Beautiful pots by Rosemary

Yesterday I bought two beautiful bowls from Rosemary van Miert (who used to be a Thursday night regular, and many years ago taught Mark Short Form). You may have had the pleasure of pushing hands with her before now. She makes stunning pots, bowls and gorgeous mugs and cups too. Her studio is in South London and she can be found at www.instagram.com/rosemarypots I have ordered a larger bowl in this style for a dear one.

Maybe you need some Christmas goods that are actually good. Message me if you want her other contact details.

Exhibition

Joan has two pieces in this excellent-looking show coming up in London.
All are welcome to come along.

Classes, glass jars and acorns

Classes resume tonight with Mark. I am on a train from Scotland, so won't be there, but I will be at Holly Road tomorrow. Thursday class resumes at the Hampton Court studio this week too.

Randomly unrelated: most folk know I am a keen forager and maker of things. Thanks to all who have been saving me clean dried or frozen avocado skins and stones and worn-out coloured T-shirts, I still need these. I currently don't need glass jars, but if you find any acorns on your walks this month, and can be bothered, please bring them to class for me. A handful or a bagful are all welcome. I shall not divulge the (legal and wholesome, I promise) use yet!

Dragonwalk

Spotted in Arbroath. Couldn't see if its hips were spiralling...

Bits and pieces - more

As many of you know, I make many things, including ink, rag rugs and preserves. I am always after these things, that you might otherwise be throwing away. If you have any of these, please feel free to bring them to class for me. I will be very grateful. it's also a great way to stop single use waste.

* Bonne Maman style jam jars (for my preserve-making)

* Coloured old T shirts or long sleeved tops made of cotton (used for rag rugs)

* Small glass or plastic screw top bottles and containers that are water-tight: eg, ginger shot, medicine or cosmetic bottles. (for home made inks)

* Avocado stones and skins, clean, I can dry them and use them to dye things an amazing pink colour. I don't often eat them, so if you do, please save them for me. I know it sounds unlikely, but search for 'avocado dye', it's beautiful.

* Prunings from grape vines. If you have a vine and have any pruned bits, old or new, please save them for me, I make fine charcoal from them, for drawing.

* Cat's whiskers! when you cat naturally moults any whiskers, please save them for me, I have 3 so far and need about 8 or so to make a very special paint-brush...

Thankyou!

Joan has work in this show - go see it

More good things

Bristol Cloth are crowdfunding to make the first natural dyed wool cloth, totally made in the UK for many years. Have a look here, I just supported them on Crowdfunder, there's only a day left.

Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything just gets better. It's the only podcast I always enjoy.

More things to follow leading up to New Year, as I remember them!

Samhain

Greetings from the day of thin veils. I have been teaching veterans T'ai chi this morning, and they are coming along really well, thanks to Kevin's regular teaching. On the way home I picked up some food. The shops are full of orange and black tat. Still, at least Britain has moved on from burning witches.

Today while getting my paints out, I kept remembering the character Johnny from 'The Fast Show' who was a hobby watercolourist, and kept saying, 'It's black! Black! You throw me in the pit and feed me scraps...'  So here's something black for you.

All my old black T'ai Chi clothes, plus a few old blue tops, as the night sky down to a sunset glow on the horizon. Yellow fabric as the stars of the Plough. It's my 'Step Forward to the Seven Stars' rug. And yes, pedantically, it does point to the North Star correctly, when placed in front of my stove. The black is forgiving of the dropped ashes, too...

Barefoot shoes workshop

I have just been on a workshop making a wonderful duffel bag from leather in the woods in Wiltshire, with Joe my regular bushcraft teacher. In the past I have also made some great moccasins and shoes with natural materials on his courses, and later at home. Joe is half way through making a few great pairs of stealth shoes, in the barefoot style, so that the feet are protected but not at all constricted. He is planning a workshop making these next spring, over two days. Myself, Jon and a couple of pals are already up for this, so I am inviting you too. Lots of us wear shop-bought 'barefoot' style shoes for T'ai Chi, and they are a great improvement for me over traditional cotton shoes as my feet are free to wriggle and move, standing on one leg postures feel much more settled and stable. I plan to design and make a nice pair of leather shoes for T'ai Chi, possibly based on my 'Tudor' shaped buckskin shoes. Anyway, here are a few pictures to tempt you along. There would be one night camping in the woods, a wonderful atmosphere around the fire, beautiful trees all around, and plentiful tea. As soon as I know prices and dates I will post them here, but do let me know if you are interested. The principles are simple, the shoes will be made to fit your feet perfectly, and walking silently through the woods in these, or indeed doing the Form, really feels like you have magic feet.
This year's course is here.

Beginning the duffel bag.

Some of the awls and needles we used.

The finished bag, ready to be waterproofed for the Hunter Gatherer Challenge, using a creme I made with beeswax and almond oil.

I had time to add a leather strap to my rawhide sketchbook satchel.

Joe's new mocs.

Joe's camouflage feet! These are made from very soft leather and have a thicker leather insert in the sole, making them more comfortable and still flexible. I expect my T'ai Chi shoe experiment to be a bit like this, though possible not in camo print leather...

I have worn both of these at class, warmer boot style shoes with a needle felted wool insert, and the Tudor style slippers which are very lightweight.

The classroom.

Wild Twins ride again...

May the forth be with you! I have just heard from Paul Kingsnorth that Wild Twins will run again from May 4th-10th 2019, as it went so well this May. All are welcome, no matter what experience of art or writing you have, from beginner to advanced. You can talk to Anja in Scotland or Sarah in London about their experiences, as we were lucky enough to have these two excellent T'ai Chi sisters join us. If you want to spend time writing or making art, or both in conviviality such as we usually only find at The T'ai Chi Centre and Great River, then come along and let friends know. I will have more online soon, hopefully launching next week, and will post it here.

Wild Twins 1 posse

Rainbow over Baltimore Bay

Making paints from madder, ochres and chalk, mixed with cherry tree gum from Davina's garden. Teaching in a buckskin skirt is such fun, but will not be coming to a T'ai Chi class near you any time soon as kicks could be a challenge.

Paul tells the old European tale 'The Lindwurm'

Just a small part of the materials we use.

View right outside the classroom, the wild Atlantic.

A new Bayeux?

I love tapestry and I will admit I love Game of Thrones.
Put the two together and voila...

Last class of term in London tomorrow

Tuesday this week is the last day of term. The workshop warms up with stepping partnerwork in Friday night, come if you have done talu or wabu, or even the dance.

I am freshly back from Ireland where we had a heat wave. I'll get a chance to blog more later this week. I was teaching friends and their families to make lots of crafts, and also reconnecting with a dear friend who I last saw 24 years ago. What an amazing week. Ireland really is as green and beautiful as the 'Emerald Isle' brag suggests. It's also the only other place I can go where the cups of tea are strong, delicious and regular. 

Some of the crafts we were making. The kids made impromptu wands from willow and I wrapped the handles in some leather we had left over. They wore capes whilst making them. Made me want to dress up for fun more... 

The view this morning from the hut I was staying in. 

Fire and Shadow

I am very excited to have been invited to teach on this wonderful 8 month course Fire and Shadow. A collaboration between Dark Mountain and Way Of Nature, this looks set to be a deep and transformative course which starts in May in the wilds of Alladale in Scotland, and I am delighted to be taking part. There's a video and lots of information at the link, so do have a look. I'll write more next week after my mammoth T'ai Chi fortnight comes to an end. For now, just to say I'll be teaching my ancient natural painting, drawing and writing materials, keeping it low on words, grounded in the physical transformations of plant, mineral and animal (feathers - naturally moulted!) to make beautiful kit with which to make our marks in the world. This will take place at the original hearth- the open fireside. The second week in nature will be in October in a national park in Transylvania, Romania, which looks totally beautiful. There will be plenty of time for meditation, stillness in nature, as well as T'ai Chi and Chi Gung. I'll also be leading some of the online and meet-up sessions that are planned. I am able to offer a discount to any T'ai Chi colleagues who'd like to join us, just get in touch.

We'll be making ink over the fire with rusty nails and oak galls,

and pens or brushes with goose and swan feathers.

We'll mix up paints in shells from ochres, earths, plant roots

and semi- precious stones with cherry tree gum as a binder.

My camp in the Great Ridge Woods 2 years ago.

A few logs and sticks can be a home.

Get a grip

Mark's tea pot handles have been in a somewhat threadbare state recently, and I have finally had a day off with time to rewrap them. I used split spruce roots last time but have not yet had a chance to harvest any more. Last week after storm Doris I spotted some naturally retted fallen lime tree inner bark on the grass verges near here, as you do, and took it home as treasure. Half-rotten bark- just what everyone needs... Cleaned and split it's one of the nicest natural fibres with which to make cordage, and it's what I have bound the handles with in time for class tonight. There's 4 ply and 2ply, as I hadn't quite made enough at first.

Split spruce roots on far handle, lime inner bark twine on near handle. Mended things are even nicer than new things. 

When not doing T'ai Chi

...for instance when on the train, I have mostly been making this scarf, the last month or two. Now it's finished, and it's suddenly too mild to wear something this chunky.

Back Heart

Janet wore this fab sweater at class tonight

Holiday

A true, true holiday. No 'things' planned, a day to mooch and relax as the rain fell and pick up my new addiction Tunisian Crochet, which I am learning from a book Davina gave me. Surely this is the crack cocaine of yarn based activities. Happy Easter to all, I hope you have had some quality time away from busy-ness. 

Turned over a new leaf

Almost completed my new rug, just needs backing with PVA as old

canvas a bit flaky...

small joys number 1

Ill at home with a nasty cold, simultaneously just about coping with the peak of awfulness in my 4th month of nightmare dealings with solicitors by making beautiful things.

Freshly made with some old stones and a wonderful gift of turquoise beads from an old friend. I now finally have some big dangly ear-rings to rival Janet's lovely selection. Although I doubt I will be wearing them for pushing hands.

Tree bark at Hampton on Sunday

Mistletoe crowds / crowns the boughs

 

Apologies to colleagues that I haven't always been staying the full evening at Mark's classes, I hope that after the Winter break I will have my joie-de-vivre back. In the meantime thanks for all your good wishes.

This oak leaf rag rug was a lot of fun to make.