Creative Highlights from a Spring of Art & Nature

Reflections on the Spring + What’s coming next in the Flock

Hello friends!

Spring was slow to arrive this year, then suddenly-WHOOSH! It was everywhere at once. I feel like i’ve struggled to keep up with all the lovely developments in the garden and my local patch, making do by snapping approximately four thousand photos for posterity and promising myself I’ll sketch from them later (I won’t, I’ll manage a handful at best. You know how it is.)

Right now, England is in the middle of a hot spell, which hit me particularly hard having just returned from Ireland (deliciously cool and damp, as it so reliably is) to find myself almost immediately a sweaty mess, desperately digging out last year’s suncream and hunting down my trainer socks, while cursing my pale, translucent, half-Irish skin for its absolute refusal to cope with direct sunlight.

In the garden, everything feels like it’s already peaked. Irises and roses almost spent when they’d usually be going strong well into June. It’s felt less like a gentle seasonal unfolding and more like spring crammed itself into two months and then legged it.

Which, if I’m honest, has been a little unsettling, and I think it’s worth sitting with that feeling rather than brushing past it. As much as I’ve enjoyed the unexpected vitamin D, the signs are hard to ignore. It increasingly feels like we have two seasons in England now: stormy and wet, or dry and hot, with far less of the gentle, settled in-between we used to take for granted.

I don’t want to just note these changes and move on. I want to keep recording what I’m seeing, season by season, and let some of that urgency find its way into my work. I’ve recently joined a regional climate awareness group, who are screening the Climate Emergency Briefing next month. It’ll be a tough watch, I’m sure, but coming together, having bigger conversations and pooling our skills feels like the right response to something that can otherwise feel overwhelming.

Even closer to home, I’m part of a community effort to protect local green space, including our village pond, from housing development. It can feel small against the scale of what’s happening nationally and globally, but that’s also what makes it feel winnable. And I think those small wins matter. If enough of us stand up for the places we love, those actions start to add up. They ripple and they inspire others to do the same. And I’d rather be doing something, however modest, than feeling helpless. I keep reminding myself that Small Actions = Big Changes.

But, as well as the downs, there are plenty of ups and there has been some enormous beauty this spring.

A reminder that i’m pausing the membership for June and July, so if you wanted to upgrade to the Creative Flock membership, Now is a great time as you’ll essentially get two free months to explore the full Flock archive!

There’s now over two years of posts, live session replays and videos in the paid membership, themed on everything from Witchcraft and Magic to Winter Birds. If you’ve been on the fence, this is the perfect moment to dive in

Nature Notes:

Chiffchaffs kicked things off back in March, alongside daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops. By May the garden was absolutely buzzing, and I mean that literally. We’ve had a wonderful variety of bees, including a new tenant in the bee hotel (this one seals the tunnels with mud rather than leaves, so we’ve switched from leaf-cutter bees to what looks like a mason bee). Butterflies have included Holly Blue, Peacock, Painted Lady, Orange Tip, and what I think is Speckled Wood. The pond has been wonderful to watch too, the tadpoles have been a particular joy, going about their gradual, purposeful business of becoming frogs.

T-B, L-R: Mining Bee; Bee hotel with new tenants; Shield Bug; paid of loved up ladybirds; Chive in flower; Cowslips; Crocus; Snowdrops

Birdlife have been brilliant too - wrens, robins, dunnocks, blue tits, great tits, woodpigeon pairs cooing on the rose arbour (very romantic!), blackbird pairs scuttling about in the borders, and goldfinches feeding on the cornflower seeds! I first spotted goldfinches in the garden back in 2022 and I think they were the moment that sparked my obsession with birds, so seeing them back felt like a little gift. In fact, as i’m writing this newsletter, they have popped in for a seedy snack! House martins arrived at the end of April, swifts in mid-May. The band is back together and it brings a lot of comfort when so much feels in flux.

And the highlight of all highlights for me is a newly emerged Toadflax Brocade Moth. I’ve been a bit obsessed with toadflax caterpillars for years now; every summer they appear on the toadflax plant in a pot outside my studio and I find myself completely transfixed, wondering about their life cycle and where on earth they disappear to. This year I finally found out, they tuck themselves into cocoons right on the crumbly old wall of my studio, using the soft brick material itself as part of the cocoon structure. It’s quite the sight. And then, this spring, I actually witnessed one newly emerged. After all that wondering and watching, to see the moth itself felt like a real treat.

L-R Toadflax Caterpillar on a Toadflax Plant; Two cocoons; The newly emerged Toadflax Brocade Moth. Isn't is beautiful! 🤩

The big garden news this spring is our greenhouse. It belonged to my husband’s grandad, and had been sitting unused in his grandmother’s garden for fifteen years since he passed away. Dismantling, cleaning, repairing, transporting and rebuilding it was a proper labour of love - about four weeks of work in total, but it’s now standing proud and full plants. I’m convinced it’s partly responsible for the explosion of insect life we’ve had: ants, spiders, caterpillars, worms, shield bugs, ladybirds and more. The veggie patches are helping too. The garden feels more alive than ever.

My husbands greenhouse - bursting with new life

Around my village and into the local countryside, I’ve been enchanted by blossom - cherry, apple, blackthorn, hawthorn and the sight of petals floating off like confetti in the wind. Short and sweet, just like this spring has been. My favourite plants this year have been the wild ones, and especially the dandelions (more on that below!).

Blackthorn and Hawthorne blossom

Out & About

It’s been a wonderfully full season beyond my local patch too.

L-R, T-B: View from window of Llewenau Draw in Wales; Browsing book shops in Hay-on-Wye; Meeting Chris Mould at the FCBG book conference; Hanging out with bookish friends at the Conference; There were three rooms at the publishers exhibition so I got to do a lot of browsing and chatting!; enjoying lots of calm, woodland moments with my family ❤️; Meeting with Char Hamilton in London!; Lunch on the Thames with Substack pals - Marie-Louise Cee and Tasha Cross; Spending quality time with Turners sketches at Tate Britain

Wales at Easter - We stayed in a converted barn - Llewenau Draw in Cwmdu, in the Brecon Beacons. Stunning views, mostly settled weather, and some very happy sketching in my travel journal. Highlights were the Four Waterfalls walk, cycling along the river at Hay-on-Wye (which this week was granted a landmark right to be formally recognised as a living ecosystem ) and pottering around the town.

FCBG Book Conference I was so proud to have created the conference artwork for the Federation of Children’s Book Groups this year, and to then actually be there on the day was a real treat. Got to have a chat with the lovely and incredible talented Chris Mould and spent time with people who genuinely love stories and pictures as much as I do.

London - Two lovely trips. During my first I met witj Charlotte Hamilton and friends for cocktails on the terrace at the Royal Opera House, which felt very glamorous indeed.

And the second was a full-on artists play date, where I meet with Marie-Louise Cee - Substack pal, in real life. We booked to go to the Tate Britain study room to see Turner’s sketches up close (an absolute treat, seeing the actual marks he made is something else entirely and made me quite emotional!). Thank you Marie-Lousie for such a full, creative day! And on the same trip I got to catch up with the lovely Natasha Cross too andthe three of us had lunch together at a little café by the Thames, which was just the nicest thing.

T-B, L-R: Walk of the Dandelion at Compton Verney; Visiting Kilruddery Gardens in Ireland; Wild orchids at my Dad's place; rugged cliff views in Dunmore, Ireland; Brief moment to sketch on Kilfarrasy Beach; Print making at David Begley's workshop; Meeting up IRL with wonderful hildrens book author and illustrator Claire Powell 🙂

Walk of the Dandelion, Compton Verney On May Day I headed to Compton Verney for this wonderful experience delivered by the Luke Brown Company. The Walk of the Dandelion featuring Daniel - an eight-foot ethereal puppet who roamed the grounds carrying dandelions, gifting them to visitors along with small moments of connection. There was something uncanny and moving about him; joyful and a little otherworldly. Throughout the day there was also a drop-in workshop to make your own woollen dandelions, to keep one and pass one on. The whole thing felt joyful, generous and hopeful. It was so heartwarming to see children and adults alike, react and interact with Daniel. And of course, it fed straight into my ever-growing dandelion obsession!

Courteenhall Regenerative Farm - A fascinating visit to a local farm working with regenerative principles. Really thought-provoking to see how farming and nature recovery can work hand in hand.

Ireland-A family visit with rather a lot of wonderful things squeezed in around it. My Dad’s place is something of a hidden gem, wild and utterly packed with nature in the best possible way. Ferns and mosses of every description, and on this visit I came across some wild orchids and strawberries which was a real treat to find! The highlight though was the nest of blue tit chicks tucked into the eave just above the front door and I spent a very happy twenty minutes one afternoon with a cup of tea, watching the parents shuttle back and forth with beakfuls of food.

I also took in a short cliff walk at Dunmore East which has the kind of rugged, windswept Irish coastline that I love, plus quiet beaches and plenty of good bird and nature spotting along the way.

I’d discovered Kilruddery Estate through David Begley, who mentioned running a full day workshop there, and I’m so glad I made time to visit. It was too late in the day to go into the house, but honestly I was there for the gardens - A wonderful range of spaces inc mature trees, formal planting, wilder areas, sculptures, water features, the kind of place where you turn a corner and find something unexpected at every step.

My favourite was the Beech Hedge Pond, spanning twenty metres across, the water perfectly still, and nestled within towering circualr hedge, with four statues depicting the four seasons. There was something about that space that felt so calm yet magical, and it really stayed with me after i’d left.

And then, just before heading home, I took part in David Begley monotype printing workshop, which was everything I’d hoped for and more. David is one of those rare teachers who is completely down to earth and shares his knowledge with such generosity that the whole process of learning feels like a joy rather than a challenge. The work everyone produced on the day was fantastic, and I was really pleased with my own prints. I’ve come home thoroughly inspired and can’t wait to get experimenting on my little press in the studio over the summer! Do check out David’s website for upcoming workshops, and follow him on Substack and Instagram for updates. Highly, highly recommended.

Chatsworth - I got to meet the wonderful Claire Powell , who was running a series of family workshops at Chatsworth based on her Marty Moose books. Do check them out if you haven’t , they’re funny, joyful and exactly what you’d expect from Claire! 😊

My volunteer work with the FCBG has kept me busy this spring, I helped organise a book swap at my local school and supported National Share a Story Month throughout May, creating artwork for a poster and helping with their social media. They are a special charity and one I recommend find out more about, if you;re based in the UK and have an interest in children’s books.

Plus, woodland Walks - Bluebells. Wood anemones, birdsong, dappled light. Enough said really! 💚

In My Creative Practice

As mentioned, I have fallen completely in love with dandelions this spring and they have taken over everything, my sketchbooks, my prints, my thoughts, possibly my dreams! 😆 These much-maligned ‘weeds’ are extraordinary - vital for early pollinators, so beautiful when you actually look at them closely, and endlessly fascinating to draw. The seed head alone! All that engineering in something most people are trying to eradicate from their lawns.

Clockwise: Sketching dandelions in a live stream with pauline from Creative Cocoon Art Club; One of my sketchbook pages from our 'Best of 'Spring' drawing session; 'Bee Buffet' bookmark; Prints made during David's workshop

The dandelion thread has run through a lot of my creative work this season. I created this bookmark for the Bookmark Project, a long-runnig fundraiser organised by Sharon Hattersley and the 1st Burley-in-Wharfedale Brownies for Katiyo Primary School in Zimbabwe. This year’s goal was to convert a shipping container into a school library, and they raised over £11,000 which was incredible! While drawing that very bookmark, I happened to be listening to a podcast about Project Dandelion, a women-led global campaign for climate justice and ended the season at David Begley’s monotype printing workshop making- you guessed it dandelion prints. It’s safe to say this is not a passing phase. There’s something about the dandelion’s resilience- its stubborn insistence on growing where it isn’t wanted-its life-giving properties, and its complex, underrated beauty that I keep coming back to.

I also did my first in-person nature journaling workshop this spring, at the gorgeous Huddle HQ and it went better than I could have hoped! Meeting a wonderful group of women and giving people the space and permission to slow down and really look at the world around them was such a joy. More planned for June, and I hope to continue over the summer. If you’re in Northamptonshire or nearby, you can book onto my Introduction to Nature Journalling workshop - tickets are now available.

Creatively, I’ve been working mostly in pastels and pencils, dipping into watercolours (my Deep Deep Lights Watercolour floral palette has got some use), and playing with inks, liquid graphite, printmaking and collage. A pretty good season for making.

T-B, L-R: A close up from my travel journal, sketched from my Wales trip; Page from my spring nature journal; One of the drawings from 'Quick Chicks & Slow Ducks' with Beth Spencer; Sketchbook pages from the 'Best of Spring' drawing session; Collage work from the 'Ways of Drawing Spring Blooms' collab sesssion with Pauline; Some additonal collage experiments, inspired by Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring'; 'Daphne' the chicken - sketched during a live stream with Holly Surplice (and her chickens); A hand drawn label for a friend who recently took over a bakery in my village. Gifted to her on the grand opening.

In the Flock

It’s been such a very busy season inside the community too. We explored wildflowers, new life and growth, and gathered for co-sketching sessions, playful workshops and themed drawing sessions. Some highlights:

• March: A Materials Play workshop to kick off the season, Spring Nature Journaling live stream; sketching session with Helen C Stark for International Women’s Day (which got me thinking a lot about Rachel Carson and Silent Spring); and a fun Quick Chicks and Slow Ducks drawing session with Beth Spencer

• April: Live stream with with Holly Surplice where we sketched spring chickens; a spring blooms session with Creative Cocoon Art Club | Pauline Teunissen ; and David Begley wonderful ink and charcoal making talk which was so well attended and endlessly inspiring.

• May: A spring palette colour hunt live stream with Creative Cocoon Art Club | Pauline Teunissen ; a best-of-spring drawing session and End of Season show and share to round things off.

Thank you to everyone who came to the live sessions, left comments, and showed up in the Friday chat threads ❤️

If you would like to catch up on any of the content this season, upgrade now to access the full archive (and remember, if you upgrade before 1st June, you get two free months to explore all the content):

Live streams

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Drawing sessions & workshops:

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Show & Share gathering:

Thank you to everyone who joined the draw-alongs, live drawing sessions, and shared your work, it’s been wonderful to see. These sessions are in the replay libraries if you’d like to catch up.

All Subscribers → FREE TO READ

Members → MEMBER REPLAY LIBRARY

Members Gallery

At the end of each season, I share work from Flock members along with links to their websites and social media so you can find and support them. Thank you to those who contributed!

Marie-Louise Cee

Marie-Louise shared some of her stunning, new art collection Songs of Hope. You can find out more about the collection and join the waitlist for when it launches here, and find Marie-Louise on Substack - Fiercely Human and Instagram

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Michele Obermeier

Michele shared these two little ink and water color drawings for this season’s gallery. The plant is Jewels of Opar from her garden.

The drawings are on cards 4” x 6”.

Michele is an artist with a deep passion for nature, drawing much of her inspiration from her garden and the dramatic landscapes and mountains of Colorado, where she lives.

One Favourite Moment

Sitting in the Tate Britain study room with my friend Marie Louise with Turner's sketchbooks laid out for us- the actual pages he touched, actual marks he made and no glass between you and the work. I was terrified of sneezing and it took me around five minutes to settle my nerves and really appreciate what I was experiencing, but once I was in the zone and sketching from his work, I didn't want it to end! Thank you Marie Louise for introducing me to this experience! Highly recommended a visit to the Study Room if you’re able, it’s a unique experience.

What I’ve Been Reading

I’ve recently joined the Butterfly Conservation Society and their magazine is a delight-beautifully produced and packed with things to look out for season by season. Well worth joining if you have any interest in butterflies (and I suspect you might).

Also on the reading pile: Raising Hare, The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer for something lighter, and a re-read of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, even more urgent and affecting the second time around.

..Watching

My Garden of a Thousand Bees, a wildlife cameraman films the bee life of his own urban garden over a single season. The species diversity, the nesting behaviour, the little dramas, was utterly captivating. Highly recommend.

Also the Attenborough Secret Gardens documentary . Fascinating and inspiring

..Listening To

• Why We Care by Tiphaine Marie is always a favourite podcast but I listened to the Project Dandelion episode while actually drawing a dandelion, which felt like the universe was paying attention

• Wild About Wellbeing from the Wildlife Trust-nature, creativity and wellbeing; very much my kind of podcast

• From What If to What Next is a podcast by Rob Hopkins - a writer and environmental activist and features bold, hopeful conversations with thinkers and changemakers about imagining and building a better future. A new series is underway and I’m planning to catch up over the summer.

• And a healthy dose of comedy to balance out the heavier stuff in the world - Strong Message Here by Armando Iannucci, The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth, and The Harry Hill Show.

Coming Up in the Flock

And that’s a wrap on spring! As mentioned, I’m pausing the membership for June and July, you can find out more about this here:

Taking roost for June & July 💚

Just a reminder, that if you’ve been thinking about joining, now is a great time, sign up now and get two months free while the membership is paused.

I’ll still be around on Substack! Look out for a free post on Inspiring Nature Artists, plus I’ll be popping into Notes, the Friday Share Your Good Stuff threads, and doing the occasional live stream. I’ll be sharing what I’m making and my favourite nature moments as the season rolls on. You can also find me on Instagram from time to time - come say hello!

Thank you for being here. Have a wonderful June & July. 🌞🌿