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...

October Days

"Come said the wind to
the leaves one day,
Come o're the meadows
and we will play.

Put on your dresses

scarlet and gold,
For summer is gone
and the days grow cold." 

 
-  A Children's Song of the 1880's

So far the days have been mild here this October.
Today sunlight shines on the reddest berries. The blackbird has begun it's feast in the holly tree, a signal for me to pick my chosen berry laden branches and put them into a bucket of water, in the greenhouse ready for Christmas. If I don't, by the end of the week the tree will be bare.

Some things that I have enjoyed and done so far this October...

1. Hunted for toadstools
2. Hugged a huge oak tree
3. Met up with an old dear friend for a good  natter
4. Collected conkers and autumn leaves.
5. Working in my new studio.
6. The spicy scent of wood on my new canvas. (If you follow me on Facebook, then you will already know this! ;) )

And today when I was in town, I saw a man which brought  a smile to my face. Amid the rather bland landscape of shops, he swept through with a touch of magic surrounding him. On his shoulders were two of the most beautiful green parrots! And with his clothes, he looked as if he might have stepped from the pages of  Inkheart. I love moments like these don't you?

Funny how things seem connected sometimes? That man and his parrots was similar to my latest little painting a 15x 15 cm canvas. It is titled  'Francis On The Hill'

I've been meaning to include a St Francis of Asissi ( patron saint of animals and the enviroment ) symbolic type figure for a while now in one of my paintings. It wasn't until two days later, once I had begun the painting that I realised that I had sketched this out on the 4th October (his feast day) without any knowledge of the date. Strange coincidence... but true.
Francis On The Hill will be available as a print in my Etsy shop very very soon. Along with some new postcards of 'Rest Your Weary Head'

I can't believe that we have reached 500 followers! Amazing! Thank you all so much for being interested in this little place of goings on. And for all your comments. x
Hmmmm......I think it must be nearly time for another giveaway soon? ;-)
 

Tonights moon