May has to be favourite time of the year. It’s a time of year when the world seems to sing!
I started the month by dancing at dawn with Pecsaetan Morris. This is a May Day tradition to celebrate the turning of the seasons and welcome in the summer. It always seems such a silly idea at 4:30 when I’m crawling out of bed but it is always such a special event and really does make me feel in tune with something bigger.
This May I have lots of exciting things planned and I’d love to have you along!
Adult Art Club at Dungworth Village Hall
Thursday 23rd May, 7pm – 9pm
I really enjoyed our first Art Club last month. What a lovely group of people!
This month we will focus on tone and depth using pencil and paint to make bottles and vases appear to have three dimensions.
If you would like to join us, you’d be very welcome.
Batik flag/ hanging Workshop at Cotton Star Camping
Sunday 26th May, 12:30-2:00pm
I’m really excited about this one. Cotton Star is such a lovely place – a hidden gem of a campsite on the secluded side of Agden Reservoir. I love working in the outdoors and I’m so pleased that Sarah, the owner of the campsite, asked me to develop this set of workshops to run at the site. The first one will be for families and will provide all the resources and skills needed to make a ‘Batik’ style flag or bunting – great for your tent if you are camping or as a wall-hanging. The session is open to non-campers too and promises to be great fun.
Check out https://www.facebook.com/cottonstarcamping/events for more details.
Family Watercolour Workshop at Dungworth Village Hall
Tuesday 28th May, 9:30 – 12:00
Following on from the success of the last Family Watercolour Workshop during the Easter holidays, I’m running another session for those who have already attended or new-comers. Again we will focus on developing some skills suing watercolour but this time we will focus on painting fruits!
Other great things to do in May!
- Get out and enjoy the flowers – May is the perfect time to enjoy the woods. The bluebells are still in bloom up here and I intend to get out and see them as much as possible. Hanami (花見, “flower viewing”) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; flowers (花, hana) in this case almost always refer to those of the cherry but I think the same applies to the fleeting beauty of the bluebell woods in the UK.
- Visit Sheffield’s Open Up Studios – There is nothing quite like visiting an artist’s studio and getting the chance to chat to them. I’m always so wowed by how many amazing artists are working in our city so I love flicking through the Open Studios brochure to choose the studios I will visit. I never manage to get to as many as I hope but I always love those I visit. https://openupsheffield.co.uk/free-guide
- Watch Dr Who – Finally, after what has felt like a long wait, the 14th series of Dr Who with Ncuti Gatwa will air on 11th May. I absolutely love Dr Who and how the whole vibe of each Dr is so unique. The latest Dr is incredibly classy and Stephen Moffat has written this series so I can’t wait!
- Draw this – I saw these incredibly trees as I walked down from Bamford Edge towards Derwent Dam. The branches are so twisty and the woods behind them so packed and dark that the shapes between the branches stand out. This would be a great image to try as a negative space drawing. Rather than drawing the trees, draw the shapes between the trees. It’s a great mindful activity to get lost in! I’d love to see how you get on so post your pictures in the comments!
What ever you get up to I hope you have a fantastic May and I look forward to seeing you! I’d be delighted if you subscribed to receive updates about further workshops and get creative ideas in your inbox!
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