Hello <<First Name>>

Welcome to my September news.

Firstly, a little context...

This summer has been one of upheaval in domestic and family life and my creative energies have been spread thin. Although much of this is positive, established patterns are changing and it’s been an rather unsettling time.

These personal shifts will of course have an impact on my creative work - as my environment alters so do I.

So, after the shows and events of the season have passed, I've been making changes of my own.

Clean sweep in the studio

It made sense to me to lean into the disruption by clearing, cleaning, reviewing, refreshing and preparing. I’ve restocked the charcoal drawer (Coates willow is my absolute favourite), gessoed lots of beautiful Artist Surfaces wood panels and even dusted several years' worth of charcoal powder off my art books.

Images have been slowly growing in my mind asking to be made, so I'm looking forward to some solid studio time this autumn and winter creating new work for exhibiting next year.

In the mean time, I’ve been quietly working away on small pieces exploring the possibilities of combining printed and drawn charcoal marks, embracing accident and staying open to suggestion.

Fifteen years into my love affair with charcoal it still surprises and delights me.

The links between my own personal story and the art I make aren’t something I tend to talk about and to be honest, are often obscured even to me until long after the work emerges.

I’ve noticed that other people seem to be more adept at making those connections, so I’m going to let the creative process take its course and wait to hear what meanings you might make of it when it’s ready to show.

This blog post is perhaps the closest I've come to articulating an artwork's meaning after it's finished.

Draw what you see with me

I know that drawing the world changes how you see it. I have a strong belief that anyone can draw and it's my pleasure to be able to pass on what I've learned to new draw-ers.

After meeting so many eager people wanting to learn or return to drawing this year, I’ve decided to offer my ‘Permission to Draw’ course this autumn.

If you're on the waiting list already, check your inbox for an email invitation from me.

Booking is open now and it begins on the 14th October. You can find all the details here.

Please pass the news on to any friends who might be interested or get in touch if you like to know more.

Freshening up my website

While the dust has been settling at home, I’ve been doing some major digital restructuring too. Here’s what’s new:

As well as giving my main website pages a thorough update, I now have a Shop for small and unframed works, books and cards.
My Blog has been redesigned to make it easier to find articles and news of interest.
There’s now one easy place to browse the range of Teaching I offer.
I've also moved to a new email platform, so this might look a little different to previous newsletters.

Take a look around and let me know what else you’d like to see/read of my work in this digital space.

WEBSITE

Discover charcoal

The final charcoal drawing workshops of the year will run in the Big Studio this November.

Charcoal Discovery Day - Saturday 1st November
Charcoal Printmaking with the Gelli Plate - Saturday 15th November

Here’s a happy photo from a summer workshop, with some very satisfied new charcoal fans and their work.

‘I had such a great time and really felt fully supported and encouraged. Everything was accessible, none of the challenges you set were out of reach, but just far enough out of my comfort zone that I had to stretch to accomplish them.

I think you hit the perfect balance between inspiration and motivation, allowing me to explore my ideas but with your experience coming to my aid with gentle encouragement. I came away feeling more confident with ideas, skills and curiosity.’

WORKSHOPS

Dusty hands and big smiles after the workshop

Elm survivors

Did you know that the City of Edinburgh has one of the largest remaining populations of elm trees in the UK? Would you even recognise an elm if you met one?

Until recently I would have said no, having grown up at a time when the large elms were dying of Dutch Elm disease. They were never part of my inner treescape, so when I drew this tree in Calder Wood in winter, I wrongly identified it as a sycamore.

Earlier this month I joined a knowledgeable group of volunteers to map some of the city’s elm trees for the Ancient Tree Inventory. These resilient trees are an important potential reservoir of resistance to the disease, as well as being a reminder of what has been lost elsewhere. I was glad to find out that clever tree people are monitoring and breeding them to help the elms endure.

Finally, whilst change may be uncomfortable at times, it's the only thing we can really predict.

'The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.'

Alan Watts

Just like the long-lived trees which teach me about resilience in life, we can choose to respond to change by growing in new directions.

Very best wishes

Tansy

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Tansy Lee Moir
EO Physical Return Address
86-90 Paul Street
London
EC2A 4NE
United Kingdom

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