When I moved to Cornwall around 20 years ago I was keen to throw myself into the ocean and learn how to surf. I had vague memories as a child of being tossed around on my body board and loving it and I wanted to capture that feeling again. Surfing kept me pretty busy for quite some time, but the fickleness of waves, the crowds of summer and the demands of family life have made me start to find other ways to enjoy the ocean. I am lucky enough to be a five minute drive away from Cape Cornwall which is a fishing port as well as a lovely place to go for a dip. There is a man made pool built into the rocks, but I prefer to swim in the natural harbour and enjoy the feeling of freedom that this brings. The feeling of walking into the ocean is like pressing the human equivalent of a reset button. The cold and salt water have a way of recalibrating you and literally washes away the niggles of the day. Yesterday I had received a print order of notebooks which I had been really excited about, but I was so disappointed to find that the saturation was too high and all my images just looked wrong. It made me feel really out of whack and as though my art wasn’t good enough. I went for a walk, but I still felt weird and so I decided that a swim would sort me out and it was so good. It’s hard to hold onto negative thoughts when you are immersed in a magical environment. The sun shone on my face and seaweed stroked my feet. I have been finding that early mornings are a really good time for me to go for a swim too. It’s a bit of a necessity in some ways as Cornwall and it’s car parks fill up so quickly and I don’t like busy roads or busy places. The morning still has a sense of the previous nights dream along with a big dash of potential that I love. Finding these moments of activity reignites my sense of adventure and excitement of living here and I am keen to maintain this momentum into the colder times of the year. I love my mini wetsuit! I don’t think I would be as brave without it! It’s thin enough for me to feel the cold, but it stops me from feeling the shock that can be dangerous if you are not that used to being in the water. I don’t stay in for too long at the moment. I’m trying to be sensible and build up my stamina and get more familiar with the ocean without relying on a surf board. These moments and places are a sanctuary for me and it’s like finding a door to somewhere that has always been there - I just didn’t realise that I could open it. Ps , the printers realised that there was a problem with the print run and are redoing them for me. Hurray! New notebooks coming soon.
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I think a lot of people have been battling with their shadow selves recently - myself included. Lockdown has been challenging and each new announcement has required a shift in energy and expectation. I have experienced this in terms of judgment, anger and fear, but I haven’t let it control me.
Living in Cornwall is a really lucky thing and I don’t take it for granted at all. I understand totally why people want and need to find some peace and magic in this wonderful landscape. We are all still shifting and adjusting and I am working on transforming the shadow to joy. I live in a small town on the edge of the country and we have all felt a relative safety in being here. With tourists noticeable over the last few days it is taking a bit of getting used to. I don’t want to add to any of the current weirdness - I want to be part of the healing that is needed for everyone. So, I will be patient whilst waiting in line, let go of my fear and I will smile in welcome to as many people as I can Come and join me and a host of of other fab makers on the 19th July from 2.00 - 5.00pm It’s a great opportunity to meet makers and ask questions - just like you would at a real craft event. Etsy Cornwall is one of four teams to have been chosen by Etsy to take part and so we are all really excited to take part.
Click on this link to register your interest and be reminded when the event goes live: https://www.facebook.com/events/2975789415872798/ There will be a look book released about a week before the event so you will be able to get an idea of what each maker creates and enable you to visit the people you are most interested in. All purchases will be made through Etsy, but you will get a chance to preorder and ask about bespoke items. I am planning on doing a few demonstrations and giving you some tips on using Procreate. Hope to see you there! I have one more image to produce for my 2021 Astro/moon diary to be finished! I wanted to incorporate the energy of each moon with the predominant zodiac sign of that particular month. For example the below picture is a snow moon for Feb which is also Aquarius season. I really like knowing the names of the moons and am still learning to tune into them, but I am finding the process enriching! Native and Pagan traditions understood the moving phases of the moons and what they meant for crops and weather. I have a lot of respect for this knowledge and it should be kept and treasured. I wanted the zodiac signs to be part of this because each sign has its own energy and traits. I am not an astrologer and so there is no ‘analysis’ as part of this project - it’s just images for you to enjoy and draw your own interpretation from. It’s something that I find really interesting though and the more I learn about astrology the deeper I can go into the current energies and also learn about myself. I hope that the images act as a springboard for you! I hope that you will be able to use this diary to chart a magical 2021 for yourself. Of course you could use it as a normal diary and keep yourself organised but I would encourage you to seek little moments of magic and take the time to write them down each day. Maybe insert a pressed flower here and a poem there. Record what is growing well for you in your garden and in your life. And of course write down your energy and moods during each moon phase. By the end of the year you should have a diary that is brimming with magic and appreciation for all that nature has to offer. I am currently in the process of working out the finer details of printing and costs (as well as finishing a cold moon in Sagittarius) but the pieces are starting to fall into place. I’d love you to follow my progress on Instagram or Facebook (if you don’t already) as I will updating there first. I might decide to do a Kickstarter in order to get a better idea about quantities and also to potentially offer prints, card sets and my moon calendar.
Anyway, once I know what I’m doing I will let you know! |
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