Cover to Cover - a sketchbook project

A group of open studio artists met up on the 3rd November for the launch of Cover to Cover 2015 and to collect our sketchbooks. Co-ordinated and organised by Isabel Carmona-Andreu Cover to Cover is a sketchbook project for West Berkshire and North Hampshire Open Studios 2015.

It's a sketchbook exchange project that is designed to help us to push our creativity - the aim is to develop how we explore themes that interest us as individuals, and as artists, and how we can seek contribution to our ideas from other artists.

We were allocated a group (maximum of 8) and met our fellow members. Each of us received a sketchbook containing our details and our chosen theme. Then we work on that theme (over the the next three weeks) before exchanging it with a pre-assigned group member for them to carry on working to our subject. Choice of media up to individual artists, but must work to the theme of the sketchbook.

I had decided upon a Hedgerow Hodge-podge. A sketchbook for a seasonal exploration of the plants found in the hedgerow and field margins on the Wiltshire/Berkshire borders, as I'd like to carry on with the ideas developing in my seasonal sketchbooks.

Early summer sketchbooks . . .

Mid summer

Sketching in the summer months is one of my favourite things, as it allows me to wander off . . . and spend quiet time looking and listening.

Late summer

I'm really interested to see how others interpret this subject matter.

Poets and afternoon light

This mornings post brought a nice surprise. The BlueGate 2010 anthology. www.bluegatepoets.com http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1626178

Autumn has been true to form, and a wet grey yesterday becomes a honeyed golden today. The marigolds are still giving their all despite the earlier frosts, I find myself wondering how long they'll keep going. Of course the flowers are edible so I should be harvesting them.

'The yellow leaves of the floures are dried and kept throughout Dutchland against Winter, to put into broths, in Physicall potions, and for divers other purposes, in such quantity, that in some Grocers or Spice-sellers houses are to  be found barrels filled with them, and retailed by the penny more or lesse, insomuch that no broths are well made without dried Marigolds'. John Gerard's Historie of Plants c1636 

On days like this when I'm working in the shed I can let the girls have the run of the garden, and trust that foxy won't come visiting when I'm here. They love to get out foraging and roam around happily cluck-clucking to themselves. 

Our hedgerows are festooned with berries. And when I approached the drunken hedge, flocks of small birds flew off from feasting on sloes, thankfully I've already picked plenty for sloe gin which will be ready in a few weeks time. 

  Through the garden gate to my shed . . . .