Happy days…
July 2023
July was a month filled with the scent of roses and lavender and thoughts of boutonnieres, bouquets and buttonholes. The garden became my workshop as I tested flowers and herbs for their longevity and the studio was awash with plant material.
The long-planned wedding of Emily and our youngest son Tom was upon us - my offer to organise the flowers had been accepted and the theme decided on - it was to take place in the countryside with as many of the flowers as possible coming from the garden.
The happiness of the occasion was added to by generous offers of help from green-fingered friends. Ethical florist Hilary Squire shared her skills and showed me how to construct bouquets, local florist Karen Lock kindly taught me tricks using floral tape and glue and garden writer Barbara Segall showered me with weekly and sometimes even daily buckets of the most glorious roses picked from her own garden. The microwave became indispensable in the production of rose-petal confetti and Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’, R. ’Boscobel’ and R. ‘Princess Anne’ became names that soon started rolling off my tongue.
When the big day finally arrived, after weeks of rain it was miraculously dry. Emily, with her long white veil floating behind her and her father at her side came walking slowly along a path through the meadow towards us while Johnie Flynn’s magical song Waiting for You played in the background.
It was a perfect day.
Back into the studio
Now it’s back into the studio with a thump and I’m making preparations for upcoming exhibitions.
First up is the SAC Annual Artists Trail Weekend over the weekend of 23/24th September when artists and makers living in the centre of Sudbury will be opening their studios to visitors. Our group includes local painters, printmakers, ceramicists, restorers and textile designers and we’ll all be there to welcome visitors and talk about our work. All studios are within walking distance and there will be the opportunity to buy as well as browse. This year I hope to have a few bearded iris for sale along with ceramics and paintings, 2024 calendars and diaries and as always I look forward to meeting you.
While you’re here make sure to visit the marvellous new Gainsborough’s House Museum where there are current exhibitions by Maggi Hambling and Suzanne Cooper that are well worth seeing.
At the end of September the 23rd Annual Artworks Exhibition will be taking place at Blackthorpe Barn near Bury St Edmunds. I’ll be exhibting new work along with fellow Artworks members who are all professional artists and makers. The exhibtion runs from 30th September to 15th October 2023. I’ll be there all day on Monday 2nd October for a ‘Meet the Artist’ event where I’ll be available to talk about my work in soft pastels and demonstate my technique. Stay for a coffee or sandwich in the cafe while you’re there.
2024 Garden Days Calendars and Diaries have arrived…
It’s always exciting when the new collection arrives and this year we are pleased that delivery is a little earlier than usual.
Print and paper costs have shot up like everything else but we are doing our best to keep our prices as low as possible. As always we look forward to receiving orders from customers new and old - to whom we owe a huge thank you for coming back to us year after year. And don’t forget, there are no hidden costs - packaging is in sturdy reusable envelopes and postage (for UK customers) is included in our price .
And as always…
Thank you for taking the time to read this and your interest in my work.
Happy gardening, stay positive and stay safe all :-)
