I hope this finds you well. It's hard to believe that autumn is upon us already, this year has flown past. We had five glorious sunny days recently, which we all agreed must be our summer! The weather has been particularly poor this year. That has not deterred the visitors - the cafe has been busy with travellers from all over the world, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, as well as Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Both the cafe and gallery in Poolewe have gone from strength to strength, with wonderful feedback from customers. We are currently open Friday - Monday 10am - 4pm and plan to do the same through the winter. We will be closed for staff holidays from 5th - 21st November inclusive, reopening on Friday 22 November. SketchingNorth Erradale sketch. Sketches - clockwise from top left - Cove, Firemore, Riverbed near Kinlochewe and Poolewe from Inverasdale On the few fine days we've had, I've taken the chance to head out with my sketchbook. The trick is to find somewhere to perch, usually on a rock, where I can lay my sketchbook on my knees and my tools out beside me. I mostly use charcoal for an initial drawing now, as I find a pencil too restricting. Sometimes I use a graphite stick, but I like the rawness and immediacy of charcoal. The sketchbooks are from Pink Pig, the examples shown were done in large square ones (11 x 11 inches). As you may already know, I sell customised sketchbooks, which I have linoprinted with my own designs. A wee travel set of watercolours provides all the colours I need. But I use a big brush, not the tiny travel one, as I like to use lots of water and work very quickly. This is mainly for practical reasons - the light can change very fast, or there is a shower of rain approaching, or the midges start to bite! Nothing can beat sketching out in the fresh air, with the sounds and smells and sights of your surroundings all being absorbed into your work. WritingEarlier this year, I finally got round to republishing my two books of short stories. They both contain ten short and very short stories and are available from my website shop and also from Bridge Cottage Art Cafe. As well as the short story books, I've put together my first ever collection of poems in a wee book. Again, the book is available to purchase from my website shop and from Bridge Cottage Art Cafe in Poolewe. Christmas cards4 of the 8 designs It's that time of year again! This year's designs (all 8 of them) are just in from the printer. I used natural materials to lay out the images, then took photos and did a little editing to add in the wee extras! They are now available to purchase from my website shop and directly from Bridge Cottage Art Cafe. Calendars2025 calendars are now available - as ever, they are slimline ones, with each image printed on the back for use as a postcard. The images are all from artwork produced last winter, during the Art Portfolio course at Bridge House Art in Ullapool. Available to purchase from my website shop, Bridge Cottage Art Cafe and The Button Bothy at Poolewe Village Hall. Thank you for your continued interest in my work, it is greatly appreciated.
I am heading off to Harris for a week's holiday in a couple of days - really looking forward to a change of scene! I will be dealing with any orders after I return on 9th October. all the best Jennifer
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Thank you First of all, I'd like to say a massive thank you to you for all your support! Running a small business can be a lonely thing to do (also a lovely thing, of course), so all the feedback I receive at markets and elsewhere throughout the year means the world. So, thank you if you came along in person to Poolewe Tuesday market, or Torridon Thursday craft market this year - it was great to meet you! Or if you bought things from any of my stockists, or indeed from my website - thank you. It's all greatly appreciated. I'm missing my weekly outings to Poolewe Tuesday market (pics of my stall above), and fortnightly trips to Torridon. There may be news in the offing about a market in Gairloch next season - watch this space! Christmas cards If you've not written your cards yet, (I've only sent the ones that go abroad...) I have a few packs of Christmas cards left. I've added a mixed pack into my website shop, as I realised that not everyone wants a pack that are all one colour... There are two each of red, green and blue in a pack. Calendars There are a few 2023 calendars left - when they're gone they're gone. As in previous years, each image is printed on the back for use as a postcard. So you can send a postcard every month, or save them up till the end of the year ... With the end of market season, I've spent the last few weeks updating my website shop (phew!). It now contains most of the items I have for sale. There are mugs, coasters, keyrings, small original artworks and bigger ones too. Also, various sizes of sketchbooks and greetings card collections. If you'd like anything posted to you, please don't delay - the last date I plan to be posting items is Monday 12th December. Writing
In recent times I've been going along to a lovely new event being hosted by Gairloch Museum. The Ceilidh House is a gathering of folk, every fortnight, to share songs, stories, poems and music. These can be our own compositions, or those of others. It has been so lovely to share in this way and it's prompted me to revisit my poems and writings. Perhaps the winter will see a gathering of these into some tangible form. (I do still have a few copies of my two volumes of short stories available). A writers' group is also starting up again here - it's always good to have somewhere to bounce ideas/receive feedback. As I said at the start of this newsletter. Thank you for reading this far! In the meantime, wishing you peace, health and happiness over the festive season. all the best Jennifer Three small original watercolours - Maybe IV, Maybe V and Maybe VI I hope this finds you safe and well. The weather here turned wintry quite suddenly, with autumn being rather damp this year. The colours were still beautiful, if muted. It's been wild and windy outside, with rain and hail showers and snow on the mountain tops. Time to stoke up the fire and hunker down! Many thanks to everyone who came along to the Christmas markets at Poolewe Hall recently and also the Soup Lunch at Gairloch Community Hall yesterday. I'm delighted to have two small paintings on show in the winter exhibition (until 18th December) of local artists at Gairloch Museum. The one above is entitled "Fire and Ice". Museum now open winter hours : Wednesday - Saturday, 11am - 4pm. The cafe is open too - I can highly recommend it. I have a few 2022 calendars left - they are still in my website shop. When they're gone, they're gone... I've been delighted by the feedback about this year's Christmas card designs - thank you so much! I'll be letting you know about my promised donation to World Wide Fund for Nature in the New Year. There are a few packs left, if you've not written yours yet...
In the meantime, Season's Greetings and all the very best for the New Year. Thank you so much for your continued interest in my work. Jennifer Rust and lichen. Abstract image - included in my 2022 photography calendar. I hope this finds you safe and well. Summer days are gone now here in the northwest Highlands, with blustery showers and dramatic skies taking their place. I do love this time of year and am looking forward to the autumn colours appearing - there are hints of them already, in the bracken and some of the trees. 2022 calendars It's that time of year again - I took delivery of next year's calendars recently. As before, they are slimline ones, with images printed on the back for use as postcards. The images are all photographs taken locally over the past year or so. Seascapes, sandscapes and textures that caught my eye - from corrugated iron to barnacles on a rock. A few images are shown below. Calendars are now available to order from my website. If you live locally, they're available directly from me at Poolewe Tuesday market until the end of October. Also being stocked at the Button Bothy at Poolewe Hall. End of an era I've been very happy to have some of my work - mugs, coasters and cards - stocked in the lovely Cabinet Ullapool, and also to have exhibited at An Talla Solais gallery on West Argyle Street in Ullapool. The premises had to be vacated, so it's time for a new chapter for An Talla Solais and Cabinet. They still have premises in the town and plans are afoot for what happens next. I'll keep you posted! Christmas cards I'm happy to say that this year's Christmas cards are now available. I spent a happy couple of days arranging beach treasure - shells, pebbles, driftwood - to make this year's designs. I always knew all these natural materials would come in handy one day! I've decided, given current circumstances, to donate 10% of all Christmas card sales to the World Wide fund for Nature (Scotland). There are 6 different designs (4 shown below). Available now from my website, in packs of 6 cards with envelopes :
Exhibition at Gairloch Museum Coming soon - a winter exhibition of small works by selected local artists, at Gairloch Museum. I will be submitting two paintings for this - the exhibition opens at the start of November. Information about opening times will be available nearer the time. Poolewe Christmas Markets Happy to say that I'll be at both the Poolewe Christmas Markets this year:
Photography
I'm still taking photographs - nearly every day, when I'm out walking. Mostly on my phone, but sometimes using my camera. The phone ones are regularly posted on Instagram. A wide selection of images is available to purchase in various sizes and formats via Photo4me - a subset of these can be seen on my website. Thank you for your continued interest in my work. If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to get in touch. all the best Jennifer |
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