I couldn't sleep so worked until the birds began to sing and the soft pink, apricot and grey hues of the misty morning looked like a dream on a page in a book, that I could walk into.
Midsummer is approaching fast. The grass around our little bonfire area has been cut and is ready for a fire on midsummers eve. How fast the year is going. I love these long days when I can stay out in the garden pottering, and planting until 10pm. If only I had a spell that could stop time on the longest day just to get all the things done that needed to be done. My list is ever growing...
Speaking of spells, my painting 'Midsummer Spell' is currently for sale at the 'Inverarity gallery'
It's part of an exhibition titled 'Magic and Medicine'
The painting is acrylic on wood with gold leaf and is mounted in a vintage wooden hand painted black frame, with bee decoration.
Do go and take a peep. :)
Bees feature in another painting that I quite recently finished 'Invisible Paths'
These paintings are both available as cards in my shop in a pack of four mixed or packs of two of the same.
I've also made this older painting 'Between Two Trees' into a card for the spring/summer season.
I have some hares that are almost done now, so not long until a long overdue shop update!...
Other than that, my days have been pretty much filled with flowers, occasional charity shop book browsing and wildlife watching.
Days are quiet here now. My son has returned to university and daughter is back at school. September has returned and in the garden the flowers are still blooming, holding on as long as they can while the sun is still warm. There seems to be a lot of purple around. Here below is Verbena bonariensis one of my favourite plants. It's so pretty, the bees and butterflies love it, and it's quite a tough cookie. Standing tall and very rarely falling over even in the heaviest of rains and wind.
This year, sadly there has been a distinct absence of butterflies here. No where near as many as we normally have. Here though below is a blue butterfly enjoying the Oregano that I spotted the other day.
It's been a good year for the apples and the blackberries which are are abundant in the hedgerow.
When the days have been warm and dry, I've been sat with the doors open and re positioned my chair by the door for maximum daylight.
I wasn't alone, there is always company just a few feet away
This is what's been on the easel. An A3 sized painting on wood. Here are some progress stages.
And the finished piece. 'A veil as thin as smoke' the colours are slightly different here. In reality the original is probably somewhere in between. Prints are available here for anyone interested.
"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!"
(From Robert Brownings poem 'Home thoughts from abroad')
'There on the grey stone in the grass was an enormous thrush, nearly coal black, its pale yellow breast freckled (with) dark spots. Crack! It had caught a snail and was knocking it on the stone. Crack! Crack! “Leave him alone!” said Thorin. “The thrushes are good and friendly-this is a very old bird indeed, and is maybe the last left of the ancient breed that used to live about here, tame to the hands of my father and grandfather. They were a long-lived and magical race, and this might even be one of those that were alive then, a couple of hundreds years or more ago." (From the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien)
This song thrush is on my garden path, going about it's business, keeping the garden snails in check, tap tapping and cracking them on the stone. Busy, with a mouth filled with food for a fledgling, that chirped in the overgrown flower bed near the hedge. I followed the precious sound, discovered the baby, then quickly snapped a photograph. It turned out a little out of focus because I tried to hurry, I didn't want to delay it's snack that was eagerly waiting to be delivered. Hopefully this one will survive to adult hood and bless us with it's sweet song.
The foxgloves are in full bloom now standing tall. They remind me of glowing lanterns with the evening light behind them.
The bees are enjoying them, buzzing in and out of the bells so fast I managed to capture a bottom.
And a leg. :-)
Latest work to show, are three pieces on wood, which will be heading over to the 'The Names of the Hare' exhibition at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester, Gloucestershire this July.
'Following the song for evermore'
'Magic in the spaces between'
'The Geminids call'
If you are in the area, please do visit, I'm sure it will be a fantastic exhibition. :-)
Going back to The Hobbit, that was mentioned at the beginning, I will end with this wonderful song from the last film. I only just caught up with the final instalment in the film trilogy, just last week, so do forgive me for being 'late to the party' so to speak. I just love this song and had to share. I feel quite sad now that it's all done and that I won't be seeing the familiar characters anymore.
I'm just stopping by here to share new work that is to be added to the Etsy shop soon. I have been super busy and have 20 hares to add. (other smaller pieces, shown previously, will be listed next time) I know many of you do not have Facebook, so here are all 20 for you to peruse..
All hares will leap over to the shop this Thursday 21st May at 9.00pm (21:00) UKtime and as usual they are sold on a first come, first served basis. All hares are 'one of a kind' originals, large sized, which is (length 33cms x 20cms approx) and prices are £100 each.
As this is quite a few pictures already, I won't add any more to this post and break blogger, but will be back soon with other bits and pieces.
~X~
I paint pictures and make creatures with wood.
Earth and animal lover, magic seeker.
Welcome to my place where I share things I am working on, things that inspire and other odds and ends.
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