Days of Roses and Honeysuckle and Small Offerings of Light

It was a little budding rose,
Round like a fairy globe,
And shyly did its leaves unclose
Hid in their mossy robe,
But sweet was the slight and spicy smell
It breathed from its heart invisible.

~ Emily Bronte

June is the month for roses. I've been enjoying the ones I'm lucky to have in this garden and stop to smell their heavenly scent each time I walk past. How can you not, when their time is so short? I treated the garden to a new addition when visiting the local garden centre recently. It's a rose that for years I have had my eye on but never got around to ever buying. So the other day when I saw it, I gave in and it came home with me.

 It's a repeat flowering one so I'm looking forward to smelling the roses for a little longer. It also has the most vivid colour petals which I've saved each time that they have dropped, for drying.

This month I've been finding it really hard to concentrate and my mind has been all over the place so  recharging for longer each day outside has been important. Watching the flowers emerge from seeds that have been tended and nurtured, soaking up the scents really help to clear a busy mind.

There are always so many wonders to see! The hornet in the picture below, lost it's way the other day and came in through the window.  We caught it in a beer glass and admired it for a few moments before releasing back outside and on its way. The caterpillars were having a feast on the mullein and one of the roses. The top right hand one is a mullein moth and the bottom impressive green one I'm hoping (fingers crossed) is a humming bird hawk moth? 

In the green house was a stunning tiger moth. Such beauty! 

  Moon daisies (ox eye) are in abundance and the grass snake is back in the compost heap.

With so many distractions it's a wonder I get any work done at all this time of year! Some how I do though. Here are a set of small paintings 'Midnight in the wood' series that I've made into new designs for cards.    

The cards are available here to buy as a pack of four.  The photo of the originals above look much bluer in colour than they are. In reality they are more like the cards below.  It's hard to pick up the colours correctly with a camera sometimes though.

I've also had a little play about with some pendants. The ones that I added to the shop have already sold, but I will be adding more shortly.

Another painting recently done. 'Small Offerings of Light'

Inspired by the photograph that I took not so long ago, of my owl hangers all hanging together.  Here are just a couple of pictures at the moment, as I'm having some camera problems. It will be made available as a print once scanned and ready. 

 ~*~

I hope you all made the most of the longest day if you are this side of the world like myself.  Or the shortest one if you are not. :) It's hard to believe that the Summer Solstice has been and gone now, this year seems to speed up with each day that passes. 

My evening was spent quietly in the garden with a small fire waiting for the beautiful full moon to rise.  It was peaceful and filled with bird evensong and the smell of woodsmoke woven between honeysuckle. 

Eight Years Old and Song to the Sun's return

Today this blog is eight years old! Or should I say two? It was created on this day, the 29th February,  which of course only comes around every four years.

Back in 2008 I began it as a sort of visual diary really, just to record my creativity, places I visited and other bits and pieces along the way. I have never really been any good at keeping a diary, but the ability to upload pictures appealed to me and the journey began. I named it Moonlight and Hares because they were just two things that I loved and included in my paintings regularly. Back then my two hobbits were children and now they are both young adults. Time is so very precious isn't it. Time has changed the way we interact online. Many blogs that I used to read no longer exist and Facebook and Instagram have replaced some. But there is something strange and therapeutic and satisfying about keeping a blog. It is still my preferred social media, even if I don't post that often.

To celebrate the eight years I thought it would be nice to do a giveaway.

I've recently completed this painting. 'Song to the Sun's return' inspired by my January trip to Lapland.  

 I wanted to do this painting a little differently so the shape and some of the symbols are inspired by Sámi shaman drums. I have painted the sun symbol with real shell gold and to try and get the same effect, hand highlighted the prints in my shop with gold paint. 

If you would like the chance of winning a copy of this print, just follow and comment below. I will choose one winner next week sometime and announce it the next time I put up a blog post. Only comments published on this blog will be counted, as this give-away is to celebrate the blogs Birthday.

Good luck and thank you for reading! :-)

X 

Light to outshine the darkness

Some light, to outshine the darkness. Pictures captured a few weeks back, from that time of day when another realm is glimpsed, and all manner of magic seems possible? I found words in the misty labyrinth of this woven inter web to go with them.

From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things, and makes us aware that we are nothing, but the light is all.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King

“The Warrior of the Light is a believer. Because he believes in miracles, miracles begin to happen. Because he is sure that his thoughts can change his life, his life begins to change. Because he is certain that he will find love, love appears.” ~ Paul Coelho

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”

~Og Mandino

Never let the light fade... I've added these words to some hangers that I've been working on.

Foxes, midnight blue and red ones. This was a design planned back in March, but has only just been brought to life. 

I've made 10 of these, and each will be added to my Etsy shop on Monday 17th August at 8pm (UK time) There will also be birds and some hare pendants.

It's been a quiet summer here. In between painting, I've been also painting the kitchen, pottering in the garden, enjoying the sunsets, meteors and scent of night scented stock. Watching birds, wishing I was a bird, wishing I was a seagull, (one that lives on a wild cliff top dotted with thrift, not a cheeky one that hangs about dustbins or steals fish and chips) talking to the squirrel in the nut tree that has eaten nearly all of the nuts this year (before I got there :/) and reading Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy (finally)

It's important to talk to flowers. 

And watch spiders, weave worlds within worlds.   

In the garden

Early morning, the beginning of June. Sunlight catches delicate sparkling trails of cobweb. Soon they will dry off and retreat into their almost invisible world again.

A snatch of a glimpse, into the faerie realm?

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse

I've been busy in the garden. Lots of cutting back, transplanting , digging weeding and I still have more to do. I must remember though, not to stress about all the things that need 'doing' and just enjoy the jobs in hand. Being outdoors in the fresh air, in a beautiful setting is enough in itself. A garden is never a finished thing. It evolves and changes over the seasons and the years. I'm just helping it along by giving some plants more space, more light to thrive and adding a few things here and there that I would like to see, or what the bees and butterflies might want.

In the greenhouse I'm amazed at my crop of rocket that initially self seeded, survived all winter and is still going strong.  Next to it there is lettuce, cucumber, parsley, (flat leaf and curly) another self seeded new patch of more rocket, some coriander and radishes. The opposite side which you can't see has tomato plants.  On the bench at the far end is my runner beans that I haven't planted outside yet. A must job for this weekend!

I made a small space for some sweet peas beside the path.  The path, hmm yes that's another job that needs doing.

                                                                              ~ *~
Over the bank holiday weekend, the end of last month we stopped by during the open weekend at Secret World wildlife rescue. It's the second time I've visited now. They do a fantastic job rescuing wildlife and took in many of the injured badgers last year, during the senseless cull.
So here's some of the beauties we met.

And this gorgeous girl. 

Such wise eyes.
It's foxes that I've been working on since my last post. They are finished now and will be added to my shop tomorrow evening Friday 6th June at 8pm again. (uk time)

~*~

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are doing.
X

The Rosehip Spell

The little white maiden had been hidden in the dark for many months. Sometimes when she stirred she heard echoes of laughter and warmth stretched down to her roots in the dark where she lay asleep. It wasn't her turn to reach for the sky, not when the dog roses were out. She had to wait. She had to wait until the earthworms pulled the old leaves down, and the ground turned cold. She had to wait until the hedgehog was deep in sleep and the darkness lingered. She had to wait until the freezing  rain, ice and snow covered the land. Then it was her time.
    ~Karen Davis 2014

The snowdrop, so perfect and so wonderful to see at winters end. These are in my garden, but I've been noticing them all over lately and even some celandine peeping their yellow smiley faces out early too.
The rain has continued to fall and we still haven't had any really cold icy weather. My heart goes out to all the poor souls who have been flooded and especially Somerset. It looks as if the isle of Avalon has returned, maybe King Arthur will too, we could certainly do with his help.
I finished another heart painting. I felt the need to do a fox as I didn't want him to be left out. ;)

It's titled 'The Rosehip Spell '  Prints will be available in my shop shortly. I will probably be adding the original too, although at the moment it has to stay and have some 'me' time  for a while to absorb some 'love' Does that sound odd to you? How do other artists feel when they sell an original work It's strange as some work I feel more attached to when it comes to letting go. I suppose it is because it is a little bit of yourself, an extension of your feelings and soul.

Over on my facebook page I'm having a valentine giveaway, so  if you would like to win a copy of this print do pop across and comment. Please hurry though as it's only a 24 hour one.

I will leave you with this lovely new song by Emily Portman. I just love the video, I used to have the very same shepherd, lambs and sheep in my farm animal collection as a child!

The year of the toadstool

The festive decorating has begun. Beginning with the little twiggy branch that stays all year on the piano. Over the years it has held snowflakes, icicles, birds and various sparkly bits. This year it is the year of the toadstool. Woo!

The toadstools normally go on the Christmas tree in the other room, but I bought a few extra this year, so felt their time had come to play starring role on the piano.  The birds have flown to the fireplace and the snowflakes will be happy settling on the tree this year.  (All except the robin, who was quite adamant he wanted to stay in the twiggy tree, thank you very much. ;))

The holly is picked and waiting in a bucket in the greenhouse. Meanwhile the holly tree has now been stripped of all remaining berries by hungry blackbirds and thrushes.
Plan for the weekend  is to buy the tree. :)
The winter sun has been a welcome visitor dancing merrie light on walls and doors.

   Looking outside it could almost be mistaken for late summer in this picture.

More sketches from the advent calendar on facebook. 
                                                 'Do you hear what I hear'

And a white hare.

                                                                            ~*~
A few Christmas's back, this was on television.

It was fabulous and just the thing to get you in the yuletide spirit. I came across it again whilst browsing you tube. If you missed it last time I highly recommend it, or if you did see it, then go on,  take a break and watch it again! Or like I've done, have it on in the background whilst doing something else.
See you soon
x