greenwich goodies + lewisham literary festival

This weekend’s drawing in Greenwich Park. I loved how, when people passed me drawing, most of them would turn around to look at the tree. Some even stopped to take photos of it, a most magnificent tourist attraction.

I wish I could draw the leaves, too, but they’re awfully fiddly, it would’ve taken me at least another half hour, and standing on a slope drawing was doing my back in. I didn’t notice that while I was drawing – I was totally in the Zone – but then I tried to put my pens back in my bag on the ground and it took me ten seconds to stretch out so I could bend over. I think this is what getting old must feel like.

Here are a few stages in the drawing. Have you been keeping an eye on Philip Reeve’s sketch blog? He’s been drawing some beautiful trees lately.

After packing my pencil case, I treated myself to a coffee and bun at Rhodes Bakery, but just before I went in, I had a look through the window of Lush Designs, got sucked in by all the pretty pictures and ended up buying this gorgeous cushion. Here it is on our sofa. I thought Stuart might be a bit annoyed about how much I’d spent on something we don’t strictly need (£29), but he looked rather pleased when I showed it to him, and said, ‘That’s great, you never spend money on anything for the flat’. I think he’s hoping it might be a sign that I have a tiny bit of nesting instinct in me. (The lama cushion behind it was designed by Meg Hunt.)

Oh, and I WAS a Squander Bug today! I also bought a fancy frock at Sika, a shop on the edge of Greenwich Market. It’s my favourite dress shop, they combine Ghanaian fabric with western retro dress designs. I am keeping it hidden until my next festival (one where I’m not dressed as a pirate. But you can see a bit of the petticoat sticking out of the bag.)

And another event! Last night I took part in the Lewisham Literary Festival with my studio mate Ellen Lindner, writer Karen McLeod and moderator and For Books’ Sake coordinator Jane Bradley. Thanks so much to Jonathan Main from Bookseller Crow for helping out with book sales!

Jonathan Main, Jane Bradley, Karen McLeod, Sarah McIntyre, Ellen Lindner

Ellen and I talked about our work, published and self-published, and Karen read part of her short story Never Can Say Goodbye in an anthology called Men & Women that had me hooked and I had to buy a copy. (It’s not a children’s book, I should add.)

I was really grateful, our whole studio showed up, including partners, and I talked a bit about what we get up to at the Fleece Station. This was Lewisham Literary Festival’s first year, and Stuart counted 30 people in the room, so that’s not bad, considering. Thanks to everyone who braved the rain, including Tammy Taylor, Katrin L Sayers and John Cake from Little Artists.