Inside the Pages of a Story and Christmas Sparkle.

Beautiful December. As the sun sets the mist soften the spaces in between.

A fairytale pink blushes in the twilight. It could be any year, any century when things are obscured and trees stand ghostly on the horizon.
I could be in 1749, 1920, or in Godrics Hollow or Brigadoon.

 Or 'in the time of swords and periwigs and full skirted coats with flowered lappets' 
Inside the pages of a story, in a little shop in Westgate street, just near College court...
In Gloucester was where I found myself last week. So how could I not revisit the 'The House of the 'Tailor of Gloucester'

Simpkin had his own stocking hung up on the fireplace but was still up to mischief it seems.

The mice were busy, measuring and stitching.

And the Mayors waistcoat was already complete.  All except of course, one cherry coloured buttonhole.

This wonderful waistcoat was recreated in 1980 by Gloucestershire Federation of Women's Institutes. 

If you are a fan of Beatrix Potter and happen to find yourself in Gloucester, then it's definitely worth popping in.

The other reason for being in Gloucester was my birthday treat that evening. To see the Mediaeval Baebes in concert at Gloucester cathedral. 

I've loved their music for a long time now, so it was a real treat to see them, especially in such a magnificent setting. They played lots of their older songs, plus nursery rhymes from their new album 'A Pocket full of Posies' and many festive songs which got me into the Christmas mood. 

Here they are below, the line up from a few years back, singing a Christmas carol.

Back home with the winter mists still surrounding the village and a lot of flood water too now, the sparkles are in abundance. I brought the unicorn down from the studio to give extra sparkle this year. 

Here's to a magical and peaceful Christmas to you!
Thank you to all that stop by here and for the continued support of my art work.
May 2020 bless the paths you travel.
See you soon x

Seven Sketches For Folk Week

Over on Instagram there are always lots of daily challenges to take part in. I always admire people that can fit the time in for them and do try to do some myself. You may remember I did the 'March Meet the Maker' challenge earlier in the year. So when I heard about a week long challenge called Folk Tale Week it was time to jump on the ride and join in. A week didn't sound so bad and if i just did tiny pieces/ sketches then I could dedicate a couple of hours each afternoon. So I did.
Each day there was a prompt to create a piece.

Day 1. 'HOME'

”Once upon a time her forest had been far and wide. It’s mossy plains never ending. But the cold grey stone spread like a plague across those ancient paths she travelled. Each garden was a country, this island her universe and her home her castle"

Day 2. SECRET'

Many of you may know that I think Robins are a bit special, so who better to pluck from the book of knowledge?

'Many men believe they have read from the book of knowledge. Yet in reality only but a few know how to pluck the golden threads of secret from it’s ancient pages’

Day 3. PATH

On the third day I couldn't get the old song 'The Fox' out of my head. It's a song I used to sing at Primary school and is also on my Spotify playlist. (I like the Laura Veirs version) Here he is, out on the path on that chilly night.

”A fox went out on a chilly night and he prayed to the moon to give him light for he’d many a mile to go that night before he reached the town o, town o, town o “

Do you remember the song? :-)

Day 4. SMOKE 

The sleeping red dragon beneath Dinas Emrys.

“Sometimes a thin cloud curls around the old hillock like smoke”

Legend says that the war lord Vortigen chose the hill as his retreat. But however hard he tried to build his fortress, all stones toppled. Believing it was the work of supernatural powers preventing his success he seeked the help of a young boy. Myrddin Emrys (Merlin). Vortigern had plans to sacrificie his innocent body to appease the powers. When the boy realised, he scorned the idea that any supernatural power was involved & told Vortigern that attempts at building had failed because two dragons lay sleeping inside the hill, beneath a lake. Convinced the boy was right, Vortigern dug deep beneath, found the lake & drained it. The two dragons, woke up and began to fight. The white dragon fled leaving the red dragon to go back to sleep quietly in his lair. Vortigern’s castle was finally built and named in honour of Myrddin Emrys.

Day 5. DARKNESS

Day 5's sketch featured my old friend and familiar, the white hare

“He knew the many old tales of the forest, the young girl with the blood red cloak, the two children that left a trail of breadcrumbs behind them. The darkness held many stories, and yet he still walked it’s labyrinth of paths leaving stardust in his wake, for souls to find” 

Day 6. KEY

’The last leaf falls when old winter calls. And the keeper of the key begins the passing over’

Day 7. CROWN

’As a daughter of the forest she cared not for gold or silver. So they made her a crown gifted from Autumn hedgerows. 

I enjoyed taking part and am glad I set myself this small challenge. Hopefully I shall take part in some more daily challenges next year? 

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!