I’ve been making this embroidery sampler in-between painting sessions, with a view to making such with the adult sexual abuse survivors in the puppetry workshops I propose to offer. Running stitch is so easy and would be a great way in for anyone to start making creatively in an accessible and achievable way. You just start with a straight line and see where it takes you, it is just in the nature of such low key creations that you can’t help but just let things happen and the ideas begin to come! I would offer guidance, on simple stitches in a bespoke way and then gradually work towards ideas for abstract puppetry. This would be a great lead in I think, and very enjoyable in its own right, The repetitive sewing action brings you into the present engaging with whatever you are making in an open-ended and creative way. The sense of touch is integral in all stages from threading needles to creating stitches and adding embellishment be it beads or string etc. The possibilities are endless!

I went to the garden I visit again last Thursday. The weather was perfect and it was wonderful as usual to tune into nature and draw. I take my watercolours, pencils and chinagraph pencil as usual and see what pulls me towards it. The large rhododendron bush at the bottom of the garden was the candidate to begin with, I had noticed it the last time I came and this was the right choice. I drew first for this one and laid watercolour on afterwards, but also drew on top of the watercolour, no rules really!

Next came a heather bush that was flowering. I studied a few individual flowers then the whole bush. Watercolour first this time then drawing but move between the two as ever! Rules are made to be broken after-all!

Here are some more watercolour and chinagraph pencil sketches made on the 6th November ‘plein air’. Rejuvenating as ever, I really enjoyed using the china-graph pencil and found the tacky way it connects with the paper really satisfying, I am on with a large oil at the moment based on the garden so watch this space. Won’t share that as yet as I tend to stop once I share and am not ready yet!

Have been locked out of Facebook again as I keep getting hacked by someone in Birmingham this time! It’s OK though at least FB are working on looking out for me, though I do miss talking to my friends. Guess it will come back when it’s clear. Meanwhile I can share what I do on here and on twitter! I won’t be stopped by these people! I feel quite strongly about this, why should our creative voices be silence by these mischief makers.

I did a zoom session last week with the facility that offers counselling with survivors of sexual abuse and discussed my proposed ‘Texture, Touch Quilt’. They seemed to like it, but I really could see the difficulty of getting such vulnerable survivors to collect different bits and pieces at home. May have to get some little kits together or something like that. It’s all a work in progress, but we’ll see. I still really want to do this work as I really believe in its benefits. Watch this space for updates everyone!