AUTUMN Newsletter 2021 Harvest

Seasons greetings! 

Apologies for the lateness of this Autumnal issue! I literally have been buried in the harvesting of many projects recently!

Quite fitting with the energetic quality of this time of year. A burst of activity as the nights draw in and we transition into the quieter winter months. 

A jam packed issue this Autumn, lots of juicy news and opportunities to consider if

you would like 2022 to be the most creative year for you yet.

So when does Autumn end and we shift into the Winter cycle? 

I feel Autumn slipping away quickly as soon as its started. My favourite time of year, this year I am intentionally holding onto autumnal qualities, yet we feel the winter approaching quickly. We often complain of the long winter. Perhaps we leap too quickly out of Autumn and feel as though the Winter starts sooner than 21st December. 

What makes Autumn for you? 

I love the crisp light, the harvest moon, the bite of the cold in the mornings. Cosy jumpers and boots and the harvesting of all the natural treasures. Alongwith the letting go and shedding of what has been, transitioning into the still point of Winter. 

For me the most exciting thing this Season has been harvesting pigment from plants I have grown from seed. Read more in Seasonal News below. 

Harvest also brought the conclusion to the 4 Painting the Seasons courses led by Andrew Barrowman to a planned early close with the 'Winter' course on November 5th, celebrating with a fire and spiced cider. Ingrid Sofrin completed all 4 courses and benefited from a discount when signing up to the SOOA Virtual Studio. More details via the link button below. You can see her 'harvested' paintings beautifully depict a seasonal story of The Croft and her painting journey within it - alongside some other work from participants from Spring, Summer and Autumn courses. 

Andrew will be back at The Croft with some more opportunities of Painting the Seasons next year, so watch this space for new dates when they become available. 

     Coming soon......

SOOA

Creative Gatherings

I have received a few requests for a regular opportunity at SOOA.

A Creative Gathering happens monthly and is a relaxed, informal, self directed

creative inquiry session for established artists or dormant creatives (we all are) alike. 

Participants can come and develop their own practice independently, connect with other members on collaborations or follow the loose organic theme suggested. No pressure - just come and drink tea if you like!

Resources are made available and hot drinks on tap to keep you warm and comfortable. 

You can come for a half day or a whole day, it's up to you. Because of limited places you need to book in advance via the website. To find out more and what we are planning for the first Creative Gathering on December 10th have a look at the course description

click below.

SOOA

ARTIST FEATURE

Amanda Bee

"I seek to explore the spirit of the places we call home. I am interested in the areas which call us back time after time.....creating remembered experiences, fragments of time, sounds, colour, movement. A recreation of place which is deeply personal"

"Bold, sensitive, emotional responses to landscapes forever changing and marked by the human hand, nature and time."

Amanda's work strives to capture the essence of a place and her personal response to it.

Working with mixed media which includes acrylics, oil pastel, water soluble pencils and collage. Her main objectives  are to create beautiful paintings with colour harmony and strong compositions. 

Amanda will be teaching a 2 day Mixed Media Landscape course in the Spring - dates and booking going live in the next Winter Issue of Disseminare. 

In the meantime check out Amandas website and follow her beautiful gentle practice via her instagram account. We are so excited to be hosting this wonderful course that will involve walking and connecting to a local site. 

www.amandabeeart.co.uk

Seasonal News!

My pigment processing journey has started to bear the fruits of labour, although having said that, it wasn't me at all! It was miraculous Mother Nature. Oh and my husband, when I broke my ankle and couldn't weed and transplant my plant babies! I am eternally grateful as always. 

I feel so proud of myself that I have seen through this process and started to scratch the surface of the ever expanding and rabbit hole that is the world of processing pigment. Mistakes have been made and notes for next year have been taken, I have gained a few developmental notches! Especially where the squirrels are concerned! My Hopi Black Sunflowers, my most successful crop from seed, were almost all literally squirrelled away and those that were left ransacked by the mice! You live and learn and I take a try bit of solace that there are some well fed tiny mice and squirrel baby bellies happily coexisting at The Croft. 

Now for the successes!

Planting started in February in the polytunnel.

My newly dug pigment patch plan was to create the primary colours from plants. 

I first planted Madder Root - for Red - which will be harvested next year. Although I do have some gifted by Flora from Plants and Colour which I will experiment with this year. More on this in the Winter Issue. 

Next to the Madder I planted Weld, which didn't do so well (d!) to start... yet majestically towered so high I managed to harvest for Yellow pigment and leave some to go to seed. 

Lastly the Woad - the famous Blue as beautifully modelled in its body and face paint form by Mel Gibson in Braveheart. 

I really didn't expect any results, but had set myself the challenge of seeing through the process. I followed an online recipe for processing the Woad first. Harvesting at the Blue Moon, quite poignantly.

For the Weld I used a method from Plants and Colour online Botanical inks and paint course I did during the first lockdown, which I highly recommend, along with any of Floras other online courses, I am still holding out hope she will find the time to come and deliver the 2 day Plant based Inks and Paints, in late spring /summer in person. Will keep you posted.

Here are some pictures of the process I will upload more information in due course in the SOOA Virtual Studio if you are interested further. Sign up for free and also introduce yourself on the free forum via the website click the buttons below to go to the Virtual Studio Forum. It would be great to see you there and connect with you and your art practice, where we can share successes and sympathies in a supportive SOOA creative community.

But you know what the best bit was!

Something I never tire of, and that the prospect had inspired me from the moment I read a historical reference.....

I made 'Lincoln Green!'

Known as Robin Hoods clothing dye! So now we have Kevin Costner and Mel Gibson as models!

It was also meaningful for me as my Grandad from my Dads side, I never knew, as he was tragically killed, was from Lincoln. My Dad, an Artist and Secondary Art Teacher taught me first (and still does!) colour theory,  passing on the pure magic of mixing colour.

I think Grandad would have been proud with this investigation!

Pictured was a raw experiment, I am looking forward to sharing more of my experiments with you in the Virtual Studio Forum as I play over the winter months with binders and fixers and hopefully a madder 'Red' to complete the primary trio. Perhhaps in time for Christmas! 

Next Issue .......

Find out more daily at SOOA social media accounts.

Seasonal wishes and wellbeing to one and all.

Thank you so much for reading.

Oll an Gwella