- September - Exploring Cornwall, sketchbook habits and September sunlight
Monthly update from my art studio
Hello everyone,
I had a month off! Or at least, I had an out-of-office reply on for a month, and it was glorious. It allowed me NOT to start the morning working through my emails (which was so liberating I’m now going to try to read them after lunch, daredevil me!) and work at my own pace, or……n o t w o r k a t a l l l l l . Crazy concept for a freelancer, right? It felt strange and great and I also felt a bit antsy, because I’m not the kind of person to do nothing. So I filled a sketchbook:)
Travels to Cornwall
Have you ever been to Cornwall? It's a place of myths, beauty and a whole lot of blustery wind :) I was delighted by the variety of plants, the phenomenal views. My partner, whose parents are from Sicily, constantly said it reminds him of the Mediterranean. And I can see something in that, with the towering pine trees (my new favourite) and houses higgledy-piggledy up against the hills. We visited places like the Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Eden Project, Fowey, Tintagel Castle and The Museum Of Witchcraft and Magic (my kid's favourite), and we walked a few bits of the South West Coastal Path.
I took a far too large pile of materials with me to draw and paint, as one does. Of course, because I was travelling with my partner and 6-year-old child, not much came of painting en plein air. But I painted in the early mornings while they were still asleep or during rainy moments in the cottage using the photos I had taken as reference. In fact, I hardly ever paint landscapes for my clients, which is precisely why I had a good time exploring the possibilities.
Other things I did this month:
I finally dove into SEO. My website has existed for over 20 years without using SEO, and so far, I have always had commissions. But it was time to become findable, so I threw in a day of Googling and YouTubing and taught myself the basics of SEO. This website was very helpful: https://seochatter.com/seo-for-artists/?utm_content=cmp-true. I probably only know the tip of the iceberg, but staying up to date is always good. I will keep you posted if there is any difference in requests or traffic to my website!
I made a sketchbook page and posted the process on YouTube. Watch and draw along:
New paid members section!
As you may know, the paid content and price (now at €8.50 a month) of Substack and Patreon will remain the same from this month onwards. I am very excited about this new format and already have a hefty list of new content to share.
For paid members, my posts for this month will be:
A post with inspiration; things I like and inspiring work from others
A video showing the materials I took with me to Cornwall, the sketchbook I filled and the inspiring things I found there
A live drawing session: Abundance, where I show how I set up a composition with multiple elements and where we use one of those compositions as a reference to sketch together
A See Me Sketch Session where you can see me work overhead and sketch along or do your own thing and chat with me
A timelapse of one of my artworks
Potential bonus content
To put on your calendar :
Our live sessions this month
Tues 17th of Sept 15:00 (3 PM) CEST - All paid Substack + Patreon members
Theme: AbundanceSIGN UP HEREThurs 26th of July 11:00 (11 AM) CEST - All paid Substack + Patreon members
See Me Sketch Session - watch what I’m currently working on overhead and work along or chat with meSIGN UP HERE
Please use this time zone converter to find the times in your area: www.worldtimebuddy.com
High Note Greenery Collection
I’ve created the covers for RSVP High Note’s Greenery collection since 2021, and they have been such a lovely client. These are the newest planners for 2025!
Lovelies
Morning walks with my kid. I love morning sunlight (and it’s great inspiration for sketching, especially September sunlight!)
The prospect of finally being able to sleep under a duvet again (I prefer chilly weather; mittens and shawls and warm blankets)
A small water spray to keep my paints wet and prevent them from cracking
Listening to music from when I was a teenager - Skunk Anansie is on repeat at the moment and yes, also power ballads
Books! There are few loves in my life; my family and art are at the top of the list. But without books, there is no world. The book of doors by Gareth Brown shows you exactly that, and it is wondrous and delicious. Couldn’t put it down. I read The Keeper of lost things by Ruth Hogan In Cornwall and it was wonderful too. Any book recommendations are always much appreciated!
Yay, you made it to the end! Thanks for reading, enjoy the changing of the leaves this month ❤️
This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing such a lovely slice of your life! Can totally relate to the stress of emails… I completely had no access for a week recently and was secretly very relieved. 😌 Happy September!