First Bee of Spring, Hares, and a Birthday

Now that the seasons are changing, primroses are in flower much earlier than they ever were. The climate is warmer which means bees and other insects wake up and are active earlier. I saw my first huge bumble bee this year around the beginning of February. Luckily there were lots of primrose, snowdrop and crocus around for this beautiful queen to feast upon. I'm sure she was a queen  because she was huge. To honour her wonderful majesty, I created a little painting.

This painting will be available in my next shop update. (tbc)

 We have been  enjoying the February sunlight and warmth through the glass.

Although the weather has turned chilly here today and we have even had some flakes of snow fall.

It was definitely a thermal trousers kind of day.

On my desk this month, I've been playing about designing some new shapes for the hares this Spring.

And with lots of tea to keep me going, creating some with the older regular shape too.

All of these hares will be leaping off to an exhibition at the Masham Gallery in Yorkshire  'Race The Wind' The exhibition begins on March 9th and continues until 23rd April. www.mashamgallery.co.uk
Many of my customers are from the Yorkshire area, so do stop and take a look and say a little hello to my hares if you live nearby. Or maybe even go and buy one there. Don't forget it's Mothers Day on the 11th March so you may want to treat someone special or even yourself.  ;-)

Can you believe it!? This blog is 10 years old! Well officially on the 29th February, but as there isn't one this year, then I'm going to wish it a Happy Birthday now.

So a big thank you to anyone that visits, reads, comments etc... I hope you enjoy this little place of gentle things.
 x

Feasting On Cherries Before A Storm

Last night I went to see Snow White And The Huntsman.  I love films that are visually appealling. It's like being in the woods, then discovering a birds nest with the brighest blue eggs.
Colours, costumes, angles, all inspired. Fragments of ideas have journeyed into rooms of my mind. Doors have closed for now but will be opened when required. I have also fell in love with this song from the soundtrack ....
Haunting and beautiful.

 We have experienced wild and windy weather. No flaming June resides here. I watched our apple trees nervously hoping their old bone branches and  trunks would stand strong in the high winds. They did.
One of next doors  trees wasn't so lucky. It split down the middle and fell. Now the jackdaws sit upon it  and gaze across the fields their view changed.

Before the storm the sun shone and tiny roses perfumed the path.

We feasted on cherries under the big tree.

I danced at our village Jubilee ceilidh and my husband won a teapot in the raffle.

My painting Moonraker's will be part of this exhibition next weekend. If you are in the area, (Corsham, Wiltshire) do pay a visit and pop in and say hello. It's part of the Corsham fringe festival and on the Saturday there will be other things going on in the town, including street performers,  and a food festival. Well worth a visit.