Collage and Crocuses
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.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. Have a good week!
Until next time,
Julia x
I binge watched Small Prophets too! I'm loving the signs of spring in your work - I hope I start to see more in the real world soon.