A Day With Yvonne Coomber

Hello everyone!  I hope you have had a lovely week?

I’m so happy to share some photos with you from a wonderful gifted retreat I went on a few weeks ago.  It was a bit of a flying visit for me, as I couldn’t attend the whole retreat due to childcare issues – however I had an amazing 24 hours with the loveliest, inspiring women.  Being a freelancer, I often work alone.  I take every opportunity I can to get out and assist or style on shoots, just so that I get that human connection.  So to get the chance to spend time with some of my friends from Instagram in a beautiful country setting, was such a lovely treat.

A beautiful gathering

Yvonne Coomber is a painter based in Devon, and is well known for her glorious paintings of wild flowers.  Using the most divine colours, her paintings are free, full of texture, sparkle and joy.  As a colour lover, it was wonderful to see her paintings up close, textured layers of the prettiest shades of nature, and iridescent glitter like butterfly wings.  I was able to see Yvonne’s paintings in situ at the wonderful Pip Farm, where I spent the night and we ate the most delicious vegan food (courtesy of Djamila @djamilasfreshfeasts) and talked all things creative.  We enjoyed skill sharing sessions on Instagram with Julia (@humphreyandgrace), and on using Pinterest with Dörte and Georgie (@lewesmap and @acitygirlatheart).  I was so very sorry to miss visiting Yvonne’s studio, which from the pictures I have seen, I would have fallen head over heels in love with!  (I will give you a list below of the wonderful ladies who will have also shared photos and blog pots, so please do go and check them out.)

As someone from an art college background, I really value meeting artists and painters, and finally meeting Yvonne was so wonderful.  She is such a warm and inspiring person, which really shines through in her paintings.  When it was time for me to leave and make the long drive back to Norwich, Yvonne handed me my very own Yvonne Coomber print, which I will treasure forever.  I will share it with you when I have found the perfect home for it.

These are the lovely ladies who also came to the retreat, and who I would have loved to spend more time with…please do hop over to look at their Instagram accounts, such a creative bunch!  Plus you will be able to see photos from second day of the retreat, which looked absolutely beautiful, including a visit to Yvonne’s colourful studio, and a divine wreath making workshop.

In other news, I am still in the midst of my busiest annual period, where I get to go out and about and work on various shoots.  On Saturday I  had a last minute job to help prop style for a Joules shoot here in Norfolk, which I really loved!

Tomorrow I have been invited to the Royal Chelsea Flower show, which I am ridiculously excited about.  It will be my first time, and I have always wanted to go.  I will be sure to take lots of photos to share with you all, fingers crossed it stays dry!

Tamsyn x