Dear Friends,
I saw a meme a while ago saying something like, ‘the worst part about being an adult is that nobody asks you what your favourite dinosaur is anymore.’ More recently, I saw one saying something similar about favourite colours.
Friends, I don't think I have got a favourite colour. I think I love them all.* My favourite dinosaur is probably the triceratops, but that is only because they seem cuddly in Jurassic Park. By the way, have you seen Light and Magic? It’s fascinating.
Headlines:
Quiet Garden Hour - THIS SUNDAY, Holy Trinity Wolverton, 4-5pm, 23rd June.
MK Calling - my work is being exhibited, MK Gallery, 22nd June - 29th September.
I have been thinking about colour for a couple of years now, since I tried to work out which colours meant what in my watercolour palette. Last autumn I went to a panel discussion about The Philosophy of Colour, which was fascinating and mind-bending in equal measure. I loved the Saul Leiter exhibition, also at MK Gallery, which also highlighted the importance of colour (or lack of it). Most recently, I was super-excited to get my hands on Sarah Corbett’s The Craftivist Collective Handbook and it has a whole chapter on colours and what they might mean! This Gentle Protest Colour Palette was created with colour expert, Momtaz Begum-Hossain and is on pages 108-112 of the book.
For over two years I have been making paintings concerned with spaces and colour. The spaces between things and what might be there - represented by shape and colour. Sarah, who I met recently at a book launch event, intends this exploration of colour for the means of Gentle Protest**, and I am also making a mini-banner as per her instructions. But I couldn’t resist applying this colour theory to my paintings. If you want to see the pages yourself, you will simply have to buy her book! Or visit the Craftivist Collective website to look at A Craftivist’s Manifesto and other free resources.
I’ll share a photo of one of my paintings in the next letter as well as some details of how we might be able to get together online.
With love,
Deb x
Current favourite colours
Sky blue, buttercup yellow and rose pink
Events
Quiet Garden Hour - THIS SUNDAY
Holy Trinity Wolverton, 4-5pm, 23rd June.
MK Calling - my work is being exhibited
MK Gallery, 22nd June - 29th September.
The Field
Lee Abbey Estate, Devon, 27th July - 5th August.
Origami retreat - next year.
Everwild, Nottingham, 22nd & 23rd February, 2025.
Collaborations
Cutlery and Collect prayers for Ascensiontide with Rachel-Ann Powers I will be sharing more on Instagram as soon as I can.
A Warm Web and possibly another track with Tony Brooks - coming soon, I’ve delayed things by being so busy with trips and events (sorry Tony)!
Books
Wait.Look.Listen. by Mark Bishop
The Craftivist Collection Handbook by Sarah P. Corbett
Weyward by Emilia Hart (for lovers of Hamnet),
How to Walk into a Room by Emily P. Freeman
Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (a welcome re-read)
Field Notes for the Wilderness by Sarah Bessey
*I’m not keen on orange, but I will undoubtedly now find something orange that I like.
**Gentle Protest as defined by Sarah Corbett in her book:
’Gentle Protest is a term I coined to describe a quiet, intimate, intriguing and deep engaging form of activism, treating everyone how you would like to be treated: with respect, empathy and encouragement. We don’t shame or label people. We use encouraging and non-violent communication to invite people to collaborate in positive change where appropriate. Rather than focus on proclaiming statements and demanding our voice be heard, we craft our protests to engage power holders where they are: researching their motives and personal interests as well as offering realistic solutions to attract interest and further engagement on an issue. It is about channelling our emotions into careful, compassionate, and courageous protest in a way that will be most heard by the person/s we are protesting to.’