16th May 2025
On Tuesday, the sunniest day of the year so far, we went for a walk in the 32 hectares of park and woodland surrounding Shibden Hall. A historic house in the rolling hills of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Shibden was famously home to Anne Lister, keeper of detailed diaries that when finally discovered and decoded, brought light to hidden lesbian lives in the early 1800s.
Along a path flanked by impressive stone walls we came upon an iron gate with this beautiful finial of a sheep’s head.
The care and skill it took to create such a detail, in this hard metal, at this small, perfect for the palm of a hand size, was such a pleasure to see. That is should sit atop a quiet gate, along a path in the midst of this large estate, made it even more of a gift.
Hi - I’m Cara, a Graphic Recorder and Illustrator working in the UK. I also run an online training academy for Graphic Recorders and visual thinkers.
As well as The JOTT I write The Visual Edit, & host our membership space the Graphic Recorder Club for Graphic Recorders, live illustrators and sketchnoters.
My book, Draw a Better Business is a visual thinking toolkit for creative thinking small business owners.
Thanks for following along; do say hi x
Hi Cara, I’m not an illustrator but I loved your short piece here. I often think my own substack is too long and verging on tedious. Love the idea of draw and write.