Good glorious sunny morning to you all! Wow, what a stunningly glorious day for an autumn nature walk!!

I heartily encourage you to don your scarves and your smiles and head out into that sunshine, just feeling it on my face as I opened the blinds this morning gave me cheer. We have had a lot of wind and much needed rain, yet a day like this just cannot fail to lift the spirits….surely better than keeping up with the Biden/Trump battle!

As you may or may not be aware, nature and many things botanical find their way into my work a lot. At this time of year more than ever, I am out and about collecting leaves and documenting colour ideas for inks and combinations! You know, that subtle dusky blue pine against rusty branches can make quite an impression.

This week I am back at my school teaching and managed quite a lot of park visits and wet and windy walks! The tree’s seem to be particularly majestic this year, as though they have pulled out all the stops to spread their colourful cheer amongst us and mightily needed I must say.

Getting outside no matter the weather is an absolute must if you have little ones, the walls inside seem to close in and badger us to head outside, even if it may be against the will of a certain someone! I seem to have drilled in that common adage, ‘No such thing as inclement weather, just wrong clothing’!! Well said son, as he attempts to head out in a t’shirt and paper thin raincoat….

If you check out my ‘Hoarfrost’ print (I love that word after marveling at the Hoarfrost works of Robert Rauschenberg back in my student days) you will see my attempt at capturing that dusky pine blue…

As we march swiftly into November with a few bangs and booms along the way, its also a time of lovely smells…..wet leaves and grass and smoky woody smells as people stoke the fires and woodburners (I will have one someday, Santa it is on my wish list!).

I had a chat with my best Friend Elizabeth Whitehouse yesterday, please check out her new website when it goes live, you can follow her on Instagram @elizabethwhitehouseart

Well, we found ourselves discussing the Christmas gift…..and this year more then ever and as a printmaker, I am moved to source more ethical and sustainable ways to celebrate the festive season, trust me, no lockdown could ever quash my enjoyment of this time of the year! I choose to support local makers and creatives, small businesses and also make gifts from whatever I already have pretty much to hand. So, that is what we have pledged to do, we will make our gifts for each-other this year and already the ideas are piling up…..must jot them down….

So, yes, safe to say that autumn and winter are my months….I don’t sigh as the days draw in and we pull the clocks back and leap into darker mornings….I love all that and layering up a bit more. Crikey, even yesterday in a last ditch attempt to source a particular fabric in Ikea I found myself reaching for candles. OK, I admit, with kittens around I will have to choose my time wisely!

Ohhh and at last as they both head into their ridiculously loooooonnnnnnnnnng midday nap - I had best pull out Bette my etching press and make some work before tiny paws do it for me!

Have a great week and get out as often as you can - even as we slump towards another lockdown, nature is blissfully unaware thank goodness and I intend to make the most of the autumn glory whilst I can….I hope you do too.

Next week some a step by step guide to something printmaking!