Struggling Through

January felt like a difficult month to get through at times which is probably why I didn't manage to do a post for the whole of that month. I was busy and tired, and the dark dreary days seemed to encourage dark dreary thoughts. I did manage to keep up with my reading, I'd be lost without books, but anything more just wasn't happening. So the day I had off yesterday, with sun no less, seemed to hold the promise of spring just around the corner. I hung out my first wash of the year; an occasion I always feel worthy of note:-

How lovely does that look?

And there are definitely little bursts of colour here and there:-

One thing I have actually been doing is a sketch a week. This is something I'm determined to do this year in order to try and free my drawing up and not be too precious about it; I have to do at least one sketch a week and spend no more than 30 minutes on it, finished or not. By the end of the year I will have at least 52 sketches. These are from the start of the month:-

Last week there was a Front Row special with Mary Beard in conversation with Philip Pullman. Now Philip Pullman is one of my literary heroes so this was a real treat and it lifted my spirits. The interview was conducted in a book-lined room in his Oxford home and as I curled up with a warm drink in my armchair I almost felt like I was there with them.

Front Row Late

Amanda xxx

Slow Sunday

Thought I'd better get in my last post of the year. I'd planned to post something the first week of December but here we are in the final hours of the month, and the year. In all the rushing about one of the things I've missed most is seeing daylight...I've been heading out to work in the dark and heading home in the dark. Today I had a day off, which I made sure was a proper day off  apart from a bit of ironing, and it was pure indulgence to read a book at the kitchen table gazing out over my garden. No radio, no TV, just me and a cuppa. It's been grey, drizzly, but I think these winter days can be quite magical. As a new year rolls around you can feel the history in the earth of all the years gone before, and all the possibility that a new year can hold.

As I head into the new year it's with the intention of doing more sketching. Sketching just for the fun of it, as well as doing my projects. I've already made a start:-

Happy New Year
Amanda xxx

Dreaming Spires

Last year, as Christmas approached, I re-read 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman. I wanted to revisit the story before I read 'Book of Dust' which was about to be released. I enjoyed the books even more second time around, so much so that I had a yearning to visit Oxford and the colleges that were Lyra's playground. Me and my best friend from school went there last month for a short break which I thoroughly enjoyed. In my mind I'd envisioned a magical place...it didn't disappoint. I was utterly captivated by the layers of history.

School of Divinity - Bodleian

My current project is inspired by the transforming power and magic of books, and there I was in a city dedicated to knowledge. I couldn't help but imagine myself as an Oxford scholar.

The Dining Hall - Balliol

As for my project. The second and third pieces are now complete...

Sleeping and Crows #2

Sleeping and Crows #3

...and I'm quite pleased with them. I've been trying different stitches and techniques with each of them so that although they are obviously part of the same series, they have some differences. I'm working on freeing myself up more, not labouring over a piece too much. There are still another five pieces planned for this project and I am eager to see what I will do next but this is always the busiest time of year for me so it will happen when it happens.

Amanda xxx

Stitch By Stitch

Time for an update on my current series of work I think. I would have liked to have more to show but I'm at the stage of doing hand embroidery and it does take time. I've completed the first piece and had to overcome my frustration at the slow progress to change down a few gears and appreciate the simple pleasure of sewing with a needle and thread. As well as time it takes a fair amount of patience, both of which seem to be in short supply, but I managed to find some, and I now have the first in a series of 8 done. No idea when the others will be done but I'll be sure to post progress.

Sleeping and Crows #1

The original inspiration for this series was books, storytelling and the worlds that those stories take us to so this feels like the perfect time of year to be absorbing myself in this project. For me the cold dark nights are all about cosying up with blankets, warm drinks and books, books, books. Perfect.

Amanda xxx

Seasonal Change

The darkness is gradually creeping in at the edges of each day and this glorious summer that we've had seems to be saying its goodbyes.

As the seasons rotate around times' circle and the morning air has a crisp freshness to it my thoughts can't help but turn towards Autumn. It's back-to-school, new stationery, a return to studies, and a bit of a wardrobe re-set.

The other day I bought my first magazine in ages (Red - September issue) and found these images within its pages which capture the moment and create the perfect mood board:-

I'm hoping that I can get my current project back on track as I really seem to have lost my momentum. Not to say that I haven't been doing anything; I've done a lot of reading, gardening, contemplating. My mind has been incredibly busy, but time now to get creating again.

Amanda xxx

Magical Creatures at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Took advantage yesterday of a day off and some cloud cover to take a trip to Yorkshire Sculpture park, where the incredible Mister Finch is currently exhibiting. I've seen his work before but this is his largest exhibition to date and it was truly wonderful:-

The magical theme continued in The Chapel where there is an installation by Chiharu Shiota :-

I went home feeling enchanted and inspired.

Amanda
xxx

A Fairy-tale Wedding

So my aim has been to do a blog post once a month - that seems do-able. But the month of May has just been and gone, and now it's June. So maybe two posts this month? We'll see.

Anyway the highlight of May, for me, had to be the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. I'm quite the cynic when it comes to love and marriage but my heart melted, if only briefly, when I watched what has to be the most perfect, beautiful and joyous wedding I've ever seen. It was like a fairy-tale come to life. There was this wonderful mix of the pomp and ceremony of the monarchy, and the genuine warmth, humanity and love of  Meghan and Harry. So I've been grabbing any spare moments these past couple of weeks to pore over my 'Royal Wedding Souvenir Specials'; and I just had to attempt some sketches. Here are a couple:-

 

 

Which means my current project has been somewhat side-lined, as work has also been very busy. I have made a start though. All I can tell you at the moment is that it's going to be a combination of pencil sketches and embroidery. I haven't done any embroidery for a while and I'm missing it, but I also want to keep going with the sketches so I'm hoping the mix of the two will work. It's very early stages at the moment so I haven't worked out my technique yet but here is a little peak of my work in progress:-

The inspiration is stories and fairy-tales - I'll expand on that when I have a bit more to show.

Amanda xxx