I have always loved the end of summer and the start of autumn- growing up in Madrid it meant that I wouldn’t have to put up with the horribly draining hot weather, with no pool or AC, and welcome cosy clothes, orange leaves, baking and of course my birthday!
Since I moved to Scotland I still embraced the change of seasons but I won’t lie, this was the first year that I have really, really wished to stop time when summer was ending here in Edinburgh. In spite of the city’s almost too beautiful to believe autumns, I didn’t feel ready to face the shorter days, the reluctance of people to socialise and the growing feeling of loneliness that has accompanied me for a while now that would get imposible to ignore.
I am happy to say that slowly but surely, I have been making some peace with the passing of time and the fact that things change, and that’s not either good or bad, it just is. When I’m feeling like this, it’s the small things that give me the strength to get back on my feet. This is the general idea for this piece, where I hoped to portray the peaceful moment when it starts to snow and you know it before you even look out the window.
Cooking and baking are also activities that keep me grounded, grateful and allow me to be in the moment which can be so difficult at times, while I also have something (hopefully) tasty to eat at the end of it!
Also, living in a rented flat means I spend quite a lot of time daydreaming about what I’d like my forever home to look like, and while this is something that seems to be very far in the future for me, illustrating it makes it a bit more real. That’s honestly one of my favourite aspects of being an illustrator, the escapism that simultaneously gives me a sense of direction. Can’t wait for the moment I get to have a cat again, I miss having pets so so much! Hug yours for me and tell them how perfect they are, even when they love sharpening their nails on your favourite rug.
So I hope this is what you feel when you see this illustration that I have titled “I Smell Snow”, a mix of inner peace, gratefulness and excitement for life’s changes.
Take care friends,
Bea