How lovely - thank you! I didn't know of these birds, they are stunning.

Two for joy - monoprint collage of two magpies

Two for joy. This pair of magpies took up residence in the garden over winter and I used to watch them chatting to each other from my window. You can see how these were made, along with a few others, in this week’s post. open.substack.com/pub/stillske...

They are quite a sight, aren't they? They appear now to be inhabitants in my patch of South Norfolk when, only a few years ago they were never seen.

I’m really excited to be part of the next Wild Writers salon on all things walking.
Link for tix here. Join us! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wild-women...

A b&w still from the film showing the two lead actors (a young woman and a young man) on the beach, each with one hand on the other person’s chin.

THE SUN AND THE SHADOW (Rangel Vulchanov, 1962). This Bulgarian film looked luminous on the cinema screen today. Playful optimism mingles with Cold War anxiety in this beautiful dreamlike tale of fleeting love. A forerunner to BEFORE SUNRISE, perhaps, gorgeously shot in black & white. #FilmSky

Thank you very much!

Thank you! I love to hear their call across the skies.

Monoprint collage of a fieldfare

My Winter Visitor fieldfare makes his debut in my latest Substack
stillsketching.substack.com/p/painting-w...

Painting with Scissors The alluring art of collage, a return to the studio table and the process behind a new collection

This week’s post is a little different.
Instead of looking outward to the women artists who have shaped my work, I’ve turned back to the studio table, to show how a new collection of collage monoprints came into being. stillsketching.substack.com/p/painting-w...

Painting focused on a tulip plant with yellow and red blossom and butterfly and insect on its leaves, all against a black background

'Parrot tulip with butterfly and beetle' by Barbara Regina Dietzsch (1706-1783) Bavarian painter and engraver who sold her work throughout Europe #womensart

Egg and chips is so delicious and comforting. Hope all is ok.

The Ha-Ha by Jennifer Dawson As I have mentioned before, there is a long tradition of women writers depicting crushing mental health conditions in fiction, from Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s unforgettable short story The Yellow W…

On the blog this week, I've written about THE HA-HA by Jennifer Dawson, a striking modernist novella for the #1961Club.

Recommended for anyone who likes Barbara Loden's 1970 film WANDA, as I was reminded of it while reading this gem of a book. #FilmSky

jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026/04/12/t...

Very good!

Lucy Carmichael by Margaret Kennedy The English novelist and playwright Margaret Kennedy is probably best known for her second novel, The Constant Nymph, which swiftly became a bestseller on its publication in 1924. Nevertheless, I t…

'But Lucy’s heart was unoccupied, since the sorrowful ghost of Patrick had ceased to haunt it. Friends lodged there and enjoyed its generous hospitality, but no one called it home.' #BookSky 💙📚

jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026/04/02/l...

A review for Nighttime on Still Waters that says: "A rare gem It’s difficult to express how much I enjoy and have come to rely on this podcast. It’s my 4am nightlight; a grounding and inspiring listening space. Richard really welcomes you into his world which is full of appreciation, love and wisdom. A truly beautiful creation. Thank you"

Really thrilled to receive this lovely review on Apple Podcasts! 😃

Lucy Carmichael by Margaret Kennedy The English novelist and playwright Margaret Kennedy is probably best known for her second novel, The Constant Nymph, which swiftly became a bestseller on its publication in 1924. Nevertheless, I t…

'She is incautious and intrepid. She will go to several wrong places, and arrive at the right one, while I am still making up my mind to cross the road. She is my opposite in character. She is cheerful and confident and expects to be happy.' #BookSky 💙📚

jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026/04/02/l...

A brilliant film, very influential! #FilmSky

Thank you very much for sending me the link to this exhibition, I would have loved to have seen it. They were a fascinating pair.

Thank you for reading it.

The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White (filmed by Hitchcock as ‘The Lady Vanishes’) It’s always a pleasure when a new reissue from the British Library Crime Classics series drops through the door, and Ethel Lina White’s wonderfully suspenseful novel The Wheel Spins proved no excep…

From the archive for Ethel Lina White, #BornOnThisDay in 1876, my thoughts on THE WHEEL SPINS.

This wonderfully suspenseful novel was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock as THE LADY VANISHES. Recommended reading, even if you're familiar with the film! #BookSky 💙📚

jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2024/03/13/t...

Staying with Hilda Carline: a life seen through her paintings The unseen works of the wife of Stanley Spencer and a collection of Spring recommendations to bring cheer

So many accounts of Hilda Carline's life return, inevitably, to Stanley Spencer, and it becomes hard to see her clearly.
This piece is an attempt to stay with her through a small group of paintings that made me look again.
open.substack.com/pub/stillske...

Linoprints of a hare printed in gold ink on handmade paper by Deborah Vass

I made a little Golden Hare for Easter.https://www.deborahvass.com/prints

That is amazing! I really have found it invaluable and used to get so frustrated. I can ask questions and have realised that it is not always my lack of ability but problems with the site itself!

It is also brilliant when I get stuck developing my website, which is very often!

Useful reminder about watching out for ticks. Here are the main points from the poster:

Tick bites are painless, so easy to miss.
Ticks are tiny - the size of a pinhead.
Prevent bites by tucking trousers into socks, wear long sleeves, avoid brushing into foliage.
Remove ticks promptly and carefully

Thank you very much for reading it!

Thank you very much, Kate.

Thank you very much, I am so pleased you enjoyed it! A series of happy coincidences led me to her and found her work a delight.

She was called a late bloomer-but what if Helen Bradley had been an artist all along? I came across her work by chance and found something much more interesting. A new piece on her life and paintings. open.substack.com/pub/stillske...

The World She Had Been Watching All Along Helen Bradley and the long making of an artist; looking at Lowry and some wonderful Substacks

Helen Bradley, who finally found success at 65, was a joy to discover. Her memories of Edwardian Lancashire are a delight. open.substack.com/pub/stillske...