This Week's Visual Journal
week 25 of 2026
Hello! I hope this finds you well.
Normally I write these weekly visual journals on a Friday but yesterday I finished writing a post I’d had in the works for a while: 25 ways to fill up your summer sketchbook. I’m glad it’s out there now, just on time for the first day of summer and my hope is that it will spark ideas and bring you joy.
In other news, I went to Paris this week!









After months of anticipation, I finally got to see the Matisse exhibition at Le Grand Palais which I will share more thoroughly in my monthly video (July). In the meantime, here are a few of my favourite snaps from the expo.









Thankful Notes
Plan A: travel to Paris via London by train, stay at my sister’s in Paris for 3 nights, visit by foot the best stationery shops in Paris with her, have a club meet up to sketch, explore some more and see the Matisse exhibition.
Plan B: travel to Paris via London by train, my sister and her family came down with a tummy bug just as I arrived so - change of plan - I booked myself into a local b&b and while I could have gone into town, I had technically been exposed to the bug so to be safe I preferred to lay low at the b&b. In the end, this was rather pleasant as I had a whole day filling up my sketchbook with all sorts of fun things (I’ve listed a few in the sketchbook pages below). I did cancel the sketch meet-up (everyone understood). And I did get to see the Matisse exhibition. It was incredible! My sister and family did recover quickly, I was fine and at the tail end of my trip I got to hang out with them on their balcony with a glass of wine.









Hope you have a great week ahead! Club members, the monthly video will be released next week and we have our journaling session also. I’ve popped the sign-up links in a post (pinned at the top). Can’t wait!!!
Talk soon! xx
The Time Foragers’ Club is an opportunity to meet, grow, celebrate the seasons and create together!
🍋 Carve out time to be creative with us in the club
📮 Find out what’s included in the Founding Members’ subscription
🍊 Catch more behind-the-scenes peeks over @helen.c.stark






You certainly are an inspiration. ❤️
Those stained glass windows!!!