20th March the Spring equinox arrives with promises of cheerful tones - as the bear opens up an eye, and is coaxed out of the cave into a forest of flowers and new greens. I think we can all do a collective sigh of joy. I am finding that these days are filled with anticipation and a sort of feverish excited planning for the summer months - what are your plans? Mine? I’ve not cemented the plans as yet, but I do want to get my drivers licences and then do a road trip to the sea. I would love to have set up a new fancy torch (lampworking) and start on some projects that have been burning in my notebooks.

But we have a few months to go, and a fat to-do list until the heady days of summer arrives. But I have started some spring activities. Dad and I tapped the birch tree in the garden the other day, and overnight we had 2 litres of beautiful birch water. I don’t think people do it here in the UK much, but it’s very popular in East / Northern Europe. There are some rules you should follow, the main one is never tap the same tree the following year. Birch water tastes slightly sweeter and is thicker than water, and you feel so hydrated after a glass. I can only imagine after a long winter in the past, months of snow and fermented foods, to tap a tree and get the best spring drink would have me dancing through the landscape.

And on the cusp of spring through to the studio we enter and I have thinking lots about colour.

“The kingdom of colors has within it multidimensional possibilities only partly to be reduced to simple order. Each individual color is a universe in itself.1

Johannes Itten

Working with glass - one of the joys is having light shine through colours and illuminate work.Iits powerful draw has many layers, and even builds a sort of universe or many language around each colour, And the last few weeks dipped my toes into this research, what colours can mean to us, what they evoke, the history of pigmate …. its engrossing stuff, The quote above is from Itten who was a teacher at the Bauhaus. Itten theorizes a lot about the power of colour, and why an artist choose certain palettes; also how people need to find their own colour palette to compliment their own style and looks. I love it when I have a little market stall, and people are trying on the beaded necklaces, how one can totally change the person, how tones bring out tones in their eye, hair or skin - it will be endlessly fun to see.

Books to recommend

The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair

Color: A Natural History of the Palette By Victoria Finlay

Make Ink By Jason Logan

What's on my book list to read

The World According to Colour - A cultural History By Jamie Fox

The Mushroom Color Atlas By Julia Beeler

Jackson’s Art Instagram has a wonderful series about the history of pigments.

I Just uploaded a bunch of Seed Beaded Necklaces that have a punch of colour, I think the smallness of the bead can intensify a palette but not overwhelm everything. They are so fun to make, and its a chance to find different harmonies. I'm often threading beads counting 1..2….3… and 2 blue.. Now 1 clear, and there is a sort of beat you are trying to make…for each necklace… does that make any sense? Well if it doesn't make sense now I’ll keep trying and it will clarify one day!

The end and aim of all artistic endeavor is liberation of the spiritual essence of form and color and its release from imprisonment in the world of objects.

Johannes Itten

The Kingdom Of Colours

Digging Deep