Some of you may know that I used to own an art supply store for 10 years ... teaching workshops and spending lots and lots of time in creative pursuits ... then I become a mum , decided to homeschool my daughter and sold the store to my manageress ... who to this day keeps it running as a craft supply shop ....
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If I remember one person from those days... that could "match" me in my passion for art, my exitability for new products, my curiosity for new techniques and ability to just PLAY with a wide open heart to see what happens ...it was Julie ...
After selling my business we completely lost touch for 7 years ... and on a whim and a string of coincidences ..i decided to look her up last week ... and when we spoke on the phone it was like not a day had past... we giggled for an hour trying to stop each other from talking to fast in all the exitement ...
So we decided to hook up and have a day out .... which seemed to coincide being right the day after I met Julia ... having gotten home at midnight ..i was straight out of the door again at 9 am to "go play catchup with Julie ...
I suprised her by taking her to one of my favourite higgledy piggeldy little craft stores that reminded me soo much how our on little alladins cave of a store used to feel like ... Would you like to take a peek ?
We drooled over colourful fibres, american magazines, beads and dyes, tempting templates and rows of fabulous books ....
2 hours later, overwhelmed but not yet finished ... we left our baskets in the store and took a lunch break in the courtyard of the adjacent coffee shop ...
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All day I struggled between calling her Julia ..having spend 12 hours with Julia the day before ..and now trying to get it right and calleing her HER name Julie ...:-)
She was kind enough to invite me back to her home after our shopping spree where I got to view her amazing garden where a little river slowly meanders throught the undergrowth, the foxes come at dusk to get their food and the moonlight casts a special light onto her vegetable garden ....
I felt really deeply joyful, glad to have connected with her again as we are truly "cut" out of the same wood ..as the saying goes ... As she cooked a delicious vegetarian stir fry dinner I happily sat in the garden creating a beaded bracelets with her stash of beautiful beads ...
.... well i started off around 8 pm ... and many cups of tea , remembering anecdotes and sharings later ..i finally got home this morning at 1 am with a real big bellyful of happiness ...
I had a lovely time driving up to a little place near Richmond Park, London called Petersham Nurseries .... a little garden/flower nursery place that had such a beautiful flair of the nostalgic olden days ... not that I got a chance to see that much off it ..giggle ..
Because I was here to meet Julia, who was teaching a watercolour beginner class, for a cup of coffee.
Julia has been a member of our Art Community for Women for a couple of month and we have gotten to know each other a little online and decided to hook up for a chat ...as it turned out a very LONG chat indeed .....
We had such a fabulous time , catching up as if we have been old friends for a long time ... I enjoyed watching her demonstrate some watercolour techniques to her group of women that had come to sit in the summer sunshine of this beautiful nursery to paint some wonderful shades of floral purples and pinks ...
~ whilst I was sipping my cappuccino and tasted some delicious homemade chocolate cake
The rest of the day was spend in giggles, pouring over art journals , sharing favourite books, ideas and feelings about our art community ,looking at her sketches , paintings ....moving from lunch , into more coffee at Julias house and finally to a beautiful Thai restaurant for dinner as our conversation was far from running dry ..giggle
It was nice to meet a kindred spirit in person ... much as i love the online aspect of our art community , to meet in person adds the icing on the cake ...
and I have been hearing whispers that she will be sharing her watercolour "secrets" with our members soon ... so watch this space ;-)