Finding solace through art, scent & nature
This week marks a year since my love died, and I won’t lie – I have struggled. Struggled with the weight of his absence, with the countless little moments where I instinctively reach for him – an idea to share, a jar too tight to open, the quiet comfort of his hand in mine. Grief isn’t something to be conquered; it is something to learn to live alongside. It comes in waves, shifting and reshaping itself, a constant presence in a different form. I am not strong, just learning to live in a new way.
And so, I return to the things that ground me – art, scent and nature. This week in Sketches, we are drawn to stories of creativity, home and the beauty of the landscapes that surround us. It’s about honouring what has been, embracing what is, and finding meaning in the in-between.
Here are the things that have shaped our thoughts this week.
An Artistic Sense | Gillian Hughes
Living Layers: Inspiration from New English Interiors
When my dear friend Karo from Studio Designs Dunn gifted me New English Interiors as a housewarming present, she couldn’t have chosen a more perfect book for this chapter of my life at Bank House. As I settle into this lovely old home – taking in its grand proportions, the way the light moves across its walls, the subtle shifts in scent and temperature – I find myself making quiet design notes in my mind. How to honour its beautiful bones while bringing in layers of warmth, personality, and creativity?
This book is a joyful reminder that home is an ever-evolving canvas. From bold, theatrical rooms to more restrained, earthy spaces, New English Interiors champions individuality and the art of collecting, curating and layering over time. It’s a love letter to the eclectic English aesthetic I’ve long adored – an approach that embraces colour with confidence, honours craftsmanship and allows a house to grow into itself.
As I lean into the renovation of Bank House, I’m drawn to this way of thinking – of letting the house reveal its needs, of mixing old with new, of creating a home that tells a story. Just as the interiors in this book reflect the lives and passions of their owners, I hope Bank House will become a deeply personal reflection of both mine and Southern Wild Co.
The late, great David Lynch’s thoughts on death
David Lynch first trained as a painter and you could feel it in everything he created – his films, his music, even his thoughts on death. He saw the world in layers, in shifting light and deep shadow, in moments that lingered like brushstrokes on a canvas. For Lynch, death wasn’t a hard stop but something more mysterious, another doorway, another change in composition. Like his paintings and films, it was full of texture and feeling – unsettling at times, but always infused with a strange and beautiful curiosity. Discover this beautiful, short film here.
A world away – Landscape artist of the year
We were captivated by Painting the Invisible, a quiet, beautiful film about artist Jill Steenhuis and her deep connection to creativity, nature and place. Filmed over three years by her son, James Ruffato, this documentary offers a rare glimpse into Steenhuis’ world—one shaped by light, movement, and an ever-deepening artistic spirit. From Atlanta to Aix-en-Provence, it traces her journey to finding her raison d’être, revealing how art becomes a way of seeing, feeling and truly inhabiting a landscape. A moving tribute to the quiet, persistent magic of a life devoted to beauty. Watch here.
Scent of the week: Hidden Vale
This week in Sketches, we’ve been exploring the intersection of art and nature – how landscapes shape creativity and how artists, in turn, capture the fleeting magic of place. Hidden Vale is a scent that embodies this idea, drawing inspiration from the ancient beauty of the Blue Mountains and the ethereal blue haze that lingers over its valleys. Like the warmth of last light on towering cliffs, this fragrance evokes a quiet, meditative moment – where shadows deepen, the air cools and the bush exhales its earthy perfume. Inspired by Ada Cambridge’s poem On Australian Hills and brought to life through the brushstrokes of Blackheath artist Natasha Daniloff, Hidden Vale is a poetic tribute to the mystery and grandeur of the Australian landscape. A scent to accompany slow afternoons, treasured books, and the ever-changing light beyond the window. Discover Hidden Vale here.