Yarrow of the Olde Mead

Yes I know it's November 5th, 'Bonfire Night' here in the UK. But, today there shall be no obligatory firework pictures, instead let me whisk you away from November grey, back to the days of summer’s magic, when the dancing moth and healing yarrow decorated the old meadow...

’Yarrow of the Olde Mead’ is a painting I did for the exhibition 'A is for Apple' which has just begun at the Inverarity Gallery. It’s a gathering of different artists and we were all given a letter of the alphabet as the beginnings of our painting.  It's painted in acrylic on wood, and is framed in an up cycled vintage painted frame with mixed media.

Do go and have a look. The painting is for sale here  so if you are after a certain special 

Christmas gift for someone, then who knows, maybe, this could be it? :-) 

  

Anyway, I thought I'd stop by and give you dear blog readers (that are not on other social media) the heads up.
Enjoy your sparklers, toffee apples and baked potatoes this evening.
x

Elixrs and Potions and other Magic in Wonderland

Spider silk and water diamonds drape the tangled hedgerows. Morning mist has stolen the river and the trees have turned to ghosts.The breath of oak and stone whisper memories between the tudor cracks and eaves. And high up, a golden creature on it's lofty spire gently moves, yet there is no wind.

The colours are fading and the damp earthy smells of moss, fallen leaf, fungi and decomposing wood have replaced the perfumes of the summer gone. Although I love the scents of summer flowers, if I look for a perfume it's the musty Autumn smells that bewitch my olfactory system. 

We have had quite a bit of rainfall here so the toadstools and mushrooms are out in abundance. I'm sure the fairy folk will be up to much mischief this evening.

I came across this wonderful being in the garden a couple of weeks ago. After googling it, found out that it's the caterpillar of a Pale Tussock Moth. What an  amazing beauty! The green almost glowed and had a luminescence to it. I felt for a moment like Alice. The garden really is a wonderland if you try not to be too tidy. Leave the leaves, or just brush them to a corner. 

Pop over to instagram to see the video I shared too.

October magic has inspired my work this month. 

There is a new notebook in the web shop

On my desk, I brewed a spell with prussian blue. A Moon Elixr.

One sip daily should be enough to keep you bright throughout these dark nights. ;)

Because I had made one, Hare decided it was time to dust the shelves off in his own room and has been busy making a magical mixture too. I heard a whisper it may be starlight tea? But Robin informed me it could be something more important? 

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween! 

The Earth Sings in the Language of Light

September has come and almost passed. The best of the blackberries are gone and the holly berries are just about to ripen. They are late this year.  It's been a busy month and I don't really have much to say. In the quiet time, late when the candle is lit though I find words visit. The ones below came to me at such a time and I have used the first line on a notebook.  

The Earth sings in the language of light,
A hum of bee in soft sunlight

Golden shafts through forest glade,

Winter glint excalibur blade, 

Rainbow arch over rain soaked hills,

Liquid light on windowsills

Ballads of the heavenly rays,

Melodies of summer days

Starlight voice like bells are pealing,

For gentle songs of moonlight healing

                                                           ~Karen Davis 2019

                                       

This post is mainly a round up, sharing what's new in the shops. As I said in August's post the originals will all go on the web shop now and not Etsy. 

New Autumn and Winter cards, using previous paintings.

Yes, it's here! The 2020 calendar has arrived! 

And three Autumn hares which are heading over to the web shop shortly.

There are also postcards featuring these for those of you that miss out on the originals. 

Here's to a perfectly magical October!

Hares, Colour and Some Sea Air

If I had to sum up this summer with one word, it would be colour.  I've really appreciated the brightness of colour this year. I think more so than normally. The deep jewel tones and shades of green from mossy to emerald. 

More green has been brought inside. It was time to say goodbye to the rather boring white on the window frame. I'm hoping to finish this later today? It's a large bay window and what you see in the photograph is only half the size. It's always a mission painting and cleaning it! 

For the first time ever, this year I grew some Bergamot. I love the shape of the flowers. The seed packet said that bees would adore it, but to be honest I've yet to see any bees on the flowers. They are much preferring the other plants in the garden.

The pond plants are doing well now and look rather like a miniature forest. 

Sulphur shades of fennel dominate the garden on this last day of August. 

 Mr owl was finally given a home on top of the old gate post that we converted into a plinth. 

I think he rather likes it here? It's as if he's keeping watch over the garden.  Mr Blackbird has taken a liking to sitting on top of his head. It's actually a candle holder, so I will take a picture sometime at dusk and see if his eyes light up?

With it being the last days of summer it's time to share the Spring /Summer hares! These were finished a month ago or more, but I just haven't got around to adding them to the shop yet.

So that's what I plan to do very soon, infact on...

                ****Monday 2nd September at 7pm****

One of the reasons it's taken so long to get them ready for sale is because I have been umming and aahing about adding them to my Web Shop this time instead of the Etsy Shop. It's a decision I made a while back to get another shop going, as Etsy, although being fantastic for me, has made rather a lot of changes since I began selling on there 11 years ago. Some of them are not so good for me personally, so it was time to get another shop up and running. It has taken quite a bit of work and will take a lot more, but it's a start. I will keep Etsy as well, but am planning to sell the originals in the Web Shop. Anyway we shall see how it goes? If you were one of the many folks that asked about buying wholesale (cards) for your gallery or bricks and mortar shop, then I've also set up a system for this which I am testing. Just pop me an email using the contact form on the website. 

These hares were inspired by what was in the garden and around me this summer.  

                                                     Meadow Hare ~ Viola, Forgetmenot and Bee 

Meadow Hare ~ Starlight, Clover and Glow worm

Meadow Hare~ Viola, Herb Robert and Bee

Hedgerow Hare~ Starlight, Honeysuckle and Moth

Meadow Hare ~ Starlight, Self Heal, Clover and Glow Worm

Meadow Hare~ Green, Viola, Herb Robert and Bee

I hope this summer you have found a little relaxation and escape from the stress and worries of the world wherever you may be?  We ventured for a short while to Clovelly a village on the north coast of Devon. Away from cars and noise and down to the sea.

 The only traffic on these old cobbled paths are donkeys (the donkeys are more for show these days and don't do hard work like years ago thankfully) and sledges, which folk use to carry their shopping and other essentials down to the cottages. 

 

Looking down onto the harbour.

We stayed right by the sea, just behind the white building nearest to the sea, in the little beige stone building to the right.

There was sunshine and showers and not very many people around. Bliss.

We did some coast path walking, beach combing, found angels and places where Devon pixies dwell.

And we watched the sea change her salty cloak from turquoise to grey as the storm clouds gathered.

But mostly we just listened to the song of the waves on the pebbles. And each night with the bed next to the window, the melody flowed into our dreams.

Karen
x