A grey sky day.

The first Monday in October and the skies have turned grey and the rain is falling gently. I'm inside at the computer today doing the boring jobs as I call them, but of course very necessary.  Reordering envelopes, paper, and restocking the shop, tidying away and filing receipts and such like. I find it hard to concentrate if I'm surrounded by chaos. I know some Artists thrive in an organised mess, but I'm not really one of them.
Outside the window the holly tree is alive with activity. The berries are red and ready for a blackbird and thrushes feast. Blackberries have clawed their way up through the branches and are in fruit at the top of the tree. Shiny black caviar against the earthy red of the holly. Sparrows flit between the juicy fruit and blue tit hover against the window frame tap tapping the glass with their beaks, feasting on the spiders and other insects that are caught in the webs on the window frame. I do love the advantages of not cleaning your windows regularly. Who needs to, when the birds do it for you. ;)

Luckily the weather here was totally different last week when we had the Blood moon lunar eclipse. I stayed up to watch and the skies here were just perfect. Clear as a bell and filled with starlight. I tried to capture on my camera. They aren't brilliant as I only have a bridging camera not a proper DSLR. But all in all I am quite happy with them and I shall definitely have to add this eerie orange moon into a painting at some point soon.

The other day I was in London.  (My daughter has reached that age when it is time to go visiting open days for Uni's etc)  The last time I was there was a year ago to see Kate Bush, so it was quite nice to visit. Being a country mouse I can just about manage a once a year trip! Although this year I feel it will be many more as we are off up there again already it seems just next week! Anyway, I will stop waffling on and show you what I saw.

Aurora the huge wonderful Greenpeace polar bear puppet, standing outside of the Shell oil building, her head moving and roaring... I was aware that she had been there, as had signed the petition many months ago, to stop drilling in the Arctic and my name was one of the many thousands attached to her.  But what a wonderful surprise to stumble across her unexpectedly on route. Of course London is filled with so many exciting things to see, but she was what made my day! And then even better, was the fantastic news announced just a few days later that Shell had made a decision to pull out of drilling in the Arctic. So now Aurora is on the move and is travelling to Paris and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to see her.  You can read more about the story here.

Back here at home, I've been working on some wooden hangers which are all going into my Etsy shop this evening at 8pm UK time. Just a heads up for those of you that don't have Facebbok and Instagram. Although a bit short notice, so I do apologise for that.

I will leave you with the trailer to Max Richters 'Sleep' An eight hour long piece of music written to be slept through which is just what I did, when it was played live on Radio 3 on the night of September 26th. A wonderful relaxing sleep it was too. Beautiful and ethereal music...

A friendly robin and a dream fulfilled

Let me introduce you to my new friend.

Just lately I have had this little chap (at least I think it's a chap) following me about when I'm in the garden. Each time I would take a tea break from working and sit outside, he would appear.

He clearly wanted to get close, as would hop within an arms length and swoop close by my head as I walked past.  One morning whilst sitting at my computer I even noticed that he was outside on the window sill, head cocked slightly to the side and peeping in the window.
I wouldn't normally encourage wild birds so close, as obviously being a cat owner it could lead to a disastrous ending. But this little chap was clearly asking for something? So with a few crumbs on my hand and some tiny morsels of cheese I stretched my hand out to him. It didn't take long before he was brave enough to fly down and peck at what was on offer. :)  

Such a beautiful little bird. I feel truly privileged. I know lots of people have had birds feed from their hands, but this is the first time for me, so I am so happy.

Whilst summer has slipped away and the leaves are beginning to fall here, we have been blessed with glorious sunny days again. The garden is still blooming and the birds are still feasting on the late blackberries that shine in the hedgerows. Butterflies flit from michelmas daisies and verbena bonariensis and myself.

The ivy is humming each time you pass, from the hundreds of bees, and various flies that are attracted to it's flowers in bloom.

I love this time of year when all is quietly winding down the slow path to winter days.
I've been working away on some things that I will be back to show you quite soon.
In the meantime I've updated the shop with some cards. Some are homemade, some professionally printed.

September has passed quickly, my boy has left home to begin a new adventure studying Music at university and it is strange here without his piano playing. On our way back from dropping him off we stopped off at the seaside and watched the gulls and the silver sea and reflected on how time goes so fast.

Hiding behind my hair. 

September has also been the month for dreams coming true. One of mine I never guessed would ever be fulfilled was so, last Saturday when I travelled up to London to see Kate Bush perform. I was one of those lucky one's that managed to grab a ticket at two minutes past nine on that March morning. Yes, I remember it well.

The show was amazing and every bit I had hoped it would be and more. Kate's music has been an inspiration to me for years and many many pictures have been created or inspired, listening to her sing.   

My all time favourite by her and has been since it came out back in 1985 is the 'Ninth wave'. For those of you that don't know her work, it is a series of songs linked together that create a story of someone that has fallen into the water and is lost at sea. While she is floating and waiting to be rescued she drifts in and out of consciousness near death's door. Seeing this on Saturday being created visually on stage was truly too magical for words. I admit to wiping tears away when she broke into the bars of 'Hello Earth' my ultimate favourite song by her. 

The show was visually stunning. It's hard to put into words, but some I would use to describe are hypnotic, beautiful, enchanted, haunting, moving, perfect, wow wow and unbelievable. ;) 

There are no photographs to share as Kate wanted to interact with the audience, not their camera's and phones which has become the normal way of things these days. I am glad and everyone that was there abided by her wishes, which was so good to see. The picture above is of the programme that I bought and the piece of paper is confetti that blew out into the audience during the ninth wave. The words upon are an extract from 'The coming of Arthur' by Tennyson they read:

Wave after wave, each mightier than the last,

Till last a ninth one gathering half the deep

And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged

Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame

I shall leave you with a beautiful song by Kate and wish you a wonderful  October. x

Haunted By Glass Eyes

Yesterday I was up in London for the day with my son visiting a college open day. We had a couple of hours to spare before we caught our coach back so we wandered  around the Natural History Museum. It's quite a few years since I was here last, but it doesn't really change. The building is magnificent outside and in. It reminds me of Hogwarts.

If you've never been here, there is a lot of taxidermy (not a favourite thing of mine) but, all of it done by Victorians many years ago. Time has ticked on and the animals have faded,which adds to the melancholy feel of seeing them.

The old lion touched me the most. How can artificial eyes look so sad?  It made me wonder if the taxidermist was feeling the same as he prepared the King of the jungle for his life behind glass?  I promised him that he would feature in one of my paintings when I said goodbye.

Old Lion, how did you spend your days.

I hope you felt the African sun on your back.

Your real eyes have long gone, what did they see?

Zebra, impala, Baobab tree.

Your body treated and preserved for humans to admire.

In a cold case you stand, blind glass eyes.

I would take you out if I could.

Faded and sad and misunderstood.

                                                                    (Words by me)