This and that...

The summer whizzed by and I was busy with work, too busy. Actually, I don’t like the feeling ‘busy’ creates, it’s overwhelming and exhausting. I’d planned a delicious summer off but deadlines moved and an unexpected commission popped into my in box, so part of my snatched holiday was spent reviving my love of food illustration for a project. It only took five years for an art director to spot a squash I made years ago. Moral of this story is, never give up! Here’s a mushroom I made earlier and recently tweaked. (Mono print and tissue paper collage and assembled on Photoshop.)

Things I have enjoyed (and not enjoyed, yes Instagram that’s you).

Marloes De Vries newsletter, I love her frank authenticity.

She posted this link to a discussion between Katty Kay and Kyle Chayka called Why did our friends stop posting on social media? It’s everything I feel about Instagram. Do give it a watch, but not if your are addicted to posting! They talk about how the young have abandoned instagram and the need to document their daily life. They go onto to discuss how social media has now become ‘commercial’ media and peaked. Crikey, don’t we know it, the endless accounts selling ‘stuff’ and professional adverts has me tuning out. (Mind you, I did find some really nice eye cream on it, so it’s clearly worked!) However, with my ex therapists eye, I can spot the dopamine posters and the reluctant posters, the ‘I should’ posters (thats me atm), the sellers, hawkers and ‘hookers’ no, not that type! The one’s trying to catch us so we buy their wares. And whilst I am just as guilty over the years of turning up there and sharing, I’ve become more and more fatigued by it. And I think fatigued sums up the experience now. Recently when I’ve posted illustration stuff, just to show up, I’ve often deleted it later. What was I trying to say? I mean it feels so pointless, I don’t even have the app on my phone or ipad or engage very much and Instagram punishes me for that. I won’t play the daily posting game etc. Follow the young is my advice, they know whats what.

On a different note, Marloes also gave some wonderful tips how to make time to draw, actually one of the best I’ve seen in ages. So simple, unfussy and easy. It even inspired me and I’m shattered from drawing for my book, ending the day needing to zone out, not draw. Definitely worth signing up for her newsletters.

The joy of original furniture.

I bought this gorgeous hand painted folk art shelf from Mark Ibson a York based creative. (he posts his furniture on his personal Instagram acc mark_ibson)

After the cooker and fridge died we ended up having to rejig our kitchen. One thing led to another and I’ve been dismantling the fitted kitchen to now partly unfitted, like the one I grew up with, so I’m returning my roots. Mark’s The Blacksmith's Shop Gallery is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Packed with art, retro furniture and life drawings it’s full of interesting objects. This is my 3rd piece I’ve bought from him. I can’t wait to put it up.

The joy of a good book or two!

With more free time away from scrolling, I’ve been reading two good books. The Unwilding by Marina Kemp and re reading The Wild by Esther Freud. The later loosely centres on Esthers experience of going to a Steiner School, (my kids also attended one), so I found it very interesting. I have mixed feelings now about this from of schooling but… it doesn’t seem to have hurt them and there was no other option at the time.

And now, after a brief holiday, it’s back to work for me and making my next picture book but not before I meet up with an old art school pal in York tomorrow. They have never used social media or have an internet footprint at all! A rarity in this day and age and how refreshing to be under exposed, as it were.

Enjoy Autumn.

Polly X