Birds, bees and buttercups

Hello, June! 

Don’t know where this year is speeding along to so fast but summer is here.  Him Indoors even put his shorts on the other day so it must be true.  A monumentous occasion in this house 🤭

I’ve been beebling about making things as usual and just deeply enjoying the wildlife in our garden.  We’ve been able to watch fledglings being fed, nutty young squirrrles doing somersaults on the lawn, and Ive been feeding a very tame robin and blackbird who wait for their breakfast or come down when I sit outside.  They look at me in a marked manner if I don’t throw some mealworms down for them every time.

I’ve also been delighted to deliver work to Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge for their ‘Lasting Impressions’ exhibition.   I’ve sent some paintings, scarves and tiny brooches all celebrating mark-making which was right up my street.  The exhibition is on until mid August if you are local.   We have several towns that are known for their arts scene and Hebden is one, it’s quintessentially ‘Yorkshire’ with a canal running through and lots of artisan shops. 

As well as preparing for that, I’ve had a friend from Ireland to stay for a week which was so nice as it’s been four years since we have seen each other.   We spend some companionable quiet beevering away together in the studio as well as chatting our heads off!  

We are doing something with a matchbox each month this year and here are mine – a bit hard to show the tiny concertina books off but following the mark-making theme, here are a couple of photos.  I have to fess up and say this only happened after two months of wrangling overthinking.   I have a word for this year which is ‘liberty’ and it really works to remind myself of this from time to time.   In the end I simply used surplus paint up on these tiny strips and enjoyed colour, marks and having a good faff! 

(Note: ‘faffing’ is usually defined as procrastinating and being ineffectual, but where I live, it also has a more positive meaning based on playing, being curious without great intention, or a nice way to while away time doing something low key 😊)

I’ve also been chugging along nest-making.  This is labour-intensive graft and each nest is taking well over 100 hours.  Yet, I love the process and slowly this one is materialising.  The inspiration is fields of buttercups which are so joyful for a few weeks.  I’ve made it so sturdy that I’m having trouble pulling the wires through so I don’t get very far in a couple of hours but I will get there. 

We are off to the sea shortly so I’m hoping for some coastal inspiration for another landscape nest.   I have a bunch blues and turquoises winking at me in my yarn basket and a growing a collection of wrapped wire twigs…

I’m also looking forward to leading a couple of upcoming summer schools and generally doing more to some larger pieces that are hiding under beds! I want to make the most of a large patio to spread stuff out to dry but it’s been actually quite windy here for some time, good job I’m the kind of girl who just might have a pebble or two lying around the place to weight things down. 🤭

Wishing you as usual, a little creativity in whatever season you are in.

And a faff.