Summer Cottage

I found a rare afternoon by myself, when the little one was away at her friend's house for a play and I was left with a sudden space in my day to fill.  Not inclined to tackle the usual chores (which mysteriously manage to get happily ignored during the holidays) I moved towards my paints - such a while since I did any painting - and I ended up finishing this summer scene of a cottage and it's garden, bursting with colourful blooms.

I worked on Hahnemuhle paper using acrylic and collage.  With Six Music on in the background, the sun streaming through the window and a generous mug of green tea to hand, I had a rather lovely afternoon of it.  I sometimes forget the joys that working with paint brings, and after an absence it is always a delicious feeling to be squeezing out honey thick paint onto my palette, to dunk a brush into a jam jar of clean water, to make those first marks on the paper.

I think it would be nice to offer this image as prints, so look out on the website soon for these, as well as the original which will also be availalbe to purchase. 

See you soon,
J x

Loving Summer

The summer holidays are well underway here; warm and pleasant days interspersed with monsoonal downpours which leave a fresh, lingering scent that is irresistible and draws you outside to take big, happy lung-fulls.  I have been to Majorca for a week with my family, and I was deeply inspired by the turquoise of the crystal clear sea and the forever blue skies.  I was also lulled by a hot sun into dreamy slumbers by the waters edge where I let my imagination wind its own way gently towards future dreams and ideas.  It's a seductive pastime, to lie in the warmth with nothing but your thoughts to linger over.  I confess to feeling rather overwhelmed before we travelled, things have piled up this last year to make me question many facets of my life and business, yet I have come home feeling relaxed, soft and calmer than I have in weeks.

I feel a slow sense of possibility and optimism returning.  I realise there are certain things I need to stop doing in order to feel happier, and some things I need to do more of for the same reason.
It is easy to lose oneself in the daily grind, to forget our hopes and desires, to push them down and lose sight of them.  It's easy to get swamped by the visual tidal wave of talent on the internet, and inevitably begin the fatal game of comparison, which only serves to empty our souls and leave a sour feeling in our bellies. 

To walk amongst the pine trees of Majorca as the sun set behind the town I felt that I had finally reconnected with an important, and forgotten part of myself.  I stood on a rocky promontory and watched the line of a denim blue horizon become one with the fuzzy lavender sky as the evening light faded.  When we allow time for peace; inspiration and desire has a chance to blossom.  We can make space to let go of unrealised dreams to make way for the new.  We can take stock, fill our wells, let things go.

So, back home, back into the fray of a chaotic summer holiday - the children are home from school and normal life is seemingly tossed in the air and disregarded til the beginning of September.  But that's ok.  There's plenty of time for everything, and I've found that for now I am happy sketching ideas in my book, tearing out inspiring pictures from magazines for another day and making small plans.

One thing I have managed to do since coming home is to implement the beautiful new branding package my talented designer friend Angie Spurgeon has created for me.  My website and blog has long been due an overhaul, and she has captured the look I was after perfectly.

I hope you like it.

See you next time.
J x