bak to skool

September beckons

When I was homeschooling, it was always lovely to get that start-of-term feeling without all the pressure of actually starting term. No tearing round getting school shoes or uniform, and we’d spend the first week or so enjoying all the things that were now quiet that the schools were back that we’d not been able to do all summer! I’d make a tray of cinnamon rolls and we’d sit round working out some sort of middle ground between what I thought the children should be focussing on and what the children thought they should be focussing on for the next couple of months, but it always involved nature walks and spending time outside now it was cool and no need for SPF-ing up every time we walked out of the door.

Work update

I get the same feeling now, especially having had a month off from working on my core logbook business. Birds of the A.T. is now with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for their perusal and approval and I am really pleased with how it’s come together. I don’t feel I engaged with the residency for that reason but it was important to prioritise that logbook and I hope it might lead to more bespoke opportunities. This week I will be making some plans about getting new stockists and increasing awareness of my brand and my products. I had good feedback about the Google forms I’d used for my stockists to reorder, so I’ll send those out again in the next couple of weeks. I also want to do Blogtober so I’m planning some posts about that.

Artwork update

I have a new Leuchtturm sketchbook, and I will be exploring how to paint landscapes in a handmade-paper sketchbook I bought in Strasbourg as it’s perfect for watercolour and loose gouache. I’m also making progress with my 1000 faces project and will hopefully fill that sketchbook soon. Currently I am painting a picture of a carp for my son-in-law’s birthday present, and making a new bookmark for my daughter since receiving this sad text from her:

Do you get invigorated at the start of a new season?