Creative Highlights from a Winter of Art & Nature
Reflections on the Winter + What’s coming next in the Flock
Hello friends,
As we wrap up our winter season in Creative Flock, I wanted to take a moment to look back on the past couple of months and share a bit of what I’ve been up to behind the scenes.
January started quite gently for me. After taking a proper break in December, it felt good to ease back into creative work with a bit more energy. A lot of the month was spent planning, thinking ahead to future projects, completing my tax return and trying (with mixed success!) to move from my usual notebooks into a bullet journal.
Having that pause beforehand made a big difference, I felt much more ready to come back to tmy creative work, rather than pushing through and as a result I felt rejuvinated and really enjoyed getting stuck in to my sketchbooks and drawing with you all.
Some of the first things I created was a couple of gouache sketches of snowy scenes, inspired by Lucia Leyfield , who shared a series of stunning sketches from a snowy walk through her village. I fell in love with the simple process of just white paint and pencil on a toned paper, it was the perfect way to ease myself back after my creative rest.
Collaborations
I’ve enjoyed some lovely collaborations over January and February. Spending time with Helen C Stark and her Time Forager’s Club, focusing on noticing and observing the small details of winter, was a real highlight. I also had a great livestream with Charlotte Hamilton, where we explored wintry themes and she shared some really helpful painting tips.
Our animal drawing session in the snow with Natasha Cross from The Artist’s Toolbox was another standout, such a joyful session, and it was so nice to see so many of you there.
I also ran a solo livestream sketching foxes, an animal which I hadn’t drawn in ages and was a subject I loved coming back to.
(These sessions are in the replay libraries for subscribers/members to catch up on. Links further down the post)
I’ve been making more of an effort to join other artists drawing sessions myself this month, some of these included January Wildlife run by Holly Surplice and Hannah Camarra, Jane Austen-inspired session with Helen C Stark and Ella Beech, and Charlotte Hamilton’s Walk for Peace session. That last one really stayed with me, it was a good reminder of how important art can be when things feel uncertain or overwhelming, and how powerful a tool it is in bringing people together and sharing ideas or values you care deeply about. Char is currently running a 100-day drawing challenge, where she’s painting a Peacemaker each day and sharing the work on Substack and her social media channels. I highly recommend taking a look at what she’s created so far, the art she creates is incredible. And if drawing challenges are your thing, it’s not too late to join in.
Around the time of joining Char’s session, I came across this quote by the American academic, Heather Cox Richardson, on building community and resisting authoritarianism:
Authoritarians cannot rise if there are strong communities and people are acting with joy. That is, you need despair and anger in order for an authoritarian to rise…Whatever those things are that you bring to the community, do them, and do them with joy. And don’t stop doing the things you love because you are scared, because that is actually a form of resistance.1
Like so many of us, I’ve felt deeply shaken by the violence and injustice inflicted on communities in Minnesota, and in other parts of the US, at the hands of ICE agents. But alongside that, I’ve also been struck by the way communities have come together in response, and that has given me a real sense of hope. In particular, I saw how groups of musicians, like the Minneapolis-based collective Brass Solidarity, have been showing up in neighbourhoods, at memorials, and outside federal buildings, playing music together as a form of peaceful resistance.
Seeing this kind of creativity in the midst of such difficult and uncertain circumstances felt incredibly powerful. It takes a huge amount of courage and generosity to show up in that way. It’s a form of non-violent resistance that really stayed with me, and a reminder of how creativity and collective joy can help hold communities together.
Above: A quick flip though of my sketchbooks from January
Other news, in and out of the studio
As well as showing up online and working within Creative Flock, I’ve been keeping busy with other creative projects in the studio, and occasionally making a point of stepping away from it too.
I’ve been working on a second illustration commission for a charity I volunteer with (I’ll share more on that next month), and developing ideas for some in-person nature journaling workshops. I’ve also joined Claire Venus ✨ 12 Chapters Writing Club, where I buddied up with artist, writer, philosopher and mindfulness educator Marie-Louise Cee . Alongside working on our own writing, we’ve had some thought-provoking conversations around our shared interests in art, activism, and hope.
Compton Verney - The Shelter of Stories exhibition
Since the start of the year, I’ve also been making a conscious effort to visit more exhibitions. I kicked things off with a solo ‘artist date’ to Compton Verney to see The Shelter of Stories: Ways of Telling, Ways of Dwelling. The exhibition explored how storytelling, such a defining part of human society, can create a sense of safety and belonging, connect us to each other and the natural world, and help us understand the past while imagining better futures. It was a powerful exhibition, bringing together hundreds of objects, paintings, drawings, and sculptures, both ancient and contemporary, from artists and cultures across the world. Performance, music, and film were deeply woven throughout, and those elements ended up being some of my favourite parts of the day.
I even managed a bit of sketching while watching performances by world renowned performer and storyteller, Ben Haggarty, and Karolina Wegrzyn, a musician and self-described ‘collector of stories.’ I found Karolina’s performance incredibly moving.
London - two days of art, friendship, and dachshunds!
Then in February, I spent a couple of glorious days in London with Helen C Stark and Vivien Minto. Before we got together, I started with a solo visit to the Natural History Museum to see two exhibitions that have been on my wish list for a while - Visions of Nature, and Our Story with David Attenborough. They didn’t disappoint. The immersive nature of both exhibitions made the experience more visceral and thought-provoking, and they stayed with me long after I left. I highly recommend catching them before they close this summer.
I then enjoyed a flurry of activities with Helen and Vivien (and Vivien’s beautiful dachshunds!). Over the course of 24 hours, we packed in three galleries, a couple of art shops, two bookshops, cocktails, dinner, cafés, and plenty of wandering in between. The dachshunds didn’t join us everywhere, but they were our companions in more places than you might expect!
Nature and community
Closer to home, I’ve been getting more involved with local wildlife groups and even set up a Facebook group to connect the community of nature lovers in my area. It’s been lovely to meet and share with fellow nature enthusiasts nearby. At the same time, I’ve found myself frustrated by local issues, Rights of Way laws, land access, bureaucracy, lingering traditions around rural life and patriarchy, litter, to name a few! I keep reminding myself not to take on all the neighbourhood’s problems at once, and to focus on helping in my own way, but I have to admit, it’s not always easy to hold back.
On a more positive note, I helped run the RSPB Big School Birdwatch at a local school, which was such a lovely experience. The children recorded over 140 birds in an hour, across 16 different species, which was amazing, especially considering the weather conditions were poor that day. Despite the rain and cold, everyone who took part were so enthusiastic and really got stuck into the bird count. Right at the end of the bird watch, a little pied wagtail appeared on the playground. I’ll never forget how excited the children were to see it and record it on their tally charts. 😊
Little sketches of gratitude
As some of you know, each Friday in our chat threads, I share one ‘good thing’ from my week and invite you to do the same. It’s a simple way to make space for gratitude, and even in weeks that feel tough, I’ve been surprised at how I can always find at least one positive moment to share.
Since January, I’ve started sketching these moments of gratitude as a way of recording them more meaningfully. I keep the sketches small and in black and white, otherwise, I know I wouldn’t manage to keep up with the weekly commitment. I’ll be sharing more of these little drawings in the coming months.
The pied wagtail sketch from the RSPB Schools Birdwatch and the sketch above, plus the kestrel sighting sketch further down this post, are some from this series.
Signs of Spring
It’s been a very wet couple of months, but it’s starting to feel like things are shifting. There are a few early signs of spring coming through now, which is always a relief. I’m looking forward to getting back outside with my sketchbook a bit more regularly and excited to start our new seasonal theme - Spring! A little hint of this is here, more details to come in my next post.
Round up of this seasons drawing sessions, live calls and video posts
If you would like to catch up on any of the content this season, upgrade now to access the full archive:
Collaborations:
Solo, live stream:
Video post:
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
Nature Notes
Some seasonal favourites and new discoveries this winter:
Frosty rosehips
Wolf Moon
Fungi on standing deadwood
Birds navigating ice on ponds and lakes
Beautiful sunsets in the late afternoon
Rainstorms and rainbows
Vivid, green moss on dry stone walls
Colourful slime mould and jelly fungus (they really are rather beautiful!)
Catkins and flowers on Hazel
Spotting Kestrels, a rare sight around my way
Discovering the beauty of London plane trees
Signs of spring - snowdrops and crocuses, daffodils and narcissi
Hellebores at Coton Manor and finally some decent sunshine!
End of February - spotting lots of ladybirds, caterpillars emerging from overwintering, huge red admiral butterflies and the first bees of the season
One Favourite Moment
Spotting the Kestrel! I was lucky to have my binoculars with me that day, so I was able to get a good view of this beautiful bird as it hovered above the field. Pure magic ✨
What I’ve Been Reading & Listening to
Books
In January, I read Wintering by Katherine May , which I absolutely loved and deeply resonated with.
I’m also nearly at the end of Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, a beautiful, absorbing read. Thank you Flighty Bird Designs for the loan!
Alongside that, I’ve been dipping in and out of The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes. It uncovers stories of enclosure, exploitation, and the dispossession of public rights, including one particularly violent and tragic event that happened just 20 miles from me. It’s definitely stirring up my more rage-fuelled, activist side, so I find myself needing to step away from the book regularly… at least until the steam stops coming out of my ears.
Podcasts
To help me stay informed while also keeping my nervous system in check, I’ve found that a blend of comedy and topical news works best. The News Quiz has been a long-time favourite, and more recently I’ve been enjoying Strong Message Here, created by comedy genius, Armando Iannucci, which brings together guest comedians and journalists for sharp, thoughtful and funny conversations.
For a nature fix, I regularly listen to As the Seasons Turn and A Life More Wild (although they’ve sadly come to the end of their current series). More recently, I’ve been really enjoying Why We Care by Tiphaine Marie. It features insightful conversations with people connected to environmental causes, and it always leaves me feeling a bit more hopeful.
Member’s 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!
Above: The Pulhamite Cascades in snow & ice, Battersea Park by Vivien Minto.
You can find more of Vivien’s work on her Substack and Instagram
Above: The View at Grassington by Nicola Hawtrey.
You can find more of Nicola’s work on Instagram and buy original artwork, prints and jewellery in her shop
And that’s a wrap for this season! We kick of the new season in early March, with Spring themed resources! 14-day free trials will be open for March, so if you’ve been curious to join the Flock, this will be a great time to try.
As always, thank you for your support here 💚
From video interview, January 21, 2025. Quote was transcribed in social media shares.