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Musings: to meditate, think, contemplate, deliberate, ponder, reflect, ruminate, reverie, daydream, introspection, dream, preoccupation, brood, cogitate.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - April



"April 1 - Very still, grey day.  I went to a little spinney to see a large bush of the Great Round-leaved Willow, which is a perfect picture just now, covered all over with great golden catkins, that light up the copse like hundreds of little fairy lamps.  The bees were humming all round it, busy gathering the pollen."  Thus began Edith Holden's first entry for April.  She made 20 entries this month.  Several were very long.  There was much happening in nature in April!  On the 10th she traveled to Dousland on Dartmoor during the Easter holiday.  She wrote, "Primroses thick all along the line." She'd begun these painting holidays to Dousland in 1902 and continued until 1910.   This trip was the subject for the April episode of the TV series on DVD I am watching--I'm watching an episode a month.  She'd made friends with the Trathens, a family that lived near the boarding house she lodged at.  She befriended their teenage daughter, Belle, as well as the other children in the family, teaching the youngest son French while she was there.  They'd often take nature walks together.  Sometimes she'd go down in summer, and probably went at least once in winter, as evidenced by an oil painting she exhibited in Birmingham entitled Wintry Gleam, Dartmoor.

Jackie Kellum has posted April's entries on her Blog.  Here is Bunny Mummy's April post for Edith's Nature Notes along with photos of the English countryside that Edith depicts in her diary.

This month I found a decorating book through my library's interlibrary system based on Edith's diary. . . .

I especially liked this garden room. . . .

In the 80's there were all sorts of products made using Edith's drawings.  Here is bed linen based on her poppies. . . .

I also found another calendar appointment book. . . .


I've practiced my drawing more this month!  I'm using the appointment book I showed you in February to draw from in my own diary most mornings.  Here is a sampling. . . .

This month the assignment was to draw lambs from the Learn to Draw Nature booklet I'm using (see January post).  Since it was just to be a drawing and not to be watercolored, I did not attempt a watercolor rendition. . . .

Then I chose a flower from the Nature Diary.  This time I only drew it once, using pencil on watercolor paper.  Then I inked it with a fine pen. . . .

I did not use the watercolor pencils this time.  Instead I only used the paints. . . .

I have just come across this wonderful Blog, Ragged Robin's Nature Notes.  "Ragged Robin" lives in Warwickshire, UK and visited Edith Holden's homes and the areas she frequented.  Her posts about these visits begin here:  Following in the Footsteps of an Edwardian Lady:  Part 1

I will close with one of the poems Edith transcribed into her diary. . . .

.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!

23 comments:

  1. Cathy, your drawings are progressing very nicely! And that last watercolor looks superb! I admire your dedication and perseverance in following through on your goal; it's definitely paying off. Thanks for sharing the entries of Edith's diary each month; I doubt I'll ever come across a copy of my own, so you and Bunny Mummy satisfy my longing. Eager to see what you Tasha Tudor girls are up to next ~smile~

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. I'm so glad to have introduced you to Edith Holden. My next TT gathering will be to needle-felt.

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  2. Hi Cathy,
    I really enjoy that you are sharing your art! You are really doing beautifully! I went over and checked that blog, very nice :-)
    Have you read Edith's biography yet? I really enjoyed that one .
    Have a wonderful rest of the week!
    Hugs, many Blessings warmth and love, Linnie

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    1. Hi Linnie. Thank you. Yes, I've read Edith's biography and am sharing bits and pieces from it each month. The DVD draws from the biography and from her diary, so I'm following along in each of them. Hugs and blessings to you, too!

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  3. Hi Cathy, your drawing are lovely. I thank you for introducing me to these wonderful books. I love the watercolor you did. Perfect for spring. Wishing you a wonderful week. Hugs, Pat

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    1. Thank you, Pat. Wishing you a wonderful week, too!

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  4. Your drawings are lovely Cathy.
    I am going to look for the decorating book, you see so many books in second hand book shops over here by her.
    It is a beautiful day here, warm & sunny & the forget me nots are out.
    Fondly Miichelle

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    1. Thank you, Michelle. I'd be interested to know what other kinds of books you find based on her drawings. I've found a cookery book, engagement calendars, the decorating book, and of course her two diaries.

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  5. Cathy, if I could draw that well I would consider myself an artist! I think they are just wonderful! I am so happy for you. Practice does make perfect.
    It is so green here. I have to enjoy it while it's here.....and that means weeding, weeding, weeding! We are having a true spring and that is rare so I am outside enjoying it.
    Love those drawings!
    Chris from West Texas

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    1. I'm beginning to feel like I just might become an artist! The test will be when I can draw something from real life and not just copy someone else's drawing. I'm glad to hear you got to have Spring this year. Yay!

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  6. Oh, that's right! I remember all the things that were tagged "Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady" back in the 80s. A real trend there for a while. I was teaching then and spent a lot of time in Hallmark-type shops getting stickers, little treats and prizes etc. I remember greeting cards, stationery, journals, address books - even mugs etc - all with the "Country Diary" theme. Just goes to show how the classic beautiful things always last. PS Cathy, you have GOT to share your secret for not having the paper "ripple" when you do watercoloring? From the photos your paper looks perfect. I love to play around with watercolor pencils, and every so often spend a rainy afternoon doodling. But I have never been able to figure out how to avoid the paper becoming "wavy" in the end. I just can't seem to find the sweet spot - just the right amount of water to use. I've used the teeniest little round drop I can imagine, and still the paper is ripply/wavy when I finish. It's maddening. OK take care and talk to you soon. xoxo

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    1. I'm certainly not qualified to give any kind of advice when it comes to watercoloring, but I'm wondering if your paper is heavy enough. I'm using 140 lb. Plus I don't wet mine before I start painting. I think you're supposed to for some types of paintings, but since I draw the picture first with a regular pencil, that wouldn't work.

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    2. I think you are more than qualified, Cathy - you've been doing it for a while now. And I think you may have hit on something here. I don't have any watercolor paper in the house right now but I don't think I used 140 lb paper in the past. Don't recall the # being that high. I've used very very little water, and never wet the paper beforehand either, for the same reason as you. So maybe it is the paper I'm using. Wish there was a good art store in the area - with actual experienced trained people, like there used to be. But these days all we have are these giant "box" office stores - Staples, Office Max etc. Will let you know how it goes - and thanks!

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    3. Hi Janet, I agree about finding a good art store. We don't have one in town either, but once I asked the clerk in A. C. Moore a question and he seemed very knowledgeable, being someone who dabbled in art himself....so you never know who you might find in one of the craft stores. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube, too. Now that I have more confidence, I'll start checking those out to help me more with technique and supplies (I sorta do things backwards ☺ I have to see I can do something before I do the work/study to learn it!)

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    4. Oh I always forget about YouTube - that's a great idea. I have to get used to the fact that nowadays we can just about find ANYTHING on the web - some of those YouTube tutorials are really good too. Thanks again and have a great day...

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  7. How lovely your post is today, Cathy. I'm loving the music--So April, so calm, so beautiful. Your drawing of the painted lady butterfly is just amazing--well done. ♥

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    1. Thank you Martha Ellen. I'm feeling pretty good about it myself. ☺ I'm actually starting to amaze myself....just being able to put something down on paper that looks something like what I'm drawing from is something I'd never been able to do before. I feel like I finally broke through some barrier that kept me from doing it before.

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  8. Thanks for the links, Cathy. I had forgotten what lovely books they are. I'm quite taken with your artistic abilities and look forward now to your own illustrated garden journals!.

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    1. Thank you, Elaine. You'll probably have to wait until next year to see me illustrating my own garden journal....but who knows, maybe when my garden finally starts to bloom I'll be inspired and will give it a try.

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  9. You are doing so well with your artwork! Drawing in your art journal creates a real keepsake and helps you to observe your progress and improvement as time goes by. That is how Edith Holden did it, and now look, her published journal is being revived and re read by a new generation of art and garden lovers. I will check out this blog you suggest.

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    1. Thank you, Jeri. Your kind words mean a great deal to me....and your tips about those special pens have really helped me a great deal--especially the white one, for covering my mistakes!

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  10. I certainly can see progress in your drawing and that proves that practice does help! They were good anyway, but I see a change. They remind me so much of that lady's sketches I told you about. I've been away and trying to catch up on my "blog reading." Hope you are doing well and enjoying this beautiful time of year.

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    1. Thank you, Dotsie. I painted today--but the hallway walls instead of on paper.

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