Taking Stock

 Happy July 1st dear friends. It is Canada here and I remain grateful for my beautiful country. It is far from perfect but I feel so blessed to have lived here. Each season in this country has a beauty of its own and it so important to appreciate them. This summer, I have undertaken an inventory of my studio books and supplies.

I have a wonderful library and as I took inventory of the books, I spent time turning the pages and getting reacquainted with many of them. What a variety of interests and ideas that still make my heart sing. Each class I create is usually sparked from one of my bookshelf treasures. You will notice a slow down of social media posts from me as I dive more deeply into my bookshelves and work on classes for late fall, 2025 and 2026. I am constantly studying and letting my mind absorb the things I want to learn and continue to share. This is hard work and sometimes I wonder how long I will continue to do it.  But the burgeoning bookshelves remind me of how passionate I am of all these subjects. Ornamental Penmanship, Offhand Flourishing, Fabrics, Embroidery, Illuminated Manuscripts, Victorian Storybook Illustrations, Beatrix Potter, Watercolour Painting, Coloured Pencils, Gilding, Botanical Drawing and the list goes on into micro subjects derived from these categories. I could spend years on William Morris alone! A study is coming in November that will reflect my deep dive into the bookshelves and I will post info about that soon on my website. Honestly. the social media pause has been a blessing. I always feel this tension between posting my work or avoiding the scrolling of endless promotions. Sometimes I need to just shut down the computer and realign my soul with the quietness of work that is created for an audience of one. The pause and time to take stock has made me even more keenly aware of how quickly time is passing. July will give way to August and then fall will emerge quickly here in Canada. The sight of a single rose in my garden is cause for celebration and appreciation.

It wants to be noticed and appreciated. While the world around me seems to race by more quickly, the rhythms in my own mind and body want to slowly savour. I know that a lot of what I have to offer as an instructor and as an artist must be absorbed slowly. It takes time and time is a very precious commodity. There is a very special course posted on the Ardington website called The Vintage Page.

It is limited to a very small group of students as it will take me so much time to work with the homework of each student. I wish it was more affordable but this format has more administrative costs for Ardington as well. If you want a slow savour approach to creating a page with the beauty of Italian Hand, you can find the info posted online. Later this month, I will launch my final offering of Flights of Fancy.

It represents my heart and soul as an artist and is hard to put into word. This is not a typical class in any sense. If you want more info, please contact me privately as there are a couple of spots left for this very special class.  If you want a taster session of the depths of coloured pencil work, please join me for Blooms and Breezes later this month at the Gentle Penman.

Coloured Pencil work is meticulous. It is not rushed. It cause you to pause, appreciate the subject and slowly watch it come to life on the page. It represents time and patience and is definitely not a technique for anyone who has a tendency to rush. Even though I work in silence most of the time, I will often have quiet music playing while working with coloured pencils. My mind and heart are at peace while I work. I think this is why I continue to work as an artist. There are easier pathways in life but I remain thankful for the one I am on. Thank you dear friends for your support. If I am quiet on social media, you, my dear readers and friends will know why. I am taking stock and deeply at work. Hugs all around.