Angie Rogers Artist

GET INSPIRED

Connecting you to Landscape, Nature and The Wild

Bringing The Outside In.

Hello all and welcome!

I was attracted by the luminous, almost shocking autumn red of some scattered cherry tree leaves and picked them up off the rainy pavement on the way home from my studio a while ago.

You might wonder at the idea of three simple leaves providing inspiration and delight?

The plan was to photograph and preserve their damp vibrancy but the need to make dinner took precedence so they were forgotten on the windowsill.

Next time I looked, only their sad ghosts remained, faded and a bit shrivelled. Even the lovely scent of outside they carried had disappeared. So quick bright things come to confusion.

Weeks went by, as they do, yet something stopped me chucking them. Possibly a not-wanting-to-let-go-of an idea of myself as a spontaneous, creative person. Maybe you’ve felt that way too?

Many times my hand hovered ready to crush them … and then today I put aside the memory of how they were a month ago, actually looked at them as they are now and found them beautiful - the curve of the stems, the curlicued tips and the delicacy of the veining.

These leaves were such co-operative subjects for photography, uncomplaining and happy to be rearranged. They taught me a lesson and so I am now keeping them on my windowsill for the remainder of the winter, then I shall gift them to the river in a micro ceremony of thanks!.

Thinking about all the billions of leaves crushed underfoot this autumn you can’t help reflecting that each one is really a miracle found only on this small lump of molten iron twirling in the unimaginable vastness Space.

Know Your Leaves

This is my copy of a great little swatch book by the Woodland Trust. Pocket-sized, It fits in the palm of your hand. Thank you to my Artist friend Viv Owen who gave it me years ago.

You can still buy the swatch book, the current edition looks slightly different but is basically the same and costs £5.99 from the Woodland Trust, a laudable UK charity.

Children love the swatch, but any of you with a sense of wonder who want to quickly grow your knowledge of the woods you walk through will enjoy its simplicity and ease of use.

Winter isn’t perhaps the best time of year to be recommending this for Northern Hemisphere readers, though twig shape and dead leaves under a tree can tell you a lot. Of course the evergreens are featured too.

Also, having the swatch ready for Spring is a lovely way to anticipate the return of green.

The Woods At Dusk

I've just added four small works I made this month to the Original Drawings collection in my website shop should you fancy a look.

This one is Day Fades Into Evening and and depicts the light filtering through a woodland I walk in most days.

Not Shouting Into A Vacuum

Many thanks to Kate, Steve, Janet and Mellory who were kind enough to send me positive feedback after last month's email. Janet even sent me an article about fungi to read. What a pleasure and privilege for me to exchange ideas with you the readers of Get Inspired.
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The Tramp's Handbook

Last time I promised to tell you about my latest book acquisition, The Tramps Handbook. Shown above resting on a drawing of a tent and camp fire I made earlier this year.

Written by Harry Roberts and first published in 1903 it's a marvellous little curiosity from a different age; Of its time and yet with nuggets of philosophy still relevant to any nature lover of today.

I first heard about it on the instagram feed of @oldtownengland , a micro clothing brand run by a mature and characterful couple, Marie and Will, in North Norfolk. The videos on their instagram are so quirky and gentle, well worth a look and listen.

After watching Marie's exposition I knew I wanted a copy of my own and my kind partner made it happen for my birthday.

There are plenty of intriguing llustrations by William Pascoe and diagrams of useful knots, outlandish tools and novel types of tent.

Speaking as someone from a large family that always holidayed in tents in England and Wales during my childhood and who has 'gone camping' for most of my life I find this all fascinating although I realise camping is an acquired taste, though there is no better way to connect with nature than to sleep in it.

I definitely have the blood of vagabondage in my arteries do you? My feet long to be wandering right now!

Well thats it for this time. Don't forget to send me your suggestions, questions or thoughts, I love to hear from you.

In the meantime, enjoy the seasonal changes in nature wherever you are, watch the sky, notice the phases of the moon and get inspired!

All the best
Angie

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