Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Back To Normal

Things are back to normal here after the excitement of the little tea party. Thank you all for your sweet comments. I really do appreciate anyone taking the time to leave one. :)  My daughter did enjoy participating and made a perfect Alice.  She loves drama and stories and infact attends a drama group every Saturday.

I 've been enjoying the sun shining,  having all the windows open and the magical midsummers moon. Did you see it? Glowing, orange tinted,  Mars like, as it rose up over the hill. I did try to capture it on camera, but wasn't very sucessful. Just have to capture with paint instead.
So, here is my latest work to share with you. It's titled 'The Dreaming Company' and is acrylic paint on canvas and roughly A3 size.

The photographs are not that brilliant, but it is too big for my scanner. When I go to town next I'll get an A3 scan done. The Company Of Dreamers you may have noticed includes some of the characters from 'The Moonlit Gathering' That's because it is the follow on painting. I'm planning on doing one more too.

A new painting sits upon the easel and many wooden creatures are waiting to be cut out and brought to life, to stock up the shop. That means it's time to get busy and bid you a sunshiney farewell til next time.
Have a wonderful week. x

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Mad Hatters Tea Party ... A Curious Dream

It had been a long time,
an age it seemed since the book had been picked up, loved and brought to life.
A light shroud of dust wrapped around it's spine and the pages were beginning to yellow and mottle. There had been at least one instance with a book worm.


 It was a day such as any other when the Hatter decided to slip between his story's pages and into the room.
There he saw a girl sat at a table reading.
"Alice!" he shouted excited
.
The girl paid no attention, so he shouted again.
"Alice!"
Again there was no reply.
The Hatter quickly slipped back between the pages and returned with a small bottle and a handful of the reddest berries.
He placed them where the girl would find them and scurried off into the garden chuckling to himself.
"Oh" said the girl out loud when she saw the tiny bottle and the delicious looking berries.
She ate a berry. Red currants, delicious, my favourite.
She soon ate them all.


"Oh do hurry up Alice" called a voice from the garden
The girl followed the voice down the path.

"Where are you, who are you?" questioned the girl.
Some how the garden seemed different. Almost as if it were watching her, listening and whispering.
She felt sure she heard the roses sssh each other when she walked past. And was absolutely certain that the moon daisies had giggled.What a curious day it is turning out, thought the girl.

When she reached the mock orange, she heard more voices.
"Hello.... is there somebody there?"  she asked.
She pushed her way through a gap in the hedge and what a surprise she got on the other side.
A tea party. The strangest she ever saw.

 "You took your time" said a mouse.
"Your late!" said a white rabbit.


"Three minutes and forty two seconds late, to be precise" continued the white rabbit tutting and tapping his pocket watch.
 "But"... replied the girl
"No but's my dear" exclaimed the mouse.



"Come along Alice, oh do sit down" giggled a lion.


"But I'm not Alice" said the girl accepting tea and an iced cake that was offered to to her.

 "No buts" said the mouse again.

 Then the whole crowd began to laugh and laugh until the rabbit spilled his drink.
"More tea anyone? " spluttered the Hatter.
 How very odd thought the girl.
"Don't think but drink tea" said the stone lady " Lavender or mint?"


"Mint please " replied the girl
But when she put the cup to her lips  she soon discovered that it was empty.

" Curry biscuit or sugar mouse?" offered the doll.


" Why is a raven like a writing desk?" asked the Hatter.


And they all began to laugh again.
"Silence" shouted the mouse.
The lion snorted and tried to suppress another giggle.
"More tea anyone" said the doll again.
The girl held out her cup and the Hatter  poured.


 However this time the cup was not empty but instead held a playing card. The queen of hearts.

 "Wait a minute...I know this story" announced the girl.
She looked at the book she hadn't realised she had brought with her.
Quite suddenly she felt so tired and her eyes so very heavy.


 She yawned and so did the lion.

Then there was a smell of old paper and the girl opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep and was resting her head on the book she had been reading.


 There on the table beside her was the fairy sized dish of redcurrants that her Mother had picked for her.


"Hmmm a curious dream indeed!" said the girl ...

********

Thanks for visiting.I hope you enjoyed this little tale.We had lots of fun doing it. A big thanks to my beautiful daughter for starring as the girl :) x and for my son for wearing the mask :) x  And more thanks again to Vanessa for organising it. :) x


I leave you with a bit more of Wonderland.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Flowers, Alice and Proud Mummy Hen

I wish I could share the scents blowing in the gentle breeze outside today. They are heavenly....
Unfortunately although the internet is magic. The wizardry technology hasn't quite reached sharing smell yet. :)
Orange blossom (Mock Orange) and elderflower have really lifted my spirits today.

If you are feeling under the weather,sad, deflated or just out of sorts, the scent of a flower truly does make you feel better.If you haven't a garden, go out for a walk and smell other peoples flowers trailing over walls or savour in the wild hedgerows.If you haven't time for that then treat yourself to a bunch when you are out shopping. Flowers are so important to have around. Not just for their smell, but because they are part of nature as we are. A connection with nature is so important. (even if it is just a vase of flowers)

The flora and fauna on our planet should be embraced, respected and loved. We need to educate our children and learn to share the space with our fellow creatures, most have been here longer than we have. We must not exploit,or abuse them for our own greed or remove them because we consider them pests.

 Everything is part of nature, part of us. If there is too much of one thing it's because man has interfered and changed the balance.


These  teeniest of alpine strawberries, I am going to let take over the garden as they are soooo delicious!
If only the wizardry would let me pass you one through the wires and connection ....

The painting I've been working on is almost finished ....
 But until it is, I have this to share with you.

Another Alice In Wonderland inspired heart.
Why Alice?
Well, because it's been on my mind.  On Saturday I will be participating in this....

Just a bit of fun organised by the lovely Vanessa over at A fanciful Twist.
I do hope you will come and visit?

And lastly, something else to share. One of our hen's so patiently sat and hatched two eggs all by herself.
Here  is a very short clip of them in the broody pen. (When they are bigger they will be free range)

What a very clever Mummy Hen. :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Smelling Of Roses And Watching Of Bees

Time seems to be just slipping through my fingers these days.. It's June! And I think this must be the longest gap in between blog posts I have ever left? There is no reason for this. I've been sat here painting creatures and such like that have been listed in the shop and already sent off on journeys to their new homes.


I've  more on my desk to paint and a half finished painting on the easel. My head has been filled with all kinds, so have been jumping here and there. From hares and fossils....

To the enviroment....
                     
A  Steward  Of  The  Earth
(Words read...I pledge to be a steward of this beautiful,bountiful Earth. I listen and speak the language of my fellow creatures...)

 I found this poem which fits  beautifully with this painting..

 I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.

And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.

That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.

Jane Yolen
The roses have taken my breath away this year. They are so gorgeous and smell so delicious I'm sure I would eat them if I could. Is it because they are the colour of sugar almonds and marshmallows? I am not really a 'pink'  type of person, apart from when it comes down to roses....


The bees love them too...

Yes, I suppose time is used up on simple pleasures, watching and looking and enjoying. Then a wander back up my path...


to put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea....

Fairy tea anyone? Right, where did I put those marshmallows?.......