like the opportunity to purchase a small, original artwork, MAKE A NOTE OF THE DATE & TIME ON YOUR CALENDAR!
Exciting times at Chateau Roberts…
It’s taken a while, as these things often do, but we are finally turning our attention to the garden. As with all transformations, the demolishing/digging up makes things look worse - BUT the thought of having a beautiful outdoor space, AND MY OWN STUDIO (!!) is helping keep the faith!! First thing was to get rid of the old shed, followed by the installation of a new fence, before digging out for the foundations! I will be charting the progress, and reporting on developments, so it’s definitely a case of ‘watch this space!’
Until next time,
P.S. This publication is free, but if you appreciate my work and would like to support me, there are paid options. Any monies received will go toward technical support, as well as helping me to have the time and space to write/record/film/edit the posts.
Hi Carolyn! I really like this weekly appointment. A really nice mix of reflections, quotations, pictures of your walks, arty videos. The interviews are interesting. I like to discover new artists and how they explain their artistic process. I'll love to see how the construction of your new studio will evolve. Is it your husband who will do that? xxx
So happy for you for your new studio. I wonder how working in it will influence your work. I love the small piece of yours I bought in the fall.
And thank you for the wonderful interview with Anna. Very helpful for me to hear. I also have ADHD. I’m probably going to do her bullet journal class and have recommended it to my surface pattern accountability group. Kat _^..^_