How are we in April already?
- Helen Abbott
- Apr 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 3
January starts the year with being at least 100 days longer than it actually is, February disappears in a blink of an eye. March you don't know whether to wear a coat or a t-shirt and then we are in April.
So, heres a "third of the year update" on whats been going on, whats coming up, how you can help, and why connection is so important this year.
The world is a very volatile place at the moment and art is a respite from the noise, hatred and politics that seem to be bringing hardship to so many.
Owning and making art seems to be more important than ever. For me, I'll be honest, its difficult covering costs but I value every visit to work in my studio. Its a little haven of calm and colour.
January was very much a month to rest, hibernate and spend time thinking. I like a January "no pressure" mini project and this year I set about 26 pen and ink drawings for just £26 .... I have capped them on the website but honestly there are a few more available as I did some "off-line" too. We also returned to our Urban sketching with a rather cold and icy visit to the Dog Retreat Cafe at Great Linford. Despite the lake being frozen enough for a fox to walk across in front of us, we sat outside in 2 degrees to sketch. The value though of having a reason to go outside in daylight and dress up warm? I had someone come and speak to me about how that has been so good for their mental health in months which are dark and cold and how grateful they have been for joining this group.
I have continued, along with Dr Beth Dawson, our "Wellbeing Wednesday" posts. I think I may have missed one week but more or less, I've done one a week. I'd love to know what you think about them and whether they give you something to think about when you watch them. They are a gentle reminder each week even just to myself to do something for me. Very happy to see Wendy at Wellbeing and Lifestyle management also doing a wellbeing post. I see Wendy for Emmett treatment. If you don't know what it is, I really recommend looking into it.
February saw the start of the Chinese year of the Horse, and in this year it is the year of the fire horse. I began a rather large painting for this (which is still a work in progress .... but I'll have it finished for June) A year of energy, change and ambition.
The end of February was the pop-up showcase at the Bull Hotel in Stony Stratford. Its a great chance to gather with some other amazing artisans and showcase our work. There were new cards as well as new jewellery and paintings. I had some lovely conversations about the workshop that we held at York House on the 21st March. The amount of people who just said "they couldn't draw" as they had been told that at school or by parents was astounding.... and yet being able to replicate an image in pencil, really is not what art is about! These conversations in person are building ideas to take forwards.
That Saturday was so busy, as I travelled to London straight after to see Andrew Bird at the Barbican Centre. The reaction of the crowd to his music shows just how important seeing and hearing live music is like this and how music improves our lives and brings us joy. For me it was also with family. So important making that time together.
Onwards to March, and with some paintings finished and new ones started, Su and I were planning final details and ordering a few things for our workshop. We welcomed a fabulous group of people and the weather held out for us. We had the sunniest and warmest day of the year, which enabled us to sit outside in two different locations to practice our sketching as well as indoors practicing our drawing of people.
I met Su through being members of the same art association. We are no longer members but together with other friends from the same group, we still meet together online to chat and paint together. That connection led to Su stopping by at Bucks Art Weeks last year when she was in the UK (Su lives in France) a conversation about urban sketchers and now some wonderful workshops in Stony Stratford.
I've been working on a very different project as well ... something of a collaborative one for Bucks Art Weeks in June! Do save the date as it will be here way too quickly. (6th-14th June)
I couldn't have done what I had in mind without the help of Laurie Keck, providing me with materials and a spot in his kiln. Now I tentatively wait to see if it survived its firing and what it looks like! It was a real treat to do some more clay work. I used to do a lot but not in the last 25 years or so! YIKES!!! Its most definitely something I want to do again. It also tied in perfectly with the "Give it a Go" theme in The Connected Artists Club.
I also belong to another membership, Hannah Isteds Best 90 days ever, all about 10 minute marketing. Its been such a good group to belong to, and although there are other artists in there too, I love learning about other peoples work, and of course its where I first got to know Beth Dawson. Hannah is very present in the group and gives amazing support to her members.
In the last couple of weeks I've seen just how important community and connection really is. It sounds strange but 30 years as a teacher, and especially those that were part time, is a very lonely job. Work relationships are just that and I am only in touch with a couple of people from back then. The relationships within art have been so different. Last year my word of the year was "flourish" which I carried forward.... I have now changed my word to "Community and Connection" Returning to where I started today's ramblings about the world being a volatile place we need art more than ever. We need to see art, let art speak to us, we need art on our walls that makes us happy, and we need to do art.
I have a wonderful space at York House and one that I would love to open up to share with you. I've had a number of people asking about oil painting, more art for wellbeing, watercolours and gouache painting and also help with showing their art on social media. Can you help me plan this? Please do get in touch with any ideas you have for how to let more art in, and what I could help facilitate.
You can email me or message me on FB or Instagram. Lets chat some more!
A thank you as well... your likes, shares and comments on social media really do help. They cost you nothing to do but a fraction of time. I really hope that my posts make you smile and help with useful tips or just seeing how I work.
Community and connection through art is so important. Here's how you can help build that with me....
Follow my wellbeing Wednesday posts and I'd love to know if they have been helpful.
Get in touch and let me know what you would like to do in art that would help you.
If you are not able to buy my art yourself, then do tell others about it (I just sent a painting to Sweden) Share, save, repost, like etc .... it really does help!
If you are thinking about commissioning a painting then lets chat about that too.
Local to Milton Keynes? Join our urban sketchers group (its free) or come along to Stony Stratford Art Society.
Save the date for Bucks Art Weeks, I love the conversations and the people that I meet during this time.... other artists, art lovers, friends and family... LOVE IT
Thank you for being here! Email me at by.helen@outlook.com
with suggestions and questions. Better still lets meet in person. Lets connect...
Join me with some community and connection and find myself, Su, Wendy and Beth on Instagram.
Lovely blog post - natural, authentic and interesting!! Boy, you pack a lot in to life Helen. xxx