This Month's Gazette
| Issue 5 | Feb 2025 |
| Issue N5 | 1st Feb 2025 |
Winter amusement
February will be gorgeous. Carve out time for yourself this month!
Here are a few ideas…
Carve out some time to get cozy and engage in some lush activities that both nurture your creative self and cultivate a sense of mindfulness. The word used here is “party” - but these events are for you, whether it’s shared with others or solo (solo is just as good, if not better).
Here are a few ideas:
A “Things-I-LOVE” Poster Party (2hrs)
Reach for a fine line ink pen, your top 3 favourite colours and a large sheet of paper (stick two A4 sheets together with wash tape if getting your hands on A3 is complicated)
Get cozy with your favourite blanket, candles and a hot drink, have a large book to lean on
Make a visual list of all the things you love by drawing it all, just have fun collecting ideas from movies, books, art, nature, all the things you love
Keep going for as long as you can
A Snowdrop Party (1hr)
Find snowdrops to draw (in person, in books or online)
If you live in the UK, here is a list of National Trust places that have fantastic displays
Draw or paint snowdrops on a card
Post the card to someone in your life
A Lettering Party (10mins and ongoing)
Create a Lettering Photo album on your phone (or a real paper album is ever better but takes a lot longer)
Anywhere you go, wherever you see lettering, typeface, fonts or design, take a snapshot and add it to your album - make it like a little lettering museum
Or join our club meets (see the schedule below).
Have a blast and make February fun!!!
MONTHLY REPORT
The January Plein Air Challenge
Boy, oh boy!! We did it!!! Everyone did such a fantastic job with this challenge this month! Special shout out to those who completed the whole month - massive congratulations!! What an achievement!! Here is some artwork from this challenge but it was impossible to include them all (it’s actually a bit of a problem, Substack posts can’t take any more pictures than what I’ve included). I know it was a hard one and some of you also weren’t so well which is extra tough. The very harsh conditions in some parts of the world were also an issue. Anyhow, well done everyone!!
Look at these gorgeous pieces!!
Visual Journals in 2025
Thanks to all who came along to the 5 mini pop-in sessions on Fridays. It’s been so delightful getting to know you throughout January. Hopefully this will have helped to de-mystify visual journaling a little. I’ll include pictures of this next month so do keep going and do keep sharing your images in the club chat.
Tuesday 21st January
The January co-creating meeting was with wonderful illustrator Emma Carpendale and we looked at The Art Of Noticing. We created our own journal spreads. See Emma’s post on this meeting.
Hannah said: “Wonderful relaxing and mindful session, thank you!”
Debbie said: “ Excellent session. I liked how the session was structured - not too rigid but still had a focus and direction. Emma was great too!”
Monday 27th January
The co-drawing session was a delightful evening drawing scenes of Italy, with guests Elizabeth De Coster, from the Italian Le Mole Sul Farfa organic guesthouse, as well as Karla Sotres, a local ceramist. Together we drew olive trees, Italian landscapes and still life from the organic farm. You can catch the replay (free for 2 weeks) before it goes into the club archives.
PICK & MIX INSPIRATION
Impressionism, “en plein air” | National Galleries on YouTube
How Renoir Revolutionised Art | DW History and Culture on YouTube
Monet’s Water Lilies | Great Art Explained
Poet’s Corner
by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Club Competition
Congratulations to Hannah for winning 2 original pieces at the end of the Italian Retreat Zoom call. As a little surprise, we asked participants to guess how many olive trees were on the Le Mole de Farfa’s organic farm. Hannah had the closest guess. These postcards are watercolour and gouache on card and are now on their way to the USA.
FEBRUARY CLUB MEETINGS
Friday 7th February - 7pm GMT | The co-journaling meeting will be held from your own spaces, kitchen, living room 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 last 1hr and will be recorded.
Tuesday 11th February - 7pm GMT | The co-creating meeting this month will be focusing on decluttering drawers and paper bags. 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. You won’t believe what we’ll achieve together!! This meeting is for those who’ve been putting something off for too long!! Let’s create some blissfully organised space!!! The meeting will last 1h and will be recorded.
Friday 14th February - 7pm GMT | PARIS in WINTER - The co-drawing meeting this month will be held in partnership with brilliant author and illustrator Samantha Dion Baker. Together we will look at seasonal images from Paris in Winter. We will have a quick peek at some masterpieces before creating our own sketches based on our personal photography of Paris. Members must bring materials they feel comfortable using. All levels welcome and celebrated!
Note: all zoom sign links will be sent out to paid subscribers in the club chat. Head there to sign up!
Club Exclusive Archives
If you missed them, paid members can view a few videos to catch up on this month…
The Art of Noticing Co-Creating Replay (with guest Emma Carpendale)
Art Retreat Co-Drawing Replay (with guest Elisabeth De Coster and Karla Sotres)
Video: A Draw-along in Real Time (sketching through the Italian Art Retreat Replay)
Drawing Little Women (Winter) Replay (with guest Kayla Stark)
Winter Woodland Concertina Replay (with guest Mel Chadwick)
Visual Wanderings in Italy Replay (with guest Charlotte Hamilton)
From Haarlem to Doncaster Replay (with guest La Scarlatte)
NY in the Autumn Replay (with guest Samantha Dion Baker)
Victorian Gardens Replay (with guest Mel Chadwick)
Thanks for reading the 5th issue of the Time Foragers’ Club gazette.
Next month: lettering prompts, spring still-life and more exciting guests!
The snow drop party idea made me think of hanami in Japan. Why not celebrate the little white flowers like the pink Sakura?
I love all the wonderful ideas and inspiration here! And beautiful art.