Women of Reading Abbey, Richard III and Wall Murals...
We’re just coming out of the end of a heatwave here in the UK and I’m finally getting round to finishing some art and writing! It’s been a busy few weeks…
History
A bit of a women’s history theme over on the blog posts this summer, with a look at the Women of Reading Abbey and the Woodville Brides during the Wars of the Roses. I also had a bit of think about Richard III, and wondered whether he deserves his infamous reputation. Let me know what you think about that. There was also a review of the book Confinement by Jessica Cox which looks at women’s experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in the nineteenth century.
I also went on a couple of trips this summer. We visited Plymouth and walked around the old cobbled streets of the Barbican, which was lovely. There’s an older post on the blog about the Tudors in Plymouth, and I always love looking around at the old pubs there, too.
Have you seen the musical Hamilton? I managed to book a ticket and finally got to see it last week. It’s a musical centered around Alexander Hamilton and his role in America’s independence at the end of the eighteenth century. If you can, go see it, it’s a great show.
Here’s a historic recipe from the archives that I’m craving at the moment - Tudor Spinach Fritters! Let me know if you make it. If you’re after something more sweet, try these gorgeous Tudor-Inspired Maids of Honour.
If you’d like a daily dose of British History, I share a photo and a fact daily on my Facebook and Instagram pages, feel free to follow and learn a little history fact every day!
Sketching
I’ve been busy doing art stuff, too! The biggest news is that my friend Amy and I have started creating murals! Our first was a beautiful painted blossom mural on an antique pink plaster background, for a girl’s bedroom. We added some copper leaf in some of the stamens to make it twinkle a little bit when the sun comes up. Our most recent mural was an elephant on a garage door, all painted in black, white and grey. We’re taking future bookings for murals - inside and out - contact us at sketcherjoey@gmail.com if you’d like to have a chat!
I currently have an exhibition on, with the Creative Locale art group, to help raise money for the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. 25% of any sales go towards the Voluntary Services there, so check out my Instagram here and if you see any pieces you like, let me know.
I have more exhibitions coming up in October and then the Artisa Christmas Market on November 19th at Marsack Street, Caversham. If you’re local and would like to have a look around the craft stalls, grab a coffee and maybe see Santa check out the details here. If you do come along please say hi, I always like to chat!
You can visit my online shop here, and I share all my work to my Instagram page as and when it’s done, so feel free to keep updated there.
Thanks for reading! Stay well, stay cool and see you soon! x