Dear lovely human beings,
Coucou, comment ça va? J’espère que vous allez bien ! How was your July? Mine felt long because so much happened, and I couldn't believe it all occurred in just one month. At the same time, it flew by in the blink of an eye.
In the first half of July, I hosted two of my childhood friends who visited Oxford. One of them was Colin, whom I hadn’t seen in almost five years. He was my dearest desk neighbor for three consecutive years in school. Since I didn’t know when I might see Colin again, I prepared a little something to remember our half-decade hangout, 6,022 miles away from home.
With my current obsession in printmaking, I thought to make a linocut of an iconic Oxford scene for Colin. Recalling my first month in Oxford, I instantly fell in love with the Baroque and English Palladian-style architecture of the Radcliffe Camera.
Knowing I had limited time to complete the lino art before Colin arrived, I did not have enough courage to make a reduction print, so I made two blocks instead.
I also made a swirly version later on for a whimsical Oxford.
Another friend, Ashira, was interested in printing a version of her own Radcliffe Camera. Therefore, we had a 1:1 tiny printing workshop, and she was very pleased with the art piece we “collaboratively” made using my blocks.
After the fun times came the goodbyes, as my friends returned to their hometowns. My dear friend Laura returned to France; we had our last picnic at the Christ Church Meadows and did plein air drawings.
#Learning and exploring
I had more time in the second half of July to continue exploring my artistic voice in printmaking. I visited Jennifer, who showed me her work and the original blocks. I love her works, especially the ones with her cats; the harmonious use of colours and precise engraving decisions create a sense of serenity. I was deeply inspired by the stories of the cats that stayed with her over the years and how she has captured the gentle moments in her art.
Some of her works were published in the book “Cat Cuts”; I was very lucky to acquire a copy. It is a book by Miriam Macgregor, a wood engraver; she has collected the works ( of cats) of 36 wood engravers, annotated with notes from the artists. It’s one of the coziest books I’ve ever owned.
There is so much more that I’d like to share with you, but I’m approaching the email length limit. Before I sign off, I’d like to show you a flower study I did with gouache.
Last but not least, I wish you an August in full bloom with a riot of colours, until next time!
From Alvina W. with love
XX
03/08/2026