Claudia's Summer News
Hello, Happy Summer to you!
I’m a June baby, I love the long daylight hours, where I’m compelled to be outside, and do some cathartic whooping whilst cycling home on a warm, breezy night. Last year was our first in Denver, and we hadn’t ever experienced a summer as hot as that, it got a little intense. However, this Spring, we had almost daily thunderstorms which I couldn’t get enough of. The rain has left everything feeling so verdant and lush. I’ve been trying to learn the name of the abundant wildflowers here and I’ve been making good progress on lots of new work.
My Creative Process
My general creative process looks a lot like the above image, though it can be a little less formulaic with the normal interruptions of self-doubt / admin / things that aren’t working out… When it’s at it’s smoothest, I’m doing a little of all those steps in a week, and that’s the lovely wave I’ve been riding recently.
Usually, most of what I make starts with a hike, collecting ideas and photos for what to take into my studio, which triggers everything that follows. I also find walking really important for a general unfurling of my mind, processing the week’s events, and getting myself back into a space where I’m grounded again.
Sometimes the mono screen-print is the finished piece as is, but lately I’ve been printing onto textiles. I’ve been developing these with quilted borders with the intention of them hanging on walls. I see them as an alternative to paintings (or sometimes headboards), adding beauty and interest to a space, but through a medium that has a softer and more tactile finish. Hand quilting is new to me, it’s slow going, and I’ve really being enjoying the process of learning and doing it.
I’ll be sharing glimpses of what I’m working on when I remember to post on instagram. The quilted pieces aren’t yet available for sale (they’re for a solo show opening in November) but you can see what is in my shop right now, or get in touch if you’re curious about a specific work-in-progress, or to commission a piece.
And now, some things I’ve enjoyed recently…
Read:
We All Know How This Ends, by Anna Lyons and Louise Winter
Death and dying has come up a lot in conversation with friends and family a lot over the past few months, prompted by the recent loss of a friend. I don’t feel like I have all the language I need to share the thoughts I have, but I’m learning. This book talks about the inevitable; it’s friendly, in simple language, and has some practical information that I wasn’t getting anywhere else.
The Sun and Her Flowers, by Rupi Kaur
I’ve never been particularly enamoured with poetry, but my lovely friend Violet bought this book whilst I was with her, so I skimmed through and read some aloud whilst she made us snacks. The words make sense to me and the layout makes it all digestible.
Watch:
We’re watching season 3 of The Other Two at the moment, it’s so funny, kind of dark, and surprising. The premise is there are two siblings who are trying to cope with being in the shadow of their super famous younger brother, but it quickly becomes about so much more than that. Please someone tell me you’re watching it too?!
Cook:
OK, with all the hiking we do, having an excellent packed lunch is integral. And it seems I STILL cannot stay away from cauliflower, because our new favourite sandwich filling is Cauliflower Coronation. First tried with my excellent friend, Ali, who was visiting from the UK. We did a beautiful hike in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park to Lake Haiyaha, and the sandwiches had all the good taste of a classic coronation (chicken salad if you’re from the USA) but with more of a bite, and no fear of chicken that’s been sat outside of the fridge all day.
Learn:
Matt signed up to this free research-based course about learning small habits that can increase your personal well-being / happiness. My initial reaction was a little queasy. Why is that? There’s something about anything self-help-y that can feel a little off-putting, which when you think about it is completely ridiculous. Why wouldn’t you want to increase your well-being? I think it goes hand-in-hand with some ‘stiff upper lip’ British stoicism and the general old-fashioned negative stigmas around therapy or improving mental health. Anyway, I quickly shook that feeling and signed up too! I haven’t completed it yet, and I’m definitely not doing it on the suggested timeline, but I’ve found the prompts to be simple and mostly obvious reminders of how to take good care of myself. Plus, I love that it’s based on real studies.
Listen:
I’ve been listening to the Glastonbury Festival coverage from BBC Radio 6, it’s definitely not the same as being there, but it makes good company for a day in the studio!
Look:
I’ve been loving all the wildflowers on our hikes, here’s a few that we’ve encountered!
And that’s it! Thank you for taking your time to read this, your feedback, general recommendations, questions and messages are welcome : )