Pigeons
It would seem that my world is all birds at the moment. But this is a short story about a piece of work that took me far too long to do.
Some years ago I went to a shop called Folde in Dorset. I was talking with the staff there and saying how much I loved the small things called Pigeon Post. I do love a letter in this digital age. They asked whether I might like an introduction to the man whose company Pigeon is, and I said yes…… many, many months later I finally complete three designs for John and he is now in the process of manufacturing them.
The only way I could work out how to design to the best advantage of these lovely small pieces of connection was to fold a piece of paper up and draw on it, to see how the sketch would work when flat and how when folded. I chose to do 3 birds; swallow, long tailed tit and goldfinch.
Over time, in between being away, I worked on these pieces, sent them off for scanning and then waited.
This is the first look at how they will be. Hoping they will be available from May. Pigeon Post can be found in so many indie bookshops, both in UK and USA. John has a fantastic map on his website with contact details for stockists.
In this digital age I do love letter writing, and I love how these fold. There’s some beautiful ones already out there, some by Angela Harding, and many other artists. So do take a look. And tell me, who would you write to, if you had a pack of these? When my copies arrive I will pick a few people to send a letter to, and one person to send apack to, so, simply leave a comment telling me where you are and who you might send them to.
I would send a Pigeon to David Attenborough for his 100th birthday this year. I’d tell him how he’s been my biggest hero for decades and thank him for inspiring generations of conservationists and wildlife lovers like me. Through his beautifully filmed and narrated TV programmes and his writing, he has brought the wonders of and threats to our wildlife and environment into our living rooms in irresistible ways. He’s also a very nice person! (I met him once at a local Wildlife Trust event)
I think so many of us would be with you on that. The world will be a poorer place when he moves on from it.
I have recently joined the Sunday Letter Project and write a letter every Sunday…im running out of tolerant friends.I enjoy the process.I would write to my much loved and missed dad who passed 15 years back. He loved the sky,clouds,birds,being outside.I would tell him all the things I may not have said.and keep it safe so I could enjoy its glorious beauty.
If I won a pack I would write to my birding friend Sue as well. A farmer and conservationist-my only local friend who comes out with me to reserves with binoculars.An anyone else who needed some beauty and kind words
Jackie, how glorious these are. I would send a Pigeon to Edna Longley, Michael’s wife. He would have loved one and he revelled in receiving a letter. And he wrote amazing ones – no one ever sent me letters except him! And they were full of wonderful observations, news, poems and responses to little things I’d sent him – a feather, a pressed scabious flower, updates on what birds I’d seen. How I miss receiving letters from him. But I’d Pigeon to Edna, knowing how much she loves your work and in how she’d think of Michael.
These are going to be amazing and I look forward to them being available. I l8ve how your work is constantly evolving and moving forward, it uplifts my soul. Xx
I adore Pigeon Post letters. When my younger daughter went to uni in October she asked me to write to her (she’s an old soul as they say) so I said I would send her a Pigeon Post every week she was away. So that is what I have done – every Wednesday I write one and they arrive for the weekend. She tells me my words and the beautiful bright designs brighten her day. It’s like a hug in an envelope! So much more than a text or email.
I will look out for your designs – she loved The Lost Words as a child!
I’m writing right now to a dear friend of 40+ years, as we’ve taken the pledge to write to one another again once a week, as part of the Sunday Letter project. Having once upon a time written to each other every day – a lifeline at the time when we were many miles apart. Now it’s part of practicing a Slow Sunday, taking a break from screen and the noise of social media, to just focus on pen on paper. Some time ago, like yourself, discovering Pigeons, and loving the designs and concept John at Pigeon had created, got us back into the lovely art of letter writing again. I also loved that John lives in Bournville, where I went to school in Brum!
My pigeon letter this morning funnily enough is about being woken beautifully and naturally by the dawn chorus. Siskin; Long-tailed Tit; Robin; and Blackbird firstly. Followed a little later by calls from common and expected – Wood Pigeon; Collared Dove; Crow and Jackdaw; and not so common Dunnock? and rarer Short-eared Owl? More likely to have been me coughing on the ‘Merlin’ app recording I think!
So you can imagine I have been soooo looking forward to seeing your Pigeon’s since discovering you were creating some, and also the anticipation of your new Bird book with Robert – another bestseller surely!!
Excited for May – major dawn chorus season and the publication of your gold pigeons or rather Goldfinches; gold Long Tailed Tits and gold Swallows.
Hi Jackie,
Thank you for sharing such lovely images. I first received Christmas cards, supporting musicians with these gorgeous voyages on boats like from a dream, and did obtain a book about a fox, second hand. Just the names of birds, like collared dove and coal tit, curlew and plover conjure up foghorn and misty hills. I said plover like clover and my mum still says polar bear like doll.
A robin at the zoo used to eat from a young man’s hand, and a starling that flew in the skylight in a shared flat must have been telling that my dad was going to pass away. At the time, we just were glad to help the little bird back out the window. One time three blue tits did a frantic dance over my head when I looked at them, probably a nest, but their engagement with me specifically was weird.
I love your work Jackie and have several of your books. I grew up surrounded by nature in Derbyshire before moving into the city to teach primary school children. Your lost words project really spoke to my heart as I have witnessed the this loss of connection with nature first hand amongst children. I became a member of the post crossing community after seeing an Instagram post that you made and I regularly write and receive postcards which brings great joy to me and my family. I would love to send these beautiful pigeons to my children. You and your work continue to inspire me. Thanks so much.
I can’t wait to see your designs on pigeon posts that I’ve been using for years. I thought I’d dreamt that you were creating some as I couldn’t find any reference to it after reading about them somewhere… so I’m glad to see it’s a reality!
I am always extolling the benefits and shear unadulterated joy of receiving old fashioned post. Writing to someone is such a different experience to tapping out a message quick email. Making a brew, sitting down, choosing a favourite pen and writing to a friend who might be miles away, as though they are next to you having a cuppa with a friend who may be miles away. Chatting / writing about the weather and small things you’ve noticed.
Words and the sentiments are more considered when scribing by hand.
Who would I write to? Well possibly you to say thank you for the beautiful images you have created, I can often be found gazing at your drawings in books, but then I doubt you’d like to be sent your own design so perhaps a different pigeon. My friend Ruth in Scotland, Helen in Cambridge, Charlotte in Wales and Kat in Cornwall (all a good few miles from me in London) for being such wonderful supportive friends through the last few years…also Andrea who’s just had a print of your’s framed… my sister for going through the challenges of life next to me. All deserve to be told how much they mean to me. I guess that means I’m already ordering my second pack…
I was in the Mad Hatter’s bookshop in Burford on Wednesday and bought your Otter and Hare posters which led me here. I’ve been told otters live in the river in my village (Bledington) but that you need to creep out early to see them. I’ve done this many times but no luck yet. I’d write a letter of unconditional love to my 14 year old daughter who never receive’s post and is currently in the haze of being irritated with everyone including herself and especially me. I love letters, real letters. My mum would write to me regularly just about her day and an old Uncle in Ireland became a precious pen pal for many years until he passed away. When my son and daughter leave home I hope I will write to them as my mum wrote to me.
Hi Jackie if I were to receive a pack I would send a letter to my 84 year old watercolor ART teacher who had a stroke and cancer and is still very much excited about the arts and writes letters all the time and to my student Mary who just loves birds and to my 102 Aunt who I think would be delighted to receive a letter with beautiful birds and nature.
I wish, wish, wish I could write to my Dad. He died in an accident when I was just 3. My Dad was “An Artist”, that whimsical, wondrous creature. I wondered would I ever be an artist? Would I be a watercolourist? Would my pencils glide across delicious white paper and produce some kind of magic? Would I dare to sign my name on my own tentative creations?
My Dad kept pigeons, those paragons of airmail. His watercolour of a favourite pigeon, named Triangle, inspired me as a child. Dad, I want to tell you that, in my sixties, I have finally returned to my Art, after forty years of forsaking.
I hope he would be proud to see that I too, am destined to paint birds.
He would be Rachel, proud of you. And I am also.