Is it really June? Why can't I slow down time, at least during these Spring and Summer months. These are the seasons that bring me abundant joy and are brimming with inspiration. I have made it part of my daily practice to pause and truly notice the day. I have written about this in multiple posts but this practice is easily forgotten and dismissed. This is the only June 1st of 2025 and it has a beauty that belongs only to this day. Part of the practice is to notice the changes in the sights and sounds of the garden. The robin's song is rarely heard. I hear the Carolina Wrens, Starlings, Orioles and Bluejays prominently. During my evening walks, I can hear the Red Winged Blackbirds. If my studio windows are open, I can hear bumblebees. All these sounds make up the music of the day. What a joy!
My morning reading ritual is still going strong. I am the most pensive during the beginning of the day. I currently have a stack of 6 books on the go as part of the morning reading time. I just finished Marjolein Bastin's View from a Sketchbook which gave some amazing insights into her process.
But as I prepare for studies with my private students, I pulled the book Cicely Mary Barker and her Art.
Cicely Mary Barker is best known for her Flower Fairies. She loved nature and depicting her Flower Fairies but struggled with being a Children's Book Illustrator and wondered if she should devote her time to themes that were seemingly more important. Like Kate Greenaway, well intended critics liked to chime in about her work and tell her what she should be doing. But there are quotes in her book that I admire and I wanted to share them here. A letter from a family friend urged her to ignore the critics and he told her that her work 'shows imagination and originality of thought- the most precious things in art.' He then quoted Dante " If thou follow thy star thou canst not fail of glorious heaven." And your star is your own individual power of thought and imagination-the thread of gold that goes through all good art.' This passage really struck a chord with me as an instructor. The most important aspect I can bring to the student is helping them become aware of their own thought process and imagination. They each have a voice and a vision to create on the page. Their voice is that that "thread of gold" that brings the work to life on the page. Rather than copying from an image or an exemplar, I feel the best path forward is finding your own personal expression of artwork. This absolutely includes calligraphy. Although I look at historic models, I am constantly finding a way to adapt those models to find a flowing script that is beautiful for my purposes now. I hope this makes sense. Look at history, but don't be defined by what is already captured on the page from someone else's pen or brush. Find your voice. It is important and it has a place in this world now. We are all such unique people, why would we want to all create the same thing?
These thoughts keep me grounded and focused as I create my instructional classes. I used the inspiration of The Black Hours for the upcoming course Midnight Garden for Ardington school in September. The class is currently sold out, but you can inquire about a waiting list for this class. As I worked on the course notes and the artwork, I wanted to find ways to make these black rinceau designs an expression of that "thread of gold" that is my own voice. The joy of discovery and thinking through all kinds of conundrums with the process is part of this journey! After a lot of failed experiments I found an accessible way to create these Midnight Garden pages. Admittedly, providing an image that could be traced and copied by each student would be an easier path, but when I see the incredibly expressive individuality of each student, I realize how powerful this "thread of gold' can be! I see student work that far exceeds my own expression and expectations. This could never be achieved through copying.
But as I prepare for studies with my private students, I pulled the book Cicely Mary Barker and her Art.
Cicely Mary Barker is best known for her Flower Fairies. She loved nature and depicting her Flower Fairies but struggled with being a Children's Book Illustrator and wondered if she should devote her time to themes that were seemingly more important. Like Kate Greenaway, well intended critics liked to chime in about her work and tell her what she should be doing. But there are quotes in her book that I admire and I wanted to share them here. A letter from a family friend urged her to ignore the critics and he told her that her work 'shows imagination and originality of thought- the most precious things in art.' He then quoted Dante " If thou follow thy star thou canst not fail of glorious heaven." And your star is your own individual power of thought and imagination-the thread of gold that goes through all good art.' This passage really struck a chord with me as an instructor. The most important aspect I can bring to the student is helping them become aware of their own thought process and imagination. They each have a voice and a vision to create on the page. Their voice is that that "thread of gold" that brings the work to life on the page. Rather than copying from an image or an exemplar, I feel the best path forward is finding your own personal expression of artwork. This absolutely includes calligraphy. Although I look at historic models, I am constantly finding a way to adapt those models to find a flowing script that is beautiful for my purposes now. I hope this makes sense. Look at history, but don't be defined by what is already captured on the page from someone else's pen or brush. Find your voice. It is important and it has a place in this world now. We are all such unique people, why would we want to all create the same thing?
Looking ahead on the schedule, my June classes are sold out but if you want to Flourish in July or later on in September, both Ardington School and The Gentle Penman will be hosting my flourishing classes. The Flourishing Club at Ardington is a three month program while The Gentle Penman Wildflower Wonders takes place in two sessions.
Flourishing is one of the best ways of creative expression and the voice of the individual can really shine through. It can take time for a lightbulb of understanding to turn on, but once that light comes on, your vision will illuminate the page! Flourish with joy my beautiful friends. Put pen, ink, watercolour or pencils to paper and find that thread of gold. The more I read about my favourite artists, the more I realize that they draw or paint to please themselves. That is what makes their work so timeless and unique. Enjoy this beautiful month dear friends.
