Hello, and thank you for reading!

It may look like I’ve poured the contents of the wastepaper basket onto my sketchbook, but this actually feels like a big leap forward. It’s messy, and I like it. These are the last two pages in a sketchbook begun in the middle of February. My goal was to experiment with materials and explore mark-making for 15 minutes a day. In the privacy of an old diary from 2020, with its cheap lined paper, and scattered biro notes, I began tentatively, making pencil sketches of flowers. Gradually, I loosened up and began making abstract collages, which is when things got more interesting. Now here we are at the end of April and it’s full. This might be the first time since I was a teenager that I got so much pleasure from making art and it’s almost certainly the first time I’ve worked consistently in a single book and filled it.

Working on this sketchbook was educational. Spending so many hours using different materials gives you a better understanding of their capacity and peculiar quirks. You gain confidence in how they’ll react with each other and reaching for the right material or tool becomes almost second nature. On top of learning about these material practicalities I also gained some more personal insights - not all of them comfortable.

I’ll be 58 next month, and for most of my artistic journey I’ve struggled to find my own clear unique path. It feels like I’m constantly being pulled in different directions in subject matter, media and techniques. Nothing ever feels fully authentically me. This is embarrassing because, you know… proper artists find their niche and stick to it!

Well, it turns out that allowing myself time to create for its own sake, just letting the art do its own thing without judgement, whether it be good, bad or ugly has helped me to see things a lot more clearly. There’s a lot of pressure on artists to be constantly sharing new work on social media, which I bought into for far too long. Artists need time and space for thoughts and ideas to germinate, to be able to experiment without judgement and for techniques to develop to maturity away from the glare of public scrutiny. It’s hard to write about this because I don’t want to come across as ungrateful - of course, I’m hugely grateful to everyone who takes an interest in the work I share online and especially to everyone who has bought work from me, but being an overthinking people-pleaser, sharing new or different work puts you in a vulnerable position. Often it’s led to perfectionism, inhibition and stagnation. It stops me from starting anything because I’m unsure what direction to go in and I’m fearful of it not turning out how it should.

I thought by this ripe old age life would be a breeze, but it turns out to be just as frustrating, unpredictable and confusing as it’s always been and that applies equally to the art I make. What I finally realised by working in this sketchbook is :

I’m still scared of getting into trouble for being too messy/raw/ugly/unpredictable /unpalatable.

Doh! I never really understood what was holding me back from painting but it’s as clear as day to me now. If I want to be a better artist I need to stop self-censoring and reflect how I really am in my work. Time to embrace the chaos! Make all the things to express all the moods, no holding back. So if I my work shots off in many tangents, in many styles that’s just what it needs to do because the alternative is unauthentic dull art and unhappy me.

I won’t give you the sketchbook tour, but here are a few pages, which were among the last entries in the book. Along with painted paper collage, they include images of my late Dad… and he was often late. Nearly 40 year since he died, and although grief has subdued, it still brought up a lot of emotional memories working on these, Some happy, some sad but all welcome and actually therapeutic. I love the photo of him as a teenager in the 1950s with his model aeroplane. That enthusiasm for aircraft and model-making lasted his whole life. There are snippets of his handwriting, along with some of mine and maps because he was always travelling for work.

Self portrait in progress

So, what’s next, now that the sketchbook is finished? Another one!

But, before that, a self portrait. Self portraits are something I do from time to time. They often act as an interlude before I start something new. Unsure if it’s finished, or not. Part of me wants to correct everything and tidy up all the unresolved areas, but from experience doing more will most likely mess up what’s already there. It’s not a perfect likeness but it’s an honest reflection of my current level of world weariness…Know what I mean?

Take care out there folks, it’s a mad world!

I appreciate you being here,

Until next time, best wishes,

Julia

Springtime greetings from Scotland! It’s cool tonight but it’s light at 7.50pm, and from where I’m writing I can see white blossom on the plum tree, scarlet tulips, and pink camellia flowers. It’s all very lovely indeed.

So, I have some exhibition news. My painting, ‘Marco in the Evening Light’, was selected to be included in the Braid Bowling Club art exhibition, in Edinburgh, which is open to the public on Friday 10th (tomorrow), and then all weekend.

I’m very fond of this painting, and not just because it’s of Marco, my beautiful cat. Often when the subject is figurative I get bogged down with the detail but was happy here that I managed to keep everything very loose. Somehow, I still managed to capture his essential nature and the intensity and alertness of his eyes. Plus, there’s loads of scrumptious texture built up in layers of paint and collage elements, which is visually alluring too.

It’s a buying exhibition, so fingers crossed someone else will also fall for his charms!

As well as the work on the walls, there will be racks for unframed work. I dropped off eight unframed pieces, including some mixed media landscapes and a couple of charcoal drawings, also inspired by my cats.

The weekend weather forecast is certainly looking better than it was on Sunday when out of nowhere a snow blizzard appeared just as Robb was driving us across town to deliver my art. Traffic on the Edinburgh bypass was at a standstill and for a short while I worried we wouldn’t get there in time. But we got there and only looked slightly dishevelled with the snow turning to sleet as we walked the 50 mtrs from the car to the clubhouse clutching my paintings, protected from the elements in bubble wrap and an Aldi bag for life.

The exhibition is a fund raiser for the long-established bowling club, with over fifty artists included. I can only imagine the work involved in curating and hosting an event like this, so thanks and good luck to all involved!

Keeping it short this time. Not because there’s nothing to write about. There’s plenty. I’ve seen some powerful exhibitions, and am thankful for time spent with good friends. I’ve done a lot of clearing out, sold stuff on Vinted and had a shop sale. I’ve worked daily in my sketchbook, and thought a lot about what path to take next with my art. Maybe I’ll write more about some of that soon, but tonight I’m tired and just looking forward to some mindless TV.

Bye for now!

Julia

Hello to you if you’re reading for the first time, or if you’ve been around a little longer hello to you too, I do hope you’re well!

I’ll get the customary weather report out of the way before I move on to the art. Yes, the weather has been changeable! …Freezing, grey, windy, bright sunshine, on repeat, but generally more spring-like and lighter, which seems to have been good for my productivity.

I’m still spending most of my art time with my sketchbook. In fact, it’s my number one top priority of the day. I’ve been getting up and going through to my workroom before I’m even properly washed and dressed, setting my timer for 15 minutes but usually working longer. Trying not to think too hard about what I’m doing and just letting what happens take its course. A lot of what happens, sadly, is utter dross, and not anything I’d want to share. Luckily, there are also little fragments of ideas starting to emerge.

In the pages above I was messing around with blue and pink acrylic inks, enjoying the way the inks splodge and flow into each other. Before I knew it these growing, breathing trees appeared, like spring lungs, as my friend commented when I shared the photo in my IG stories.

It does feel good to be breathing in spring air and watching the abundant new growth. It’s very inspiring.

INSPIRATION = the act of breathing in, or a single breath in.

Bronchi normally expand and lengthen during inspiration.

The sketchbook pages reminded me of these rabbit/hare guys. They were made more than a decade ago, when I was mainly making cute stuff from recycled fabrics, under the name Materialised. My filing system leaves a lot to be desired so I had to look back through my neglected flickr account to find the photos. As you can see, they also have spring lungs. And, what a labour of love it was to sew them in place! So many twists and turns of the sewing machine needle while keeping the fabric taut, and ironically, frequently forgetting to breathe until the job was done. But it was worth it because they make such a great pair, with their coordinated adornment.

From what I remember, this pair were sold together and the ones below parted ways

Looking for a non-chocolate Easter gift?

Rabbit creature notebooks are available - click here.

Shop News

Some exciting news - a great big SPRING26 sale is now underway!

Because I’m shifting my focus from handmade to painting I need to give my website a massive redesign that means lots of handmade items and giclee prints are going to be retired from my shop at the end of March. So as of now there’s 26% off a great many handmade items (some are already discounted so you get 26% off the discounted price) - get them while they last!

Discounts will be applied at checkout - use code SPRING26, or shop via the button below to have the discount code applied automatically.

Shop the sale!

Thank you for reading and supporting my work - I appreciate you very much.

Have a great week!

Julia x

Hello there! I hope you’re well and managing to preserve your sanity in this increasingly strange world.

I feel like I’ve been very busy lately and am regularly exhausted by 5pm. Most of my energy seems to be spent walking into rooms and wondering why I’m there, or looking for things that I’ve tidied up, instead of producing art. I’m exaggerating obviously, but being a woman in your 50s has its challenges.

However, I have made some art so I won’t beat myself up too much.

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Crocuses have become a mini obsession over the last wee while. Probably because I’m just so glad to see these hopeful signs of spring. I painted a little clump of them for my donation to this year’s Postcard Art Exhibit. This exhibition of 7 x 5 inch postcards runs annually, at a different location each year. It raises money for great causes from the sale of the donated artworks. To date $183,049 has been raised, supporting 14 charities around the globe.

This year’s event will be in June, in The Hague, Netherlands and will raise funds to benefit people affected by Alzheimer’s.

This is the second time I’ve taken part. The first time was a few years ago when the exhibition came to Edinburgh. It was a great show, with hundreds of postcards on display from all over the world. If I remember correctly each postcard was sold for £30, so as well as being a good cause, it’s an excellent way to find art you love for an affordable price. The open call for artists runs until April so there’s still time to get involved.

I’ve dabbled with painting flowers before, with mixed results. They often end up looking really rigid, like they’re made out of cardboard, so overall I’m happier with the result I got in my postcard. These flowers are huddled together for warmth, but also jostling for position to get the best light, just like the ones in my garden. The ground they occupy is cold but there’s blue sky above and hints it won’t be long until there’s warmth in the sun again.

Lately, I’ve made sure to schedule some time with my sketchbook every day, sometimes using it for sketches, sometimes to write notes, and when time has been short I’ve set a timer to make a 15 minute collage just from scraps of paper I have lying around. Keeping it as playful as possible just to see what happens. This is helping me get excited about getting into my studio each day. Although I also feel frustration about not getting enough done, because there are so many other things to attend to, especially when you work from home. I’m looking forward to the clocks changing and the extra hours of daylight in the evenings to work in.

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Well that’s it from me today. Thanks for reading. Enjoy your evening and have a great weekend!

Until next time, best wishes,

Julia

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Hello again, internet friends, How are you?

I’m alarmed by how fast February is flying by. Sometimes I just want the calendar to stop so I can catch up.

Spring feels very close now, so I’ve started tentatively making some plans for this year. My priorities are to finish my caravan renovation, and to continue making art. I would also really like to exhibit more of my work. That means paying more attention to open call deadlines and devoting time to naming and describing paintings with words, plus filling out forms, and all the other behind the scenes stuff which I struggle with.

Before that though, I need to actually make the work, so I’ve renewed my commitment to making art, if possible, every day. I already have a few collage pieces in various states of completion. I’m enjoying working on a few at a time and building them up from painted papers. This seems to suit the way my mind works best. The one at the top of the page is almost finished - the trees probably need a bit more definition, but I like the colours, the somewhat chaotic mix of textures, and the controlled versus loose lines.

Sketchbook/notebook/journal

To my eternal shame, when I use a sketchbook I never fill it to the end. It’s the same with old diaries. I start off with great intentions but somewhere around the middle of March the entries stop. Sometimes, I’ll pick it up again in about October and manage a few more days, only to give up again. There are a handful of these old diaries kicking about in a drawer, so I decided to use one as a sketchbook/notebook/journal type thing. The lined pages make me less precious about sketching, and make it easy for note taking. The one I’m using is from 2020. It was weird reading about that time when the pandemic was just beginning. The entries were sparse because everything had more or less ground to a halt, except for baking oatie crumbles, buying elastic and cutting out face masks, apparently.

So, here is something quite different from me. Not quite poetry ( I haven’t written a poem since primary school) but some words that were swimming around in my head the other night when I couldn’t sleep, so I scooped them up and put them in the book, before they floated away forever, since that’s what its for.

The rain has been relentless. There was at least some variation last week, when it snowed heavily. It’s hard to believe but by the time I got into Edinburgh the sky was clear blue. After a while the the sun came out and I was so glad to feel its warmth.

Crocuses are starting to bloom. They’re one of my favourite flowers because they signal a change of season is on its way. They make me hopeful. Expect some more crocus drawings here soon.

Enjoying

• Small Prophets Mackenzie Crook’s new gentle comedy series is delightfully weird. We binge watched the whole series on iplayer over the last week. You should too!

• My sister has a new writing home on Substack. Her film and music reviews are both informative and very entertaining. Pop over and visit Magpie House

• Rowan Paton - Great Escapes I loved this exhibition at The Scottish Gallery. Her canvases are full of colour and joy.

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  That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. Have a good week!

  Until next time,

  Julia x

Hello! I hope you are doing well, wherever you are in the world.

Robb and I got back from a lovely long weekend away on Monday. We were staying in a property owned by the Landmark Trust, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the beginning of the 20th Century. This was at a time when he was right at the peak of his career as an architect. His design consisted of a shop on the ground floor and a two bedroom flat above, built as a replacement for earlier premises which were destroyed by fire. The building is situated in the heart of Comrie, Perthshire - around 70 miles from home.

Although it’s an attractive building, it’s a lot more modest in scale than many of his other commissions such as the Hill House, Helensburgh, (where we visited last year.) It’s relatively small size also means it within our budget to rent for a weekend (in winter), and small as it is, it’s still much grander than our own home.

When the Landmark Trust took over ownership of the property, around 45 years ago, it had fallen into a bad state of repair, and many of the original features were missing or hidden behind decades of wallpaper and cladding, so it’s wonderful to see how sympathetically it’s been restored, furnished, and is maintained now.

There’s no TV or WiFi in the property, which was absolutely fine, and my mobile data was limited so I only checked my phone a couple of times a day. It made a nice break from being bombarded with news and adverts every waking minute and I felt more relaxed as a result.

We chose the worst weekend for weather. It was truly dismal! We made sure to visit all of Comrie’s galleries, cafes, and the charity shop, but spent most of our time either driving around looking at beautiful, if water-drenched scenery, or comfortably warm and dry indoors.

Robb tolerates bad weather better than me, so he went for a cycle on Sunday afternoon while the rain was tipping down. Meanwhile, I amused myself drawing the crockery in the flat. I think this email will probably be clipped because I added too many photos, but if you click through on any of the images, or the heading you should be able to see everything on Substack.

So I’m back home now and am very thankful to have had this time away, and thankful for the cat minder who put my mind at ease with daily reports from home.

In case you wondered, Robb’s roof repairs stood up to the storm, so no new drips at home.

Another piece of good news arrived by email on my return - Summer Dream, one of my 30 x 30 pieces in the SSA annual exhibition has sold. That’s my first sale of the year, so I’m really overjoyed and grateful to the unknown buyer! The exhibition runs until the 4th of February at the RSA in Edinburgh. Go on Monday and you’ll get in for free!

For the next few days I’m going to spend time on collages I was experimenting with before our trip, so with a bit of luck there will be new finished work to show you next time.

Bye for now!

Julia x

Hello friends, Happy New Year! Is it to late to say that? I never know when the cut off point is. Anyway, since this is my first Substack post of 2026, I would like to wish you all the very best for this fresh year. I don’t think I’m being overly dramatic to say it’s not got off to a brilliant start… so, 2026 it’s time for you to buck your ideas up!

Let me think what I’ve been doing since last time. Working backwards, I’ve just finished this cat painting which was started at the beginning of December - more about that in a minute. Last week was all about shuffling receipts and invoices to get my tax self-assessment submitted, and hooray, it’s done! Now I can make guilt free art again. I had a really good rest over the holidays, although the lead up to Christmas Day was typically hectic, mainly because my workroom was doubling as a dining room for Christmas dinner, which meant finding the table under many layers of paper, paint, glue, scissors etc. It took more than a week to tidy that room - can you imagine what the before picture looked like? Miraculously, I found the table and now feel compelled to prove it with a photo.

The calmness an organised home brings makes all the running around worthwhile. It was so good to slow down and spend time with our special people.

Between Christmas and New Year I did a lot of sitting on the settee, eating chocolate and watching TV, which makes me so bore it’s inevitable I’ll want to dive into some craft project or other before long. It’s almost a tradition now that I make the Christmas decorations I wanted to make before Christmas but had to postpone due to tidying the house / wrapping presents / writing shopping lists etc. In previous years I’ve made a fairy for the top of the tree, some cute woollie Brussels sprouts, and a garland of stuffed wool trees. This year’s project was a glow up for some old green plastic tree baubles. The ratio of green was too high, so I got busy with fabric scraps, wool and a few sequins to make these, which are a lot more glam and twinkly.

One of the things stopping my from writing sooner was that I wanted to have this painting finished, so that there was some continuity from last time…and now it is. As you can see it’s taken a dark turn with the inclusion of a dead mouse. This is some serious artistic licence since the painting is based on my cat, Melba, who stays indoors and has never to my knowledge encountered a mouse, and would probably be traumatised if she did. The idea was really to show how beauty and cruelty exist simultaneously in nature, and in life.

It was painted in a mix of water-based media including acrylic ink, and paint, plus some collaged paper and coloured pencils. It’s on a canvas board, approx 30cm square. I wanted to show her big glassy eyes as she looks innocently out at the viewer. This is very like Melba, who often goes into a trance-like state when she’s playing with her toys. You can expect to see more cat art this year. At some point I’m going to get some of the cat images printed onto products such as tea towels and coasters, but I’m not so sure this one really says ‘Mothers Day, or Happy Birthday’! What do you think?

Society of Scottish Artists 127th Annual Exhibition

Now on in Edinburgh, is the Society of Scottish artists annual exhibition. The SSA is the largest artist-led organisation in Scotland. It’s currently hosting its 127th annual exhibition in the Royal Scottish Academy building, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. On Saturday Robb and I had the pleasure of attending the preview and what a richly diverse and interesting show it was. Some highlights for me were: Ali Scott’s ‘Days go by’, a set of 7 mixed media drawings and collage, in old reclaimed frames, Sharon Quigley’s Plexa, Sally Rickett’s sensitively sculpted head, and this haunting painting by Eileen Ferguson.

Alongside the selected works, there’s an area for members smaller artworks, no larger than 30 cm x 30 cm , which is where you can find two of my pieces; Summer Dream and Red Sky in the Morning. Last year I was lucky - two out of three of my small works in this section sold. Fingers crossed that the right person finds a home for these.

If you’re in the Edinburgh area, I recommend a visit!

Venue: RSA Upper Galleries, Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL

Dates: Sunday 11 January – Wednesday 4 February 2026

Opening Hours: Monday–Sunday, 10am–5pm

Tickets: £5 entry | £4 concession | Free for under 16s and SSA Members | Free entry for all on Mondays.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time, stay cosy, stay hydrated, stay positive. The days are already getting lighter - spring will be here soon!

Julia x

Hello again, or hello if you’ve recently subscribed. It’s good to have you to write to!

I’m writing this (last night) with dancing flames glowing in the log burner, my feet nicely warmed on a hot water bottle and a quilt covering my knees. I guess I must be cold blooded. I’m thankful for these home comforts since we’ve had so much rain. Everything is drenched. If you read last time, you might remember that is was raining indoors too. Robb, hero that he is, was up on the roof today (in the rain) replacing missing slates. Meanwhile, I was indoors panicking in case there was an accident. Thankfully all was well. There’s a weather warning for over night so we’ll know for sure in the morning if the repairs have done the trick. Fingers crossed.

Now it’s December it’s the natural time to slow down. I find myself moving and thinking more slowly, and am definitely more than a little world weary. Who isn’t? The rain doesn’t help. My mood’s turned a bit too Travis, from 1999 for my liking, but I know painting or making of any kind is the best way to fight it. Christmas will be here before long. I’m looking forward to decorating the tree, family visits and watching old films on TV.

I started a new painting at the weekend (above). For her modesty and my embarrassment, I’ve blurred out the cat’s face, which needs seriously reworking. It’s probably silly to share a paintings before they’re finished since they usually look unrecognisable by the end, or don’t cut the mustard and end up being painted over. Somehow, I still feel the need to prove I’m working, so there it is. I do love painting though, and I’m enjoying it more and more as I let go of trying to get it right. I love the mistakes and imperfections. Perfection is so boring! I’m also enjoying the challenge of painting my cats, with their own peculiar expressions. Melba’s fur is particularly tricky. It needs to look, thick and sleek but messy; all without getting bogged down in fine details. I’m planning on doing more to it this week but if you never hear me mention it again you’ll know why ;-)

On social media, I’ve been spending more time on Bluesky. The interaction is good there because hashtags are still a thing, and because you can curate your own feed easily. At this point there are no adverts or frustrating algorithms. Looking at the trending tags, the only downside I can see is there seems to be a fair amount of porn (perhaps that’s not a negative for you, who am I to judge?) but I’ve never encountered any because it’s not what I’m looking for, and like I say it’s easy to find stuff you are interested in by following hashtags. I’ve been joining in with #ArtAdventCalendar sharing my artwork from the year, which has featured a lot of charcoal drawings of my cats plus the abstract sea/landscapes.

I’m aware I’ve not produced a lot of work this year. It’s hard not to feel like I should have done more, but quantity isn’t everything and prioritising working at my own pace has been a game changer for avoiding burn out. Looking back at the work I have done, overall, I’m happy in the direction I’m going. I’m glad to have spent more time drawing and painting, but I understand that I’ll always need to change things up every so often - and making stuff with fabric does, and always will, bring me so much joy!

Which brings me nicely around to the colourful brooches, now finished and available here. I really love the way their cheerful colours sing! They’re the perfect antidote to grey winter days.

Fun to make, and stylish to wear, as demonstrated by my good friend and fellow artist Megan Chapman, who kindly allowed me to take this quick snap the last time we met up.

As well as being a very supportive friend, Megan is a brilliant abstract painter. We regularly seek out all the best exhibitions Edinburgh has to offer, and talk about our latest art dreams and schemes. She’s a kindred spirit who knows the value of living a creative life. Thank you, my friend.

Enjoying

• Top of the list is a new ceramic purchase by Fiona Thompson. I bought it at Cyan Clayworks which was open as part of Leith Creative Trail. I’ve spent ages just sitting looking at it on the sideboard since I brought it home - so much to love!

• Clare Youngs has a fun tutorial on her website for making little tin decorations. I might have a go at making some for the Christmas tree. I have access to a plentiful supply of metal foil in the form of mince pie trays at this time of year!

• This Virginia Creeper creeping - something small and beautiful that caught my eye on a dull day last week. I’m glad I painted the door baby blue....or is it periwinkle? Paying attention has its rewards.

Shop News

The shop is fully stocked and ready for orders.

The Royal Mail Christmas rush is on its way but rest assured, I’ll be doing my very best to post parcels out as quickly as I can. The last date to place orders in time for Christmas at Julia Laing Studio is Tuesday 16th December (midnight UK time).

From now until then I’ll be upgrading shipping on all orders to First Class.

*Please note, postage will still show as 2nd class at checkout, but I’ll make sure it gets sent first class ASAP. Postage is free on all orders of £40 or more.

If you’re still reading, thank you - you’re a star! And, here’s your reward! I’ve created a discount especially for subscribers of Sketches and Snippets. If you use the code STACK10 at checkout you’ll get 10% off any order over £10 (not inc shipping).

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Thanks for reading! Until next time, stay cosy!

Julia

Hello! I’m packing in a lot of colour this time because days have been grey and working with colour has been so therapeutic and needed.

Today is sunny, and I’m thankful for every bright day now it’s proper winter. It has rained - a lot. So much so, that drips have been making their way in through gaps in the roof tiles, trickling down the rafters and drip, drip, dripping into our living room, which is very distracting. It reminded me of this old Beatles classic. Not to worry though, Robb’s on the case - as a temporary measure he’s placed a bucket in the attic to catch the drips and will be replacing missing slates as soon as he has a free day. Fingers crossed for dry weather!

But it’s not all doom and gloom; last time I was adding the final two in a series of semi abstract landscape paintings to my shop, and am delighted that since then The Water’s Edge found a new home. No idea how the buyer found my website but just know that I’m very happy and grateful they did. To be honest, sales have been very slow this year which makes every single order something to celebrate!

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I'm having a short break from painting to work with fabric, thread, beads, and colour. It almost felt like an urgent need that made me drop everything, and pull out my big bag of cotton fabric scraps, and boxes of embroidery threads to make something tactile and joyful. Once I’ve decided how to finish them they’ll be brooches.

It pleases me that I had all the materials already squirrelled away, so there was no need to bring more stuff into the house or spend any more ££s. It’s extremely satisfying to find a use for even the tiniest of scraps. A lot of the beads were gifted to me - I felt bad that I hadn’t found a use for them until now. I’m using cork for the bases which not only is great from a sustainability point of view, it’s also perfect for brooches because it’s so light and won’t drag your clothes down with the weight.

They’re a follow up to some I made by binding belt buckles a couple of years ago. Working with your hands is a proven way to lower stress levels. The whole process of making these brooches feels calming, almost like a meditation - the colourful results are much more energising, like sugary sweets coated with a sprinkling of hundreds and thousands. Styling them for photos will be fun!

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Raising Ghosts: Rachel Larkins

Raising Ghosts is an exhibition by Rachel Larkins at the Scottish Gallery, Dundas Street, Edinburgh.

To say I enjoyed this is a massive understatement! I’ve been to quite a few art exhibitions recently but this one really stood out. Rachel Larkins, an artist from Dorset, worked for two years to create drawings, diorama, and jewellery for this show. She conducted a massive amount of research on Scottish folklore before the work of making even began. The themes are dark and mysterious - sea catastrophes, sailor’s widows, skeletons, amulets, talismans, and dolls. Everything is beautifully made, and although an eerie undercurrent runs throughout the work is never gory. It always displays humour and a love of historical artefacts. I will visit again before it ends on the 23rd of December.

Shop News

These cat art greeting cards are available from my shop now. They’re professionally printed from my paintings Marco, in the Evening Light (above) and Cat on a Mat Too (below)

In the Original Art section of my website you will find many small, expressive, colourful, and affordable paintings.

You can expect to see the brooches appearing soon!

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Until next time, I hope you’re staying cosy and finding ways to bring some colour into your life!

Best wishes,

Julia x

Hello, from a dry and bright Sunday here in Midlothian.

It’s been a quick week in what was a quick month. Quite a busy time; I had a great train trip over to Fife to visit old haunts with old friends on Monday, and have also had annual appointments with the dentist and optician, so can put that to the back of my mind for another year.

Last weekend I was pleased to fit in some painting time and added two paintings to the shop. The Water’s Edge and On the Edge are the last in the recent series of abstract land/seascapes. It’s been brilliant spending time painting again but being someone who needs to change things up frequently to stay motivated, I’m ready for a change.

But before I can move on with any new work my workroom needed a proper tidy up. I’m too embarrassed to share the before pictures. It was in such a chaotic state I’ve spent the last couple of days clearing space on the floor, and moving piles of accumulated stuff off my table. Trying to find places for everything has been overwhelming at times but I managed to stick at it and although it’s not exactly shipshape, it is more organised, and I can find my way to the table without encountering tripping hazards!

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Adventures in Colour

I’m devoting this next week to my sketchbook. I want to explore some ideas about colour. I love colour. Although I have a reasonably good understanding of colour theory I think my choices could be more varied and imaginative; I tend to reach for the same paint tubes over and over. Being more intentional about my choices would be a step forward for my art.

I actually made a start yesterday. Coolors.co has a great colour palette creation tool, which allows you to make a colour palette from any photo you upload. I used a photo of my painting From the Shore, to work from. The tool auto suggests five colours, but fine-tuning these is both fun and super easy. I chose turquoise and burnt orange which are bright and in contrast to each other, plus a paler grey/green, and two darker muddy green/browns. After choosing the colours, you can save the palette or ‘create collage’, which is what I did. It was then exported, printed, and stuck it in my huge sketchbook, where I used it as the basis to try out different combinations, started with the mini abstract collages at the top of the page, with colour play being the only goal. Honestly, this was the most absorbing and playful activity I’ve done in I don’t know how long! Looking forward to exploring other colour combos in the next few days. You probably didn’t notice anyway, but please excuse the holey sock and rubbish in the bin (which coincidentally matches the scheme). #keepingitreal

Happy Post

I don’t know about you but I mainly get bills and junk mail in the post these days, so it was exciting when the print samples I’d ordered turned up. I’m delighted with the quality! I’ve fallen down a bit of a rabbit hole researching print companies because I’m interested in having some paintings printed onto home wares, possibly tea towels, as well as cards and prints. Not everyone has a budget for buying original art, so it would be great to offer some more affordable options, which will hopefully be very lovely too! Is there anything you would like to see my art printed on? I asked Instagram folks about print finishes for cards and matt is by far the most popular choice. Expect to see some appearing in my shop soon.

Enjoying

Creative Walls by Geraldine James - Borrowed from the local library, it’s full of beautiful pictures of wonderful and inspiring ideas. I’m sure I’ll be renewing it once my three weeks loan is up.

The canvas compositions of Australian artist Tiff Manuell are currently blowing my mind!

Alexa, What Is There To Know About Love? A song by Brian Bilston with The Catenary Wires, from Sounds Made by Humans - why it’s futile to consult with AI know-it-alls on matters of the heart.

I really appreciate you reading and supporting my work in all the ways you do. I’m currently on a bit of a mission to grow an art community around me - in the past I’ve struggled with the isolation a lot of artists who work alone can feel. Well, anyone working alone without being part of their own team or tribe can feel that way, so I’m actively trying to build connections with like minded people. This blog is one of the best tools to help me connect so please say hello if you’ve enjoyed reading.

I have a date with my sketchbook. Bye for now!

Julia

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Just start writing and see what happens…It’s late and I don’t know what to write. My head is completely blank so I’ll tap away at the keyboard until some thoughts emerge. No, absolutely nothing there. Stop. Breathe…in…breathe out…repeat. Aaarg.

Try again. Rub my hands over my face and through my hair while I sigh deeply. Now try again. OK. Where was I? Yes, It’s Saturday night and I’m tired, but I want to write before I go to bed because tomorrow will be too busy. So, let’s try again.

Life is fine. My sore back healed pretty quickly. I’m surprised to have more energy than I’ve had in quite a while so have been relatively productive. Yay…go me!

Last Sunday I sent out an email to my shop news subscribers. Because it was the first one since February I wrote a little about my recent work, including the passage quoted below:

This year I’ve devoted a lot of time to drawing and painting, and the work I’m producing now feels more in tune with my inner artistic voice. I’ve painted a series of semi abstract landscapes and seascapes, which are richly textured and raw. These paintings are often built up in layers, starting with acrylic paint and collage, but I’m also beginning to introduce oil paint, which I’m delighted to be reacquainted with. I hope that my love of colour and texture shows through in these pieces and they convey some of the emotion being outdoors in the natural landscape evokes.

You can read the rest of the message here.

I still find it strange to write about my art. What I love about painting is hard to express in words. It’s all about the excitement of mixing paint colours, and experimenting with brushes and tools to make interesting textures, and a lot of happy accidents. It’s about how those brushstrokes in the paint make me feel. I’m not thinking in sentences when I paint - if I had all the words there would probably be no need to paint. It’s a mysterious process trying to conjure a painting up with every dab of the brush. As I paint I’m trying to understand what’s happening myself. I have an idea of composition, what effect I’m aiming for. I’m choosing the colours and have understanding of painting techniques, but if I try to control too much no magic will happen.

Summer Dream and The Place I Remember are now available to buy from my shop.

Once I’ve added the final two land/seascapes in this series next week there will be a short break from painting while I have a brief crafting interlude.

Until next time, thanks for reading, have a great week!

Julia

Hello! I just turned to a new page on the calendar. Unbelievably, it’s now October!

The last three month chunk of the year is here (already). Days are rushing by too fast for me. If only there was a way to slow them down and appreciate every second. Instead, they’re over before I’ve even got a handle on them. I know I’m always on about this. In fact, writing here has made me realise just how much I’m obsessed with the passing of time…but, there’s no stopping it.

Hurting my back on Monday has given me no option but to slow down this week. It was one of those ridiculous middle-aged injuries you get from doing virtually nothing, like stepping off the pavement, or putting your pants on awkwardly, or in this case twisting ever so gently, to rearrange the contents of my bag before putting it in the swimming-pool locker. I thought being in the water might help. It loosened up enough for me to swim a few lengths and enjoy the ripples and reflections dancing around the clear blue water, but the effect didn’t last, and by the time I got home I was stooping and shuffling, and struggling to get in and out of my chair.

There’s been improvement every day since then. Keeping moving has helped, so has not over doing it. I’ve been sitting down to work no longer than 30 mins a time, and alternating that with standing up tasks. So, painting or writing for half an hour, followed by 30 mins washing dishes, cleaning the toilet or emptying the compost caddy. Oh, the glamorous life of an artist, revealed!

As you can imagine, working this way, progress feels impossibly slow, but I’m still getting things done; I’ve written this blog, finished a painting, listed a different painting in my shop, and scored a big red line through several life admin jobs.

The brief painting sessions have been the most fun. Knowing there’s not much time makes me more decisive and spontaneous. I’ve enjoyed creating more texture by adding painted papers, and using water soluble oil paints - they have a much thicker, creamier consistency than acrylics, so make it easier to build up brushstrokes. They also make it possible to mix more subtle colours. Having said that, these new pink and orange paints I’ve bought are anything but subtle! Will I be able to show restraint…? Watch this space!

In Other News

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year is back on TV. It’s must see telly for me. I love that everyone’s approach to painting is so different. I was surprised that my favourite painter in the first episode was also selected by the judges to go through to the next heat. I’m not always so in tune with them. Watch it on Freeview at 8 pm on Wednesdays, or Sky if you have it.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon with more tales from the studio.

Best wishes, Julia

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Hello! Hope life is treating you well, wherever you are.

We're over halfway through September now, and I'm still trying to adjust to the change of season. Transitions are often tricky to navigate. It was such a good summer, with so many long warm days. I enjoyed spending more time outside, going on day trips, seeing friends and visiting exhibitions. Warm weather just makes everything better. Washing dries quickly hanging outside on the line, and my body works better. The warmth makes me more relaxed in a way I never feel in winter.

With temperatures falling, reluctantly, I’ve resorted to turning the central heating on a couple of times, and the washing on the line’s been out there for two days - after I hung it up there was a heavy downpour, and now I stubbornly refuse to bring it in until it’s dry.

But, there’s a lot to love about autumn; it’s a time for favourite jumpers, scarves and gloves to come back into circulation, and for warming up with homemade spicy butternut squash soup. The whole village takes on a faintly sweet aroma from wood smoke billowing from chimneys. Then there’s going for walks on brighter days when the low light turns golden, and yellow, orange and glowing red leaves still cover trees.

I get that familiar feeling that it’s time to buckle down to hard work, which is probably a legacy from school and college days. For many years from September to the end of December I was in full-on production mode, making, making, and more making – morning, noon and night – making stock for craft fairs and keeping online shops full for gift giving season (AKA silly season). Every year I ended up burnt out, even before I knew there was a name for it. Eventually, my body said no. Pain in my shoulders and back was unrelenting, and looking at my sewing machine made me want to weep. A sad situation, since I love to sew, but only if I can go at my own pace. I’m glad I listened, and shifted direction.

So now I’m constantly searching for that sweet spot between doing too much and doing too little. For my well-being, and to earn money, I need to work creatively to make things, and make art, but doing too much without recovery time only causes anxiety resulting in no motivation and ideas drying up. Conversely, doing too little makes me depressed, leading to longer periods of inactivity, which are hard to bounce back from. It’s a tricky balance and something I’m constantly aware of.

Lately, I’ve not been spending enough time on creative work (this needs to change). I’ve added dabs here and there to some small landscapes I started ages ago, but using oil paint means they take ages to dry. The little acrylic abstract (above) was added to my shop on Friday when I finally took some photos and gave it a title. It’s all about the beautiful intensity of stormy skies and rough seas. I loved adding in all those textures and the little dash of orange in contrast to the turquoise brushstrokes of sea.

Remember my mini scarf from last time? I knitted another, with added pompoms this time, for a bit of fun. Forgive the state of my cardigan - it took so long to Photoshop out all the cat hairs that eventually I gave up.

I also updated the shipping policy on my website with good news for customers in the USA. Other than that, I’ve been spending time sorting out old paperwork. Anyone else keep all their old payslips and P60s and other random paperwork from the last century? I chucked a fair bit, but there’s still too much stuff I’ve never needed, and will most likely never need again, but I keep it because I already kept it, and it’s now too hard to throw away. It’s like a very dull archive of my life. I’m going to keep chiselling away at the paperwork stack since in my fantasy future, I’m organised. Wish me luck!

In Other News

• If you ever get a chance to visit the Hill House in Helensburgh, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, be sure to go to the cafe so you can have one of these fancy Empire Biscuits, inspired by his iconic rose. The house is also spectacular, and if you have a head for heights you can get a bird’s eye view of the building from the metal structure currently encasing the building.

• The final of The Great British Sewing Bee aired last week. I’m an avid watcher. Without doubt, workmanship and creativity from the contestants reached a new high this year. I was delighted when the judges chose my preferred candidate as the winner.

• Also, my painter friend Megan Chapman writes with great enthusiasm about art - read her latest about our visit to galleries Modern one and two in Edinburgh last week.

P.S. Almost a month since I deleted my Facebook and I’m surprised how easy it’s been to live without...who’d have thought? In fact, I’m generally calmer, and have freed up a lot of wasted time. Obviously, I’m still looking at Instagram far too much (ha!) but it’s still progress in the right direction.

Have a good week!

Julia

Hello friends; old ones and new!

How are you?

Out of necessity this will be a shorter message because I’ve come down with the second cold in three weeks, and my body feels like it’s been embalmed with a mixture of sawdust, Polyfilla, and silicone sealant. I’ve rarely been ill in the past few years so this feels weird and unfair… Honestly, it’s not even that bad. I just need to moan about it to feel better.

There’s been a change in the weather. Over the last week it’s begun to cool down, and there are signs the end of summer is close. I’ve spotted yellow patches in green trees, and some pavements have a smattering of crispy fallen leaves.

When autumn arrives no outfit of mine is complete without a warm scarf. We’re not quite there yet, but as a nod to the changing season I knitted myself the tinniest scarf. This meant breaking my self-imposed no new projects rule but I needed some comfort knitting while my energy was low but my restlessness was rising.

It’s made with odds and ends of cotton embroidery threads, which have a lovely sheen. I added beads at each end which helps weigh them down plus gives me something tactile to fidget with, as I invariably do.

For the knitters - if you’d like to knit a little neck adornment like this it couldn’t be easier! You could use embroidery threads or leftover yarn. 4 ply or finer would work best but I recommend experimenting with whatever you might have. Just cast on a few stitches - I worked on 7 and worked in stocking stitch to create the ‘rope’. It will naturally form a curl, so you won’t need to stitch the long edge together at the end. It’s a very easy knit, so changing and choosing the colours adds an element of excitement to the process. My colour choices were inspired by piles of ropes you see littered around harbours, but if I make another I might choose an autumnal theme. For a knitted rope that wraps around the neck three times like mine you’ll need to knit a length approximately 90 inches. Of course you could make it shorter or longer to suit your requirements.

After casting off I gave it a hand wash in warm soapy water to even out the stitches, as well as cleaning, then hung it out to dry, finally the beads were attached with strong clear nylon thread. Tadaaa! It’s ready to wear.

Goodbye Facebook

My other news this week is that after 18 years on the platform I finally plucked up the courage to disable my Facebook account. I have to admit it was pretty nerve racking but still I’m glad to have done it. There’s a 30 day cooling off period so if I have a change of heart I can always run back begging and pleading to be let back inside! I really don’t think that will happen though. While it was fun in the early days to be reacquainted with old friends, share memes and have a free marketing tool for my business, times have changed and Facebook is a dramatically different site - one I haven’t enjoyed for some time. The only thing holding me there was fear of losing touch with some people I really like but haven’t met up with in real life for a very long time. The ethics of Facebook and its parent company META are not aligned with how I want to live my life. I don’t believe they are a force for good in the world, not that I judge anyone for continuing to be a Facebook user, because for a start it’s actively designed to be addictive. I regularly spent hours scrolling, even until recently, when I was aware how bad it made me feel. I’m not the kind of person who can just close the app and ignore it. It had to be gone.

Without my business page I will lose money but not a huge amount, considering how much energy I’ve devoted to it. When my info is deleted in 26 days I will no longer be able to have a business account on Instagram either, which means no links to my shop, or stats, but I’ll have to live with that.

My end goal is not to use any META products but it’s easier said than done. Because Instagram is primarily visual it appeals to me more. I enjoy seeing posts from friends and artists, however spending too much time on the site desensitises you to beauty. Sometimes it seems like everything’s been done before…and better, so what’s the point…? But, the point is to be human is to be creative and anything that gets in the way of that is not worth devoting time and energy to.

From now on I’ll be looking into better ways to share about my art, my business and myself without the need for social media. Writing here and on my website will be my top priority. I’m enjoying building my small community here and thankful to everyone who reads and subscribes. My work is still evolving as I continue to move my focus from textiles to visual art so I hope you’ll enjoy following my progress wherever it may take me.

Best wishes, Julia

It’s been such a beautiful summer, and thankfully, it’s not over yet.

After a couple of miserable rainy summers, warmth and sunshine have been so welcome.

With the sun my energy levels have improved, so I’ve been swimming and spending more time outdoors, gardening, and getting around to odd jobs in the house, which means there’s actually been less for creative activities. This isn’t bothering me too much because these things tend to be cyclical, and I know it won’t be long before I’m getting the art materials out again. However, it does mean that weeks have gone by without me opening the Substack editor, and now I’m confused about what I should say.

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I could write about how much the time spent just looking at flowers in my unruly back garden means to me.

Or, I could write about the days out visiting galleries and museums.

I could explain how much I enjoy seeing exhibitions with my artist friend Megan. We chat and look at art and I always get home feeling refreshed and inspired.

Or, should I tell you about a great day I had at Summerlee industrial heritage museum, with Robb? It’s crammed full of loads of fascinating heavy industrial machinery and other artefacts. Since I live in an old coal miner’s cottage, I particularly loved their reconstructed miner’s rows which were each furnished in the style of a different decade from the 19th and 20th centuries. I loved the sunny yellow walls in the 1960s living room. It was like a home from home.

Or, I could write about the day I walked over the Forth Road Bridge in the mid day sun with my sister, on what was probably the hottest day of the year. Well worth it for the views and the ice cream cone when we reached South Queensferry.

Or, I could tell you all about evening walk along the Promenade at Portobello, when the sunset was so breathtaking it stopped me in my tracks. Of course, as always, the photo pales into comparison with the real thing.

Or, all about the many hours cutting diamonds from paper and fabric, and the many more hours stitching them together, and how frustrating and rewarding this is in equal measure.

I could show you a busy little corner of my studio, where all kinds of useful things are kept. These could theoretically come in handy and be made into other stuff any minute now.

Or, I could write about how lovely it was to meet up with my long time blog buddy Klay for the first time in real life, after being friends online since 2007.

Or I could show you the amazing handmade ceramic gifts she brought me and I could leave you a link to her shop.

Or, I could tell you about the tour Robb and I went on of a fantastic local historic house owned by the National Trust For Scotland. Newhailes House was quite a revelation. I never expected it to have so many original features, fantastic furniture, decoration, and paintings. Visits are by guided tour only, but the guide had a great wealth of knowledge and we never felt rushed through at any point. The tour took about an hour and a half in total, and then there was the courtyard cafe, gift shop and a great little 2nd hand bookshop in the grounds to visit.

But, I think I’ll just leave this round up as it is, go outside, breathe in the air, smell the flowers and water the garden while it’s still light.

The world on the screen is ever more disturbing so taking time to unplug and seek out beauty in nature, art, and friendship is such good medicine.

On Saturday I set out on a solo adventure - 3 nights away in the East Neuk of Fife. This is a part of Scotland I’ve visited many times and it never disappoints. Its coastal villages have an abundance of picturesque harbours and historic buildings, which date back centuries. Now popular with tourists, who come to walk the coastal path, visit the art and harbour festivals and sample the deliciously fresh seafood.

I left home laden with enough luggage for a fortnight in Spain. Usually, I’m a toothbrush and spare knickers type of traveller, but for this trip as well as a holdall of clothes, and a small rucksack, I decided to lug a full suitcase full of charcoal, paints, mini easel, palette, drawing paper - with the intention of at least spending some time drawing, and/or painting.

Train to Edinburgh. Train to Leven. Bus to Pittenweem. I love watching the world go by from public transport windows. There’s always so much to see and nothing else to do but to relax and look. The weather was warm, but there were dense grey clouds forming and by the time I arrived there was light drizzle.

Had a nice walk round the harbour in the rain, eating chips from a cardboard box, followed by a salted caramel ice cream cone - the chippy and ice cream shop were close neighbours of my Airbnb.

Sunday morning started dry so I had a good wander. When the heavy rain started I made my way back to my cosy home from home and decided to reframe my disappointment with the poor weather as an excellent opportunity to get the art materials out.

So, I drew a scribbly tonal pencil study of the chair in my room, and some very rough sketches from the photos I’d taken around the harbour.

Later, the rain dried up for a while so I headed out with my sketchbook and sat drawing at the harbour, briefly, before I got too cold and gave up. I finally have to admit it to myself that I’m never going to be an artist who enjoys drawing or painting outdoors. I’m just not hardy enough, and have gained even more respect for artists such as Joan Eardley, who worked on huge atmospheric canvasses beside the North Sea, in howling gales!

Monday was warmer and a good day for more exploring. After a hearty cooked breakfast at the Clock Tower Cafe (try their lemon meringue cookies if you go!) I took a bus further round the Fife coast to St Andrews, walked and walked, then got another bus north again to Dundee. More walking; sore feet, but think I managed to visit every charity shop in the city centre and had a look round the Mcmanus Museum and Art Gallery too before getting the bus back.

Anstruther is another beautiful harbour town just a couple of miles away from Pittenweem so I decided to break my journey there and take in the sea views.

As you can imagine, after packing all that into one day I slept well.

Got back home on Tuesday at teatime after another meandering day of public transport. Good to get away for a while and as always great to get back to the comfort and familiarity of home.

Although, as an art holiday it wasn’t the most productive, the change of scene was refreshing and inspiring. Plus all that sea air really does work wonders! I had an uncharacteristic burst of energy yesterday and got through my chores list in record time. Hope the invigorating effect doesn’t wear off too soon!

Happy Friday! Have a very good weekend.

Having two cats at home is a brilliant source of entertainment. Since they’re indoor pets, with a lot of energy to expend they spend a large proportion of their waking hours chasing each other around the small cottage where we live.They dash at lightning speed over the furniture, while somehow managing to avoid destroying the ornaments. They leap high and fast, back and forward for hours, appearing to enjoy tormenting each other, but thankfully they always manage to get over their differences.

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At some point each day I’ll find them snuggled in together, at the end of the bed, or on top of the wardrobe. My camera roll is full of them. I’ve been using some of my favourite images as source material. I’d prefer to draw from life but the cats won’t hold a pose for long, so make unreliable models.

The one with both cats together above is the first drawing I’d done in a few weeks. I’m glad to be in the right frame of mind again. So much going on in the wider world and closer to home was depleting my ability to concentrate, but it’s spring now and I feel the possibility of change for the better. As I write, I’m sitting on the garden bench. It’s peaceful and there’s confetti made of white cherry blossom billowing and landing on the fresh bright green, dandelion speckled grass. At this moment life is beautiful, which just shows what a few days away from social media can do.

For so long I’ve wanted to draw more and this week I’ve made a start. Drawing focuses my mind and helps anxious thoughts subside. It’s hard to explain what I get from drawing. It’s not exactly easy but the challenge of capturing something on paper feels really worthwhile and comes naturally, in a way. A very different experience to writing, which takes lots of effort, and rewriting. It’s not unknown for me to spend an hour writing a basic caption on social media, or replying to a message, because I struggle to transform thoughts to words and condense my naturally long-winded style.

But still, I feel the urge to communicate… and writing on Substack has many benefits over attention seeking/draining social media. (I had a whole rant about Meta inserted here but I’ll save you from that). What I will say is, it’s no coincidence that I’ve found the time and focus to draw in the week that I left my phone in another room! My goal of abandoning Facebook and Instagram for good is one step closer. It just shows how distracting it is, when I’m even wasting time thinking about it when I’m not on it!

So, getting back on topic. These are on A3 size white cartridge paper, drawn with willow charcoal, with some compressed charcoal for the darker lines and some grey and white soft pastel highlights. I often use a piece of putty rubber to remove the charcoal and create highlighted areas. Recently, I thought I’d try out a battery operated eraser but so far I’m not convinced. It’s very hard to control - so fine for rubbing out big areas, no so good for precision highlights. Maybe I haven’t mastered the technique yet so I’ll give it another go.

I’m looking to express my cats unique characters and how they relate to each other and to me, so although they can be cute at times, they are more often fierce, indifferent or sleepy.

There’s no plans for these drawings yet. They will probably appear in my shop at a later date but I want to build up a few before I decide where I’m going with them . If you see one that you like I might be open to selling, give me a shout!

Question For Subscribers

If you’re a subscriber (thank you!) you might be wondering why you’ve received this today and not on Monday morning, which is when I usually post. There’s no real reason apart from I’d actually written something (it’s been a while) and Monday seemed a long way away. What I’d really like to know is does it make any difference to you when it’s sent out? Is there a day of the week or time of day you’re more likely to read a newsletter? I know Sunday mornings are popular - that’s when I read my favourites. Often I save up a few that arrive during the week so I can read them at my leisure. Is that something you do too? Let me know in the comments please.

That’s all for this time, have a great weekend!

Julia

Hello, I hope you are well!

This week it’s mainly pictures from a road trip I went on with my other half last weekend. We (he) drove up so we could explore the coast north of Aberdeen, where neither of us had been to before. We were staying in Elgin, and managed a quick look round on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, when heavy wind and rain were forecast, we went all the way along the coast to Fraserburgh, and back again, visiting almost every town and village on our way. It was beautiful, but freeezing! Miraculously it never rained. I only managed to take a few pictures before the camera battery died, but for the most part the conditions weren’t good for photography anyway.

Despite the weather it was amazing to be away from home for a couple of nights, to discover that things are done differently elsewhere - Elgin (population approx 25,000) seems to have a brilliant range of independent shops and services compared with comparable sized towns down here near Edinburgh. It was also a surprise that almost all shops, cafes and hotels were closed on Sunday, although that might be because it was a freezing day in February and there weren’t too many tourists about, except dafties like us!

Holiday Snaps

First row, left to right:

1. Sign in a window reads ‘save Cullen library’. I hope they do!

2. Tarlair open air swimming pool. Being a huge Art Deco fan, I’ve wanted to visit this place for ages. The restoration of the Pavilion is complete and fund raising for the rest of the improvements has begun. Sadly, the cafe wasn’t open yet; with the icy wind howling in from the North Sea I would have given just about anything for a nice a cup of tea! Hard to imagine anyone enjoying an outdoor dip on a day like that but with the popularity of wild swimming I’m sure it’ll be well used. Its surrounding landscape is stunning, as is the building itself. I hope to go back when it’s sunny and dangle my feel in the water while eating a huge icecream cone (with a flake in it).

3. Out of season picnic table on Pennan beach.

Second row, left to right:

1. A beautifully maintained red phone box in Pennan. Another Art Deco design, by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. They used to be completely ubiquitous all over the UK that they were taken completely for granted. Although one of these did feature in the film Local Hero, (filmed in Pennan in 1983) it was actually a prop placed at the other end of the beach for artistic licence. This one has been listed since 1989 and is one of the few to still be in working order.

2. Pennan Beach.

3. Weather worn lifebuoy at Pennan Harbour.

Third row, left to right:

1. Window of the Pennan Hotel, with phonebox ornament alluding to the village’s claim to fame of being the filming location for Local Hero. The hotel was still closed for the season, but due to reopen just a few days after our visit.

2. Blue skies, light rain and so many rainbows seen on the way north to our destination.

3. Cullen harbour in the golden hour. Cullen was very picturesque. From the top of the hill you look down on rows of cottage rooftops then out to the harbour and the sea. Looking in the other direction is a massive stone built viaduct. Definitely another place I want to spend more time - a week in the sunshine with my paints would be perfect!

Shop News

To mark the tantalisingly close arrival of spring I’ve had an offer running over the weekend for 10% off all original art on my website. The good news is I’ve decided to extend it until noon on Tuesday. To claim your discount simply add the code word THISWEEKEND10 at checkout.

Thanks for reading. I will have new art to show you next time…I’m 82% certain of that! ;-)

Mid February and the Camellia bush in the garden has its first bloom! I saw loads of snowdrops yesterday in the country park. Spring can’t be very far away.

Lost and Found

Too many cold, damp grey days, bad news on every channel, and mood swings brought on by going cold turkey on sugar (again) made last week hard to bear at points. I was seriously wondering if anything would ever go right again after misplacing my passport, which I needed as ID for an essential admin thing that time was running out on. I remembered where it was - somewhere safe. Phew! Only, I couldn’t access it because…I’d lost the key to the safe place. It wasn’t where I knew it should be. I searched everywhere but it was useless. I’d lost the key, lost the passport and was on the way to losing my mind. It’s no surprise that the painting session that day was also a complete disaster, (and already painted over). Decided to call it a day and slouch in front of the TV for the night.

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Of course, after a proper sleep and decent breakfast everything came right. I tidied up methodically, and looked through my bag properly, found the damn key! Found the passport! Irritating admin task ticked off the list. Time to move on.

Perfect Pick-me-up

Not everything has been so fraught. I scheduled in some art time, which was comforting, rewarding, and every now and again downright blissful! I can't even begin to describe all the feelings drawing and painting bring me! It really takes up space in my mind and pushes aside any anxious thoughts. Honestly, it just makes everything feel so much brighter. It also helps that the worst of the sugar cravings have abated.

Still painting cats.

I treated myself to a tube of paint in a colour I’ve never used before, pale umber, which is a light greyish beige. Quite an unassuming colour on its own but it makes a nice accompaniment to brighter colours like pink. Slathering it on the paper and scraping it off again with a palette knife is my definition of fun! Not done a drawing as large as this for a while. It’s A3, so not huge but big enough to make decent sized marks with charcoal. Expecting to do more charcoal drawings this week. We’ll see.

Shop News

New in the shop, a small cat painting on card called Melba Being Cute.

And, if you’re on my shop news email list you may have already seen this special clearance offer I put together. It includes Stevie Seagull, a unique hand painted and embroidered hanging bird ornament, a hand printed and stitched linen and cork brooch, and a bright yellow linen hand printed zipper pouch. All for only £35. See more details.

Bluesky

Did I mention I’m on Bluesky now? I already left Twitter a while ago when Elon Musk took over and my longer term goal is to move away from Facebook and Instagram completely. It’s difficult because it’s how I stay in contact with a lot of people and previously both sites were also an effective and free way to market my business - I’ll probably miss out on much needed sales if I leave. However, they’ve completely lost their charm in so many ways and I’m already spending much less time on them both. Bluesky is refreshing because you can actually see everyone’s posts chronologically, like in the olden days. I’m finding a lot of new artists to follow and so far I’ve not encountered any bigoted nasties. This Bluesky quick start guide is aimed at craft businesses but has everything you need to know to decide if it’s for you or not.

I’m not abandoning Substack any time soon. It’s a great place to write more in depth and has been a helpful tool for organising my thoughts. I really appreciate everyone who reads and subscribes here!

Bye for now, Julia

The main thing is I finished the hexagon patchwork for the top of my quilt!

As much as I enjoy the sewing process, it’s difficult to explain how hard it’s been to keep sewing row after row while my busy mind has been tempting me to drop what I’m doing and finish various other sewing projects and even thinking up a number of new ones for me, thanks for that, silly brain! But, I fought the impulsivity and stuck to the plan and am glad I did. Phase 1 complete, and nice and flat after a good press. I wanted to commemorate the occasion since it’s going to undergo quite a transformation soon. The washing line was just the place to hang it for its photo/video. Then I felt compelled to give said video an eerie gothic edit…if Ingmar Bergman made a film about patchwork this is how it might look, LOL.

Seeing it like this I’m half tempted to keep it flat, but the plan is to cover an old duvet and quilt it minimally, just at the points of each patch, so it’ll end up for want of a better word, lumpy. Of course, this might change because like the rest of the process, I’m making it up as I go along.

Using up fabrics from my stash for the quilt was important. I really don’t want to buy any new fabric when there is still so much left to use at home. The fabrics all have stories. Lots of these hexagons were once pillow cases or clothes, worn by me, my partner, or given to me by generous friends. Some came from flea markets, car boot sales and charity shops. Some from Ebay. I enjoy that connection to the past and the sentimental feelings that these memories evoke. That’ll be true when it’s finished and keeping me cosy too. I’ll be reminded of seeing Robb across the bar in the mid 90s when he was wearing that 1960s orange shirt, and the friend’s wedding we went to together more than a decade later when I wore the handmade purple floral dress.

One thing still to be decided is what to use as backing fabric - that might be something I actually need to buy because it has to be just the right weight and colour. Nothing I already have fits the bill but with any luck I’ll find just the right thing…and I can’t decide between baby pink or dark green. What would you choose?

That’s Entertainment

Thoroughly enjoyed a rare trip to the cinema at the weekend to see A Complete Unknown. It’s the biopic of Bob Dylan by James Mangold, starring Timothee Chalamet, who gave a very convincing performance. Reminded me just how many good songs Bob wrote! Here’s the trailer.

What’s next?

This month I’m carrying on with the quilt. Little by little I’ll get it done. I’m also continuing daily sketching but want to devote more time to drawing and hopefully produce some larger work. I’m thinking more monochrome - my eyes need a break after all that colour in the quilt.

Shop News

Cat on a Mat Too is available now.