After years and years of dreading the approach of winter, I am finally able to welcome October! I know that each season of the year has a beauty and rhythm of its own waiting to be experienced. I have learned how to adjust to the different colours in my garden and appreciating each last petal of an ever fading garden. So far, the leaves on my garden trees are still green but they will begin their spectacular show very soon and I will love the colours of the season. My daily walks now have that familiar crunch of dried leaves underfoot and I have to be careful of falling walnut husks on my walk to the post office. There is a certain autumn charm in the air.
As I sit at my desk and write this post, I can hear the loud song of the Carolina Wrens in the garden. This Spring and Summer have been beautiful seasons of research for me. I am deeply immersed in preparation for the courses of 2025 and 2026. I am still reading through Linda Lear's biography of Beatrix Potter and I confess that Potter is becoming a bit of hero to me.
She was so much more than a book illustrator. She was a force to contend with and knew her own mind. She could trust her instincts and fight for the stories that she believed she should write and illustrate. She had a generosity and an intense desire to do useful work. She worked so hard. I have been astounded by her work ethic. I am nearing the end of the inspiring book and will move on to her Journal and Letters next. Yes, a collaborative class with Martin Beck at Ardington School is in the works for Beatrix Potter in 2025! But as I am doing this current research, the Potter readings are inspiring my own drawings and paintings.
I have already introduced some of this inspiration in my 2024 Flights of Fancy Master class and the animal drawings will continue to be explored in this month's
Miniature Merry Makers class at The Gentle Penmanand November's
Song of Winter class through Ardington School.
There is so much work to do to prepare for these classes but I echo the sentiments of Potter as I enjoy this "useful work". Over these past years of developing courses and teaching so many students, what propels me forward is watching their results on the paper. I can see my own work and skills continue to evolve but I get so much joy seeing how each student will interpret the assignments. We all have our unique skills, passions and capacity to learn. We also have different time schedules to allocate to learning, studying writing, painting and drawing. It is so important to know your own mind and respond to the things that you want to pursue. This is a big world and there are thousands and thousands of things that you can find to fill your days. The practice of putting ink to paper, or meticulously painting a miniature animal with thousands of tiny brush strokes can be perceived as boring to many people. But you are here, in this moment, reading this blog post and finding time in your routine to pursue what you love. I firmly believe that the desire and passion to write, draw, gild or paint are in you along with the ability to develop the skills for your craft. Yes, there is hard work involved but pay attention to the joy that comes from that hard work. I hope you all find beauty this month in the season that is unfolding around you. Listen to the sounds of the season, watch the colours change and pause to observe. This is the only October we will have in 2024. Sending love to you all and thank you for your kindness, your support and your incredible words of encouragement that you send.
