Going to Iford Manor to celebrate my Mum’s birthday
Vases of Flowers on the table all month, I loved drawing them
Watching Boss Morris Finger in the Spring (Joy of joys, AND there was a song!)
Visiting the Gwen John Exhibition in Cardiff
Walking through the Spring Woodland
Morning Coffee in Stroud
Seed sowing
Dry Washing. I love the shapes it makes on the line
An Easter river walk in Mells, collecting houses, butterflies and other people’s washing lines
Joy bringing book acquisitions: Raucous Invention, Kneelers and A Month in The Country
Last month I wrote about how challenging I find sketching outdoors, and my ongoing quest to solve the problem of transporting and storing all my bits and pieces. (Read it here) Many of you got in touch with thoughtful suggestions and helpful ideas, thank you so much!
It’s been a busy month work-wise, and I’m ashamed to say that’s there’s been very little time for personal work, but I did treat myself to this brilliant little soft holdall which I’m hoping will become my perfect portable sketching companion. It’s actually designed for sewing, with pockets everywhere, a detachable pencil case velcroed into the base, and enough compartments to make me feel, if only temporarily, like an organised person. The thing I love most, though, is that the base opens out almost like a tray into which I can drop/lob my pencils while I’m working, and they don’t immediately disappear into the grass.
So far, it holds: my sketchbook, a tin of watercolours, travel brushes, pencils, sharpener, eraser, kitchen paper, water pot and a tiny bottle of water.
In August I’m attending a sketching course in Bristol called ‘Pushing your Sketching Boundaries’ and know for sure there will be a lot more extras to add in the form of ink, dip nibs, pens and a pencil roll, so it will get a thorough testing! (Read about the 2024 PYSB retreat here and here). I’ll report back on how I get on with the system over the next few months.
In the meantime, I’m preparing for a two day walk with friends over the weekend. We’re planning on tackling the first two parts of The Cotswold Way, a trail which actually passes along the lane just down from my house, I often see groups of walkers snaking their way through the valley.
Our plan is to start at Chipping Camden and walk sections throughout spring and summer. I’m hoping to document the journey with small sketches, drawings and notes gathered along the way. (There’s loads of footage of the walks on You Tube created by enthusiastic adventurers if you are in need of something to watch.)
I suspect the drawings themselves will be fleeting.
My walking companions are not sketchers, so I imagine I’ll be stealing quick moments during stops and water breaks to make a hurried sketch before marching on again. I plan to take lots of photographs too and, afterwards, spend some quieter time reflecting on each walk and building a fuller account from the fragments collected along the way. I like the idea of this way of journaling and will share my results in future newsletters.
The kit I’m taking for the walk is intentionally simple, perhaps the simplest possible version of a sketching kit. I’ve just ordered another of these lovely little sketchbooks: a Seawhites travel journal that I’m very fond of. It’s A6 sized, perfectly pocketable, and ideal for travel journaling because each spread contains one plain page and one lined page. I rarely stick rigidly to that format, but I enjoy the structure of it. There’s also a useful little pocket in the back for tickets, receipts etc.
I’ll also be taking a couple of water soluble pencils and a grey watercolour marker. With those few tools I can create a good range of marks, textures and tones. I can make quick line drawings while walking, then later add a wash of water back at the campsite, or when I get home.
The sketchbook and drawing tools fit neatly into my little Fjällräven hip pack. I’ll also be carrying a folding sit mat which, in my opinion, is an absolutely essential piece of walking equipment whether you draw or not, along with an emergency packet of Fruit Pastilles. Do you have a mini portable sketch kit? If so please do share your tips in the comments.
I’ve had some lovely outings recently, beginning with a visit to Iford Manor for my mum’s birthday to see the tulips.
The gardens are layered with salvaged architectural fragments, bits of monastery, old stonework and ecclesiastical treasures, all woven into the landscape in a way that feels both grand and deeply personal.
There were carefully considered arrangements of seasonal flowers and single stems placed in porches, alcoves and garden buildings which I found inspiring and very moving. I wondered about the person responsible for placing them there: someone with an observant, creative eye. It reminded me how creativity spills from one form into another, inspiring those who encounter it…who then tell their friends, and so it goes on…
My mum and I love visiting gardens together. We wander around discussing and critiquing, simultaneously acting as very harsh critics and devoted appreciators of tiny details. We always choose something ‘to bring home’. I chose the nineteenth–century octagonal summerhouse; my mum chose the serpentine rill that meandered down through the garden, bordered with self-sporned ferns and little mounds of Erigeron and Mind Your Own Business. She’s happy to take it all, even the slightly broken steps.
Another seasonal delight in April, was the wonderfully silly and brilliant ‘Finger in the Spring’ created by Boss Morris, an all female morris dancing side. I always love seeing what they wear, because part of their art and practice is in the design and construction their own costumes from found and donated fabrics. There is often symbolism stitched into the garments, and FITS2026 was no exception, with spring waistcoats made from the final roll of snooker-table cloth woven in their hometown of Stroud, handmade clay finger brooches, flower garlands woven through their hair.
They process alongside giant creatures known as the Boss Beasts, an owl, a deer and their sheep-headed musicians, which sounds faintly unhinged as I type this, but is in fact completely magical. I remain an unapologetic fangirl! (See them here at the MTV music awards, look out for hooty the owl, swaying)
Listen to the naughty song here
The Finger in the Spring ritual itself is relatively new and involves carrying a giant golden hand on a short pilgrimage to a local spring. We processed down roads, beneath bridges and across fields while the Bosses danced and onlookers sang. The pathway to the spring had been lined with floral offerings, and once there, the giant golden finger was ceremoniously poked into the flowing water. We all followed suit, dipping our digits, and quietly offering thanks.
It was one of those perfect spring days with warm sunshine and fields full of flower-garlanded dogs, eccentric folk followers, children running wild and the collective joy of people participating in something delightfully eccentric.
I didn’t manage to visit all the exhibitions I’d hoped to this month, but I did sneak off one Sunday afternoon to see the Gwen John Exhibition in Cardiff.
Two things struck me.
The first was the way that Gwen John would paint the same subjects over and over again, returning repeatedly to compositions, colours and forms, slowly reworking and refining them. She was rarely satisfied so would continuously revisit, repaint and redraw. Seeing the repetitions together, for me felt like I was in conversation with her. It was very inspiring.
This is something we explored in the first Wonky Line Club session; the idea that if we think of drawings as ‘one of many’ rather than singular, precious objects, we loosen our grip on perfectionism. A collection of drawings then becomes an enquiry instead of a performance. It’s a permission slip to be curious about what comes out of your pencil or paintbrush and with that comes livelier work; looser lines, more movement, more life.
This is your voice x
The second thing that fascinated me was the inclusion of Gwen John’s journals and notebooks.
They felt astonishingly modern in their self-questioning and reflections on creative practice. On one page she posed herself questions which we would now call journal prompts; on another she wrote out a series of ‘laws’, guiding principles intended to support her work and discipline.
Reading them quietly on a Sunday afternoon felt intimate and strangely reassuring, especially as they echoed so much of what we’ve been discussing recently in Wonky Line Club where we have all felt the benefits of reflective writing.
Note to self: I must learn to ‘guard my thoughts’.
Speaking of which, it’s been such a lovely start to this year’s sessions.
Together we’ve been combining drawing and journaling as a way of seeing differently; gathering observations, collecting inspiration and allowing text and image to sit alongside one another. Many of us have found the process unexpectedly calming and a quieter place for busy minds to settle. Read all about the workshops here
If you fancy joining us, you are always very welcome. The classes work beautifully as a series but can also be taken individually, and each one offers a gentle framework for building an alternative illustrated journal practice.
Upcoming class dates are listed below, and there are already three sessions available with instant access, if you want to get cracking.
I’m also delighted to say that the third class in my Box Journal series is now available!
It follows naturally on from the tone class, as we begin exploring colour. It’s currently available on a pay-what-you-can basis until 14th May, after which it will return to its standard price of £20.
The class includes almost three hours of pre-recorded tuition, broken into manageable bite-sized sections, alongside lots of lovely creative exercises.
I really love seeing the work people create inspired my workshops.
Louise recently got in touch to share a beautiful response to the winter tunnel book class. She and her mum, Susan, decided to create one for each season, and the results fantastic! Full of tiny thoughtful details and such a good idea for expanding the project.
May
The Wonky Line Club 4: Drawing and Poetry 21st May 7-8.30pm BST
June
The Wonky Line Club 5: Windows and Sight lines 11th June 7-8.30pm BST
The Wonky Line Club 6: Mindful Art and Narrative 18th June 7-8.30pm BST
The first three wonky line club workshops are available to watch as recordings. The Wonky Line Club classes can be purchased individually or as a bundle
Lift-The-Flap Garden Buildings
A Pre-recorded Paper craft Workshop Available to watch from 27th June
A creative paper craft workshop exploring how to make small illustrated garden scenes with opening doors and windows. Perfect for cards, sketchbooks, and journals.
Lift the Flap Garden Buildings
I will be taking some extended time away from teaching though the summer and autumn to work on other creative projects. I will still be here on Substack, though, sharing my monthly sketchbook pages and journals x
I’ve really enjoyed each episode of the BBC’s The Secret Garden. Lovely wildlife footage and a nose around other people’s gardens!
The Residence (Netflix). A thrilling murder mystery by the producers of Bridgerton. I was particularly take by Cordelia Cupp’s crime solving journal AND loved the comedic inclusion of a Calligrapher going through an existential crisis….very wobbly letters!
Lots of inspiring ideas in Raucous Invention by Mark Hearld.
A bit niche, I know, but I love a church a kneeler, so was delighted to come across this lovely book written by an authority on the subject and full of beautiful pictures.
Controversially, I didn’t enjoy A Month in the Country as much as expected. It was one of those books I’d been meaning to read for ages. It didn’t pull me in as I’d hoped.
I’m listening to A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winham on Audible. It feels like a bit of an alternative companion book to ‘A Month in the Country’ because of the prevailing sense of post war displacement. I love the way the author weaves multiple stories together, and how her words feel like poetry.
No recipes links this month, I’ve been too busy to cook! BUT I’m endlessly inspired on Instagram by ellypear and emilyontoast, lots of lovely quick and easy recipes.
That’s all from me, back next month xx
Happy Scribbling,
Love Lucia xx
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