This Month's GAZETTE
| issue N1 | 1st Oct 2024 |
| Issue N 1 | 1st Oct 2024 |
AUTUMNAL AMUSEMENTS
Here in the northern hemisphere, temperatures are dropping and trees are turning gold. Below are some easy ways to enjoy the season. This month we are looking at pumpkins and nuts.
Pumpkin Party
Visit a local pumpkin farm and soak up the atmosphere.
Spot seasonal decorations in your neighbourhood and create your own.
Read different versions of the Cinderella story and draw your own version of this traditional folktale.
Make pumpkin soup and share it with friends.
Make up your own little festival. In some parts of the world, grey squirrels are known for hosting spectacular pumpkin and pear festivals every year but they wish to keep the venues confidential.
Nuts about You
It is time to forage nuts and the local squirrels are willing to share. Nuts are perfect for tasty nibbles on a crisp autumn walk. Here are three favourites but there are many more.
Beech Nuts | Look out for beech nuts, look for pairs of three-sided nuts in bristly cases. Scrape off the outer brown skin to reveal the triangular seed. Beware: beech nuts can be slightly toxic if consumed in large quantities, best to enjoy them in small quantities on salads or risottos.
Sweet Chestnuts | Introduced to the UK by the Romans, sweet chestnuts are a favourite at this time of year. Gather, score (to stop them from exploding) and bake. You can freeze them but take the shell off first. Brilliant to bring out at Christmas.
Walnuts | These tend to be found in large gardens and parks and were also introduced by the Romans. Once you’ve identified the tree and found some on the ground, crack open the shells to get to the nut. The nuts are covered with a green, fleshy husk that starts to split as it ripens.
If you’re interested in foraging nuts or any other treats, always research first. There are great books, apps and websites to help you. If you’re foraging in Britain, The Woodland Trust website or CountryFile website both offer photos to identify, tips and fun recipes. There may be similar resources where you live.
MONTHLY REPORT
Victorian Gardens Co-Drawing Meeting
On Friday 20th September, members of the club met with Mel Chadwick and together drew features from Victorian Gardens. The group had a delightful time and created some stunning work.
About this meeting, Sharon said “I absolutely loved this replay and really had fun with the exercises! It really helps to loosen up and I’m always learning something new!! Thanks for a great session! 💖”
NYC in the Autumn Co-Drawing Meeting
On Wednesday 25th September, members of the club met with Samantha Dion Baker and together drew NYC in the Autumn.
About this meeting, Eva said “I really enjoyed the session today...the combination of the two of you with varying styles, and viewpoints, yet similarities in thought processes was wonderful. The conversation was lively and relaxing at the same time. I'd love another session with the two of you sometime. Thanks Sam and Helen!!”
Shirley said “Great class and group of participants. Very relaxing class and a fun meet up. It was very nice to be introduced to Helen Stark and her process of painting. Thank you to both artists for a lovely afternoon.”
Thanks to all who came and who’ve already watched it on replay. The links for these replays are at the bottom of this gazette.
Pick & Mix INSPIRATION
Kate Winslet Life Lessons | Bazaar UK on YouTube
The Story of Van Gogh’s Yellow Palette | National Gallery on YouTube
Preparing For Italian Art Retreat | Sandi Hester on YouTube
Inspiration: Where I find it | Melanie Chadwick on YouTube
Poet’s Corner
To Autumn
By John Keats
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
CLUB COMPETITION
| Note: Deadline Sat 26th October midnight BST |
Take a look at 5 famous windows in Art History on Google Arts & Culture and any other pieces in Art History using the theme of windows.
Find 5 windows in your life to use as subjects to draw. This could be windows in your home, windows from a bus, a local museum, your favourite coffee shop, etc.
Your challenge is to draw these 5 windows in 5 mins each. No over thinking. Use any materials, the easier to use, the better.
Once you’re finished, send 5 clear photos of your work to The Time Foragers’ Club (Helen) on Substack Chat Direct Messages before Sat 26th Oct midnight BST.
A draw will take place on Monday 28th Oct and a winner will receive a free month’s worth of club membership for themselves or to share with a friend. Any questions, do ask.
MEETINGS
Friday 11th October - 1pm BST | The co-journaling society will be held from your own spaces, kitchen place, living space or studios via Zoom, to spend time reflecting and writing, or visual journaling too. All club members to appear with their favourite materials. There will be a few prompts on screen to get you started, should you need them. You may choose to keep the screen off, this meeting will be recorded.
Tuesday 15th October - 7pm BST | The co-drawing meeting this month will be held in partnership with brilliant illustrator La Scarlatte, otherwise known as Pauline Teunissen. Together we will look at seasonal images from our respective dwelling places in Haarlem, Netherlands and Doncaster, England. You may be interested in listening to this excellent podcast by English Heritage to learn about a fascinating painting that has made its way from Haarlem to Doncaster. We will have a quick peek at this masterpiece before creating our own sketches based on our local landscape. Members must bring materials they feel comfortable using. All levels welcome and celebrated!
Tuesday 22nd October - 7pm BST | The co-creating meeting this month will be focusing on preparing for colder months. This can be quilting, mending old winter socks or other clothes, de-cluttering a wardrobe or pantry to create more order and space, planning autumnal recipes and shopping lists, planning winter crafts, gifts and creating wrapping systems for Christmas, creating a cozy reading plan, … At the beginning we will quickly discuss what we’re hoping to achieve and then come back together in the end to celebrate our achievements. The meeting will last 1h and will be recorded.
Note: all zoom links will be sent out to paid subscribers a few days before the meetings.
CLUB-EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVES
If you missed them, paid members can view a few videos to catch up on this month…
Thanks for reading the very first Time Foragers’ Club gazette.
Next month: bonfires, rose-hips and more exciting guests!
Helen, I have been so excited to read your Gazette!
I loved everything about it… gosh you really jammed in everything- (without feeling it was jammed- I’m not a writer… lol)
Thank you so much for including my art from your lovely meet with Sam! The time spent with you both was like hanging out with old friends.
I’m going to revisit your Gazette multiple times I’m sure as there are great links , suggestions and meet ups which I have missed.
Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful time in Italy. The place you’re at looks like a match made in heaven.
What a lovely first edition of the Gazette! Thank you very much for sharing it Helen, it is such a wonderful read to start the day. Looking forward to the next edition!