Good afternoon everyone,

How are you? I have the week off next week but my brain and body have decided that now is an okay time to knock off actually. So I'm feeling pretty spacey currently. Maybe let's start with the schedule of festive Fem Fris.

As you know I would usually do my books of the year on the last Friday before Christmas, but as that's actually Christmas Eve and you might want to buy some recs for your friends and family, I am going to move Books of the Year up to the 17th. That means that next week, the 10th, will be Albums of the Year. If you want to know the best five albums to listen to while walking round South East London in the winter this is absolutely not to be missed. ✨

I've got a lovely lino cut advent calendar this year, and it's designed by a woman, Angela Harding. It's these Scottish robins here:

But I also love these hares:

Here's an interview with Angela about her inspiration and her process:

I always try to bring movement into my work, so there is a natural fit with the bursts of new growth and new life you get at these times of year. Also, the intensity of colour, the fresh greens of the garden and hedgerow. Birds become so much part of our day in spring and early summer, in the beauty of their songs and in their mad dashing flight to build nests and find mates.

https://www.nhbs.com/blog/author-interview-with-angela-harding-a-year-unfolding

Have you ever tried lino cut printing? I did in high school art and it is so much fun. Obviously I did this a while ago and probably part of the fun was being allowed to use a very sharp instrument, I was still the age when that was particularly exciting. ANYWAY if you want to have a go yourself, here is artist Sasha Compton doing a tutorial. It's on "YouTube Kids" but it's hard to imagine that the process is that different? You should still be careful with the sharp stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH1Ra9_dHsM

Here's one of Sasha's works:

https://www.sashacompton.com/product-page/original-classical-jug-in-red

Finally, I love the incredibly fine detail in Rachel Louise Hibbs' work. And she's South East London based!

You have to imagine you are not creating lines with pencil but rather erasing (carving away) where you don’t want the colour to show. I like to create tiny lines using a very fine micro chisel from Flexcut to create dappled lines of fur or feathers.

https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2020/06/24/rachael-louise-hibbs-botanical-inspired-linocut-prints/

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend.

Lots of love,

Alex.