Shed Stories #11 ‘The Veil is Thin’

I write this on Halloween or Samhain (‘sow-en’) sitting in what is now my office but which was once Dougal’s bedroom and before that we managed to squeeze in both children in bunk beds. I am looking through a stained glass panel I made at my Hereford evening class, well over twenty years ago, of some Fly Agaric toadstools and, behind the glass, I’m overlooking our garden full of the golden and russet hues of autumn. The sky is brightening and I am hopeful of a good sunset and a clear night for an outdoor fire.

Even in this small moment I am aware of the layering of time. The time before children, the chaotic, noisy, full years of family life and this moment now, as a working older woman with a husband raking leaves in the garden and two adult children making their own lives away from here.

I also contemplate my friends and family who, over these years, have died. I am fortunate not to be a state of mourning but at a point where I can remember these people with a huge well of warmth and love and gratitude.

I am thankful for this moment to pause and feel the balance. Today I will indulge myself by allowing myself this bubble to be entirely in this moment in my own life, within the bounds of our garden. We will greet the dark with a small fire and cast our hopes and fears for the coming year into the flames.

I have much to be grateful for including all of you who subscribe to this newsletter, who have supported me by making lovely comments on social media, by buying prints, cards or calendars or who have ordered the book, Wild Folk, or have bought my stained glass. It is such a privilege to be able to make a living in this way.

Speaking of Wild Folk, you will be relieved to know that the book is firmly in the design stage and on track for publication next June (July in the USA). I think if you have preordered it you should get it a little earlier. There will be a book launch and exhibition of my stained glass illuminations organised by Seven Fables somewhere on Exmoor from the weekend of June 21st although final details have still to be firmed up.

The supporters’ list has now closed but, at the moment, you can still pre-order the book and get the additional ‘cloak’ or dust jacket but I’m not sure how much longer that will be possible.

In other glass news, I recently made a piece of work for an exhibition at Chester Cathedral celebrating the life of the stained glass artist, Trena Cox. My piece was inspired by her many depictions of St Francis and also The Good Shepherd, as well as being a sort of personal prayer or plea for world peace as I chose to depict the Wolf lying down with the Lamb.

I have also made a panel as artwork for a poster for an Italian festival celebrating Celtic music, Cailin Rua. It was a nice thing to do but now, after a trip to visit Mike’s family in the Black Forest of Germany, I really need to focus on making work for galleries. I am delivering some work to Old Chapel gallery, Pembridge, this weekend, and will be making work for Seven Fables, Dulverton over the next few weeks.

I know a lot of people dislike this next part of the year in the run up to the winter solstice and Christmas but I rather love it and find it to be my most creative time. The inward energy of the season, the evenings by the fire, and sunsets and stars, all feed into my creativity and a feeling of homeliness and hunkering down.

Wherever you are I hope that you are safe and well.

Thank you,
Tamsin