The thing about taking part in a town wide open studio event is that you don't get to visit any studios yourself as you are tied to your own, but on Monday morning I was lucky enough to get a post weekend visit to Christopher Rainham's studio on the other side of town when I went to pick up this beautiful song thrush painting.
I went cross country. After three solid days of being 'on' and 'open' and talking and talking and talking I was so tired and I knew I needed some nature restoration so I decided to 'feed two birds with one seed' (quoting Ffion who said this to me the other day, so much nicer than saying "kill two birds with one stone" don't you think?) and take my walk in the woods as well as going to collect my painting.
I went up the zig zaggy path through Lee Wood to Heptonstall. I heard some siskins and some goldcrests in the pine trees. I saw a big jay and a tiny wren having some kind of dispute. The wren was by far the loudest. I passed the cooing pigeons in their loft and stopped to say hello to some new very cute pigs on the other side of the wall. The rosebay willowherb was in its full glory!
I dropped down into Eaves wood and I sat here on 'the step'. It's amazing how quickly the woods can fill you back up again when you let them. I was only there for only a few minutes but I really let everything in. I saw the dappled light through the green leaves, I listened to the leaves drop gathered raindrops as a breeze blew through them, I smelled the damp earth and tree resin and I heard the faint squeak of a goldcrest. Everything stood still for a moment and I felt all the scattered bits of me gather back in.
Me and Sarah have sat on this step many many times over the years with a flask of tea while we talk about our ideas and celebrate our wins big and small so it holds a lot of moments. I quietly celebrated a successful open studio weekend and then I realised I was running late and I'd better be on my way!
I followed the path out of the woods, walked past the school where the children's singing drifted out of their assembly window and then hurried up Mytholm Steeps, regretting my layers and my raincoat. I arrived at Christopher's studio red faced with glasses steaming up and he welcomed me with a cup of tea.
I've admired his work over the internet for a couple of years since he popped up on the open studios website so I was excited to be here taking it all in. He paints birds mostly and they really speak to me (or perhaps sing to me) so I was delighted to be taking one home. Over our cuppa we talked birds and art and business and how we came to be where we are. We talked about moments of nature connection and how valuable they are for all of us and how art can nurture that connection so beautifully.
I was originally drawn to his nuthatch painting that he shared in a photo on his Instagram but then I fell in love with the song thrush and decided I'd buy that one. Somehow I ended up coming away with both!
We have nuthatches in the oak tree opposite our house and we love their peachy bellies and soft blue/grey wings so much that we used them as the colour inspiration for our dining room (see below). I thought it was only right that they got a place on the wall!
I came away from the studio visit inspired and uplifted and I remembered what an effect visiting someone else's studio can have one you. I was glad to have a taste of what all our visitors had had over the weekend. And it is a good feeling to buy something directly from the artist. Directly from the source! Open studio events are so valuable.
I asked Christopher if this song thrush was a friend? "Yes" he said and told me how he loves seeing and hearing them outside his studio window. As I write this I can hear our song thrush outside our house singing away with all his signature phrases that we have come to love since living here.
This painting is full of that song and full of my morning adventure.
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