‘Tis the season

Not sure whether we are really finding it a season to be jolly this year. There has been so much pain and suffering that it’s hard to think of Christmas parties, gathering families and carol singing without feeling whistful and sometimes quite sad.
We have, I suppose, to find our own way through and find things which give us pleasure in a deepening winter and a confusing world. We may need to rephrase and instead say: ” ‘Tis the season to be grateful.”

Gratitude can go a long way towards finding some kind of contentment in small moments. I am finding ways to celebrate what I have. In the words of Dr. Andy Cope, (doctor of happiness at Loughborough University) I wake up each day and say to myself “my teeth don’t hurt and my pancreas is glowing with health.” Try it – it’s a good way to start the day!

Ways that have helped

As you may know I am moving from my huge studio where I had held lots of wonderful classes in creativity with groups of fun loving and eager art makers. In the time that we have been keeping ourselves to ourselves I have worked from home and therefore smaller.

For me, spending time drawing and painting, is great – it is fully absorbing and is time away from the news and social media which only serve to fuel fear and mistrust. I have also enjoyed taking photos on my long tramps around the streets and along our urban canal network. With more time it is amazing what you can notice right under your nose – particularly small details. Documenting shifting light through photography has been absorbing.

Last week I undertook a little online challenge – Folktale Week 2020 which involved prompt words and in my case paints, pencils and pastels working just to A5 size. I liked the discipline and sometimes only finished my daily prompt just before midnight by the skin of my teeth!

Here are my images …. along side them a story emerged quite natually, of a kestrel on Dartmoor! More of that to come maybe but here are the images:

An event for you – how to have a little fun and calm time with me online

On December 13th I will be hosting the second of my Wolf Town Art Club sessions online. I used to have open house at the studio once a month on Sunday lunch time for people to come and work on their art and meet like minded folk. We can’t do that for now so art club is online … do come and join us – no experience and limited resources needed.
This time we will do a mindful drawing exercise and look also at colour palettes – read all the details here – there are a few places left at the moment.

Special offer for art materials

If you need to buy art materials in a hurry Jacksons is brilliant – if you don’t have an account at the moment click the banner below and you will get 10% off and even if you DO have an account click on the banner anyway because you will still get 5% off – I get all the materials I can’t get locally from them.

I am currently loving Caran D’Ache Luminance pencil crayons which layer up beautifully and Faber Castell Pitt pastel pencils which sit on top of every other media. Yum! Oh yes and gouache paint by Turner – handy for travelling!

All the above links will give you a 10% or 5% discount. Think Christmas!!!!

So … to the future

We don’t really know what it holds do we but I have invested in a new space to work from – it is pregnant with possibility! And when events can safely go ahead I will look for venues to hold our workshops. We will survive!

Stuck for Christmas?

Here’s a little link to my Etsy store

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ClareWassermann

Unfortunately the robin Christmas cards have all sold out.
In addition to this I have some original artwork getting ready for exhibitions next year – drop me an email if you are interested in viewing sooner….clare.wassermann@gmail.com

Wishing you peace and joy into 2021

Thank you for reading

love Clare