Another calendar year

 

Calendars. I like them, I collect them, I write down my schedule in those impossibly small boxes on my wall calendar, and then carry the thing around with me as if my iphone never existed!  Impractical and sentimental,  but so too are most things made of paper.

Each year, since 2007,  I have made small calendars for the desk, of similar format, on different themes.   Like a journal of sorts, they reflect my interests that year: images of native plants from different habitats,  food security and local agriculture,  trees I discovered along city streets, the animals I share my island home with (and them with me!).   I used to do larger production runs and sell them at winter markets, but it was always a bit of a trick getting them all out the door in time.  Jan 1 is not a great time to have extra calendar stock on hand.

So lately, my calendars have been made with friends in mind to share and to gift.  This year - Field Notes 2022- is a collaboration in words and images with my friend Tish, a landscape designer from Boston, who uses native plants throughout her work. A return to observational botanical drawings and a departure from the paper cuts I usually make, the project offered a welcome shift in perspective and approach. 

As I get ready to turn the last page of this year's calendar, I wonder what inspiration this next new year will hold...