A horse chestnut in my pocket: where October’s mail began
On my first day at a new job, a stripy maroon horse chestnut caught my eye. It became my good luck charm, and then a painting.
It was my first day at a new job, and it was beautifully sunny. On the walk there, a rich maroon, stripy horse chestnut caught my eye. It looked so vibrant in the light, with a pattern like wood grain, and it felt soft and satisfying in my hand.
I popped it in my pocket as a good luck charm. The day went brilliantly.
From pocket to paper
I couldn’t stop looking at its delicate pattern, so I sat down with my watercolours and painted it, spiky shell and all. That painting became October’s sticker, and the colours of the horse chestnut set the tone for the whole envelope.
It felt like autumn had handed me a little gift, and I wanted to pass it on.
Nature is everywhere in London if you look for it: the foxes that roam the streets, the horse chestnuts falling from the trees, my neighbour’s cat sunning itself on the wall. This month’s mail is my way of sharing one of those small moments.
