Project Calm Issue 12

As you'll no doubt have guessed from looking at our beautiful cover, winter is the perfect time of year for a bit of peaceful reflection and a chance to reconnect with our inner selves. Whether we're outdoors, wandering in the wilds of nature, or snuggled up in a blanket in front of the fire, these nuggets of time offer an opportunity to take stock of all that has been and gone in our lives: the rough and the smooth. Doing so enables us to celebrate our courage, creativity and resilience, as well as setting a few intentions for the new year ahead. So, whether your wishes are to learn something new, head off on a solo adventure or simply keep your head in the clouds a little more, this issue is…

1 SCENTED WINTER FLAMES Is there anything more relaxing on a cold winter’s night than kicking back with a few candles? We love the ethos behind eco-candle company Beefayre based in Leicestershire, England. Artist and nature lover Sharon Jervis started making beeswax candles when she visited Romania and learnt about organic beekeeping, and now donates 3% of her profits to bee conservation and research. Made with pure essential oils and sustainable beeswax, we’ve fallen in love with the Winter Berries candle – a festive aroma blended with berries, orange blossom, nutmeg and cinnamon. From £8.95 for a votive or three tea lights, at beefayre.com. 2 WILD AND FREE FESTIVE TREES Cut back on Christmas spending and help wildlife conservation at the same time at one of the Royal Society for the Protection of…

Clouds are the ultimate shapeshifters. Their evocative forms influence stories to evoke feeling and mood, while references to them are everywhere in our everyday language. Clouds are ethereal, celestial beings made up of a constantly evolving mix of water and air. We look to the sky for signs of what lies ahead and our clues are the shapes and intensity of the clouds, the forerunners of shifting weather conditions. It hardly seems surprising then that clouds have captured the imagination of storytellers and gained their place in so many popular myths and global traditions. That we now use ‘cloud storage’ confirms that our mental attachment to clouds remains relevant even in a technological age. Throughout much of the globe, cloud metaphors describe and capture mood and tone. For example, a dreamy, flyaway…

Clouds can be recognised and understood by their shape, and their height in the sky. There are four basic cloud shapes. Cirrus clouds are thin and feathery. The name comes from the Latin for ‘curl’ or ‘fringe’. Cumulus clouds are fluffy and seem to sit on top of one another. The name comes from the Latin for ‘heap’ or ‘pile’. Nimbus clouds are murky rain clouds. The name comes from the Latin for ‘rain’. Stratus clouds are long, streaky and blanket-like. The name comes from the Latin for ‘layer’. The remaining cloud types are either combinations of the basic four listed above (such as cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus, cumulonimbus), or preceded by ‘alto’. Alto comes from the Latin ‘altus’, meaning high. This is somewhat misleading, as altostratus and altocumulus are more likely…

The best time to practise your cloud reading is following a spell of good weather. This is because it’s much easier to forecast when the weather is turning bad. Keep an eye on the direction clouds are moving or pointing, as this is a good indicator of the direction the weather is coming from and moving in. Writing and sketching your observations and conclusions in a weather journal is a lovely way to practise the art of weather forecasting. Turn the page to see the different cloud formations so you can plan your day… CIRRUS High cloud White and wispy clouds that stretch across the sky. Indicate fair weather now, possibility of change coming. CIRROSTRATUS High cloud Transparent, sheet-like clouds that cover the whole sky. Indicate damp weather is coming in the next 12-24 hours. ALTOSTRATUS Middle cloud Greyish-white…

Create different patterns and effects by adding detail with pen. Experiment with marks, thick and thin, to create graceful texture. Cut a cloud shape from ink-washed paper for a beautiful three-dimensional cloud. Let an ink wash dictate the shape of your cloud, then draw around it with pen. Notice the different styles of cloud – are they round, wispy or cotton wool? 1. Paint a simple cloud shape using a light blue-grey ink wash. 2. Load your brush with more ink in a different shade to add extra depth. 3. Create delicate pattern detail with a fine-nibbed pen.…