(“Diolch NHS” is Welsh and translates as “Thankyou NHS”, seen here written on the side of silage bales)
Wow. Did anyone expect we’d be here right now?
Since the pandemic began we’ve been contacted quite a lot by people telling us how comforting and apt Hibernate With Me has been for them and their children, helping to soothe anxiety and frame staying indoors all the time as cosy and warm, instead of frightening. Nature and gardening has also taken on a whole new resonance for many people, so Hundred Feet Tall, our need for community and our appreciation for nature and fresh air is also really relevant.
Benjamin and I were asked to join in with the Simon Kids Snack & Read Live series, where we read and sang Hundred Feet Tall, and showed how you can make your own seasonal tree craft. You can find the video here.
We were also really pleased to join in with the very brilliant work that Save The Children and No Kid Hungry are doing with their #SaveWithStories campaign, helping the millions of vulnerable children who have been hit especially hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. You can find us reading/singing Hundred Feet Tall here, and Hibernate With Me here.
Currently, Benjamin, Elodie, our dog Porthos and I are sheltering with my parents in my childhood home back in Wales. We saw the way the wind was blowing and headed back to the mountain about two weeks before the lockdown was implemented here in the UK. It’s not been easy (though honestly, the same could be said for everyone in different degrees) but we’re aware of how very lucky we are to be here, and to have the space of a sheep farm and a deserted mountain to wander around in, especially since the toddler wants nothing more than to toddle, everywhere, all day.
Being here does mean being without my studio and most of my materials, which has been a challenge. In my haste I grabbed my new wacom tablet (the big one got trashed in an incident in our rented house in London, where a giant and continuous stream of water fell from a leak in the ceiling right onto my desk for about three days while we were away…) but due to technical issues with my laptop I haven’t been able to set it up and work digitally. Instead, I ordered paints, pencils, paper, lino cutting tools and have been going back to basics. It’s a steep learning curve for me, but it’s been a great experiment and an opportunity to develop my painting skills.
I’m currently working on a myriorama of the Tarot Major Arcana, which is a very technical challenge, along with illustrating a map of my daughter’s spring here on the farm (all the flowers she likes to pick, the best mud to stomp in, etc).
This is a super challenging time, and it’s hard to find the moments and the energy to work. Sometimes all the anxiety that I’ve kept buttoned up - anxiety about the world right now and the people I love and whether or not we will ever feel safe and “normal” again - fountains up and I am knocked flat by it. I hope you are finding ways to keep your head above water if you’re feeling something similar.
Keep safe and sane and healthy!
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