A little sunlight in the woods

The sun has been to visit and stayed a while. We took advantage and walked in the woods where only the gentle silent waters moved slowly and birds went about their business without a care of anything else that was going on in the world.

The trees skeletal forms were softened with moss. A green velvety coat that glowed in the afternoon rays.(which reminds me I never did get that green velvet mossy coat that I was after a few years back)
Growing upon the fallen rotting branches, moss covered, I found this bright red fungus. I think it's called Scarlet Elf Cup. What a perfect name, don't you think?

 In fact the whole place seemed  perfect for elves to live... and other creatures.

 "Frodo saw the valley of the Silverlode lying like a sea of fallow gold tossing gently in the breeze.  It seemed to him that he would never hear again a running water so beautiful, for ever blending its innumerable notes in an endless changeful music."  ~ Tolkien

Was that the distant sound of sweet singing I heard? Voices of  Lothlorien perhaps.

Even the ant hills looked a little surreal in the afternoon light, almost as if they were sleeping beings that might up and walk at a moments notice, or when the full moon shines upon them?

~*~

Our wanderings took us near to the pretty village of Castle Combe which is only just a few miles from me. I'm not sure if I've shared pictures of the village before on here, I may have done?

It's a very picturesque Cotswold stone village and very much loved by tourists. Maybe you might recognise it from the film Stardust?

~*~

Although the sun has been with us these past few days and yesterday I was gardening in a tee shirt my thoughts and ideas have been of the north. The latest two finished paintings reflect this. This one below I have slightly changed from my original drawing. 'The Jewelled Breath' available as a print from my shop here

The other painting I haven't got around to scanning yet, so isn't available as yet, but will be shortly. I will take it with me on my next trip to town. I have named this one 'Queen of the Earth, child of the sky'

It's painted on canvas which I often struggle with. It's strange how moving paint across a different surface can behave so differently. Wood and paper is fast, but canvas always so slow, for me anyhow. 

Thanks for all your comments on the last post, so sorry I haven't replied to any, I will get around to it. Time seems to be playing tricks on me at the moment.

Enjoy the sunshine! 

X

The Slow Path

January is flying by but I wasn't fast enough to jump onto her wing and hitch a ride. I feel I have been left behind and  am taking the scenic path. I have been working very slowly. I'm not sure why this is? I think I'm gathering my thoughts and still recharging my creative battery?  It's strange as when the new year arrives you want to throw yourself into the fresh new beginning. But the mind is not willing and is telling me it's a journey not a race. So I've been looking.

I've met Jack Frost a couple of times, but this year he has more business elsewhere, not Wiltshire.
Sky watching. I've done a lot of that. In fact I always do. There is more magic in light than in anything I feel.

January has gifted me with  lavender sweets, celandines in bloom,  a tear shed or two over War horse, falling into heather and the highlands by candlelight via the pages of my book, answering a song thrush that definitely spoke to me! Beautiful new music, browsing in bookshops, sweet incense and warm spicy soup, a meteorite so ancient my mind boggled and of course  the prettiest thing of January, snowdrops.
Thus have been my days. Simple days.
In between I've been painting. This one, a sketch from last year has been on the list for a long time. And  with the muse deciding it's rest time, it's taking longer than anticipated. But, we'll get there. ;)

There's still quite a lot to do on this painting, but hopefully it should be finished next week?

I'll leave you with a clip of War Horse. Do go and see, a beautiful book  an amazing theatre production (which I've yet to see but so want to) and  now magical movie and part of it filmed here in Wiltshire just a few miles away at Castle Combe.