Warm Days

Winter has now 'officially' ended and Spring is here.
Outside a  symphony plays. The musicians are black velvet gowned, red breasted and speckle chested. Rook, blackbird, twitterings of hedge sparrow, sweet song of robin, and enchanting lull of song thrush. Celandine, primrose and white violet scent the spring air and the sun is warm. I'm wearing short sleeves in March.

I've made some birds.

Little birds with hearts and toadstools on.

And I finished 'Peaceable Kingdom'

I hope you are enjoying the sunshine and birdsong as much as I am?
Happy Spring! x

The Love Of Stars

I want to sleep in starry meadows where the hare runs wild as the wind. With a lace pillow of clover petals, thistledown and tom thumb I will lay my head down low, shaded by umbelliferae.  Beside the wild thyme stems and stalks I will dream where the mice and beetles dream. And when the darkness falls glow worm will be my lighted lamp.  Soft rustle of grass sings my lullaby and high above when I stir, the ancient constellations kiss my drowsy eyelashes with stardust. 

 Karen Davis 2012


March has come in like a lamb and I have painted a hare.
                                                                             Lepus

Lepus ....a constellation lying south of Orion. It's name being latin for hare.

I love stars and the night sky as you have probably already guessed. I do paint rather a lot of night sky Maybe too many? Can you paint too many? I don't think so. ;) I was once told by my tutor at Art college to go and paint an article on abortion and that I couldn't make a living out of painting starry skies. He of course was telling me that life is not all sugar coated and twee and encouraging me to stretch myself and make my work more adaptable for commissions which of course was his job. I know that life is not all starry skies, we all know that, but we can choose what we want to include in it to a certain extent. Yes, I could do dark and I did and I still can if I want to. Just to prove it, here is a glimpse of that old  darker work....

I still added some stars though. ;)

My son is a keen amateur astronomer and the other day I tried to take a photograph of the moon through the eye piece of his telescope. While it didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped, I like this photograph all the same.

A couple of weeks ago we visited the William Herschel museum in Bath. William Herschel was a musician and  astronomer and from his residence in Bath, which is now the museum, he discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.

It was very interesting there and I really enjoyed myself.
I wonder if he was a night owl? I am a night owl, a lover of indigo skies, familiar to the creaks of the house in the night when all are asleep. When larks minds are weary mine comes alive.

I am back to painting Peaceable Kingdom now after being distracted and chasing a March hare.
Thank you for the comments about the sketches. I love the idea of a theme being passed around on this. Maybe I could make a page and you can send me anything you create on the theme, pictures writings etc? Just a thought?
                                                                       

Sketchings and Shimmerings On Water

I have ladybirds in my sketchbook. Real, not drawings. When the sun shines they wake up attracted to the brightness of my desk lamp. I open the windows and some fly free but others crawl back to the cracks of the window frame and go back to sleep. Are they the clever one's not deceived by the winter sun that has woken them?

I've been working in my sketchbook planning new paintings. The one above was drawn on Valentines day. I couldn't help drawing a heart. :)  This one below is for another painting. I've several on the go at the moment. The title of this one is Peaceable Kingdom. The quality of the photo is not that good as it's dark today.

Here are some close ups.

My inspiration for this painting comes from the Edward Hicks painting below which features the same name. And the whole gentle paradise idea I suppose, of a Peaceable Kingdom. If only....

Also the tear inducing film documentary which also has the same name again.

I still  haven't got around to the large unfinished painting yet. It has to be the right moment though doesn't it?
Since I last wrote here, we had another dusting of snow...

And some  icicles. I love icicles.

This is my little potted yew tree that I've nurtured from a seedling, looking like a Christmas tree decorated.

The other day out walking by the river I spotted these sparklings and shimmerings dancing on the rivers gentle current.  Decorating the surface with fairy lights for a silver fishes party below?  The pike, roach, dace and minnow are all dressed up. Of course the kingfisher and heron are not invited. ;)  I feel there is a story there and maybe a painting?

So now to the giveaway! Sorry I've taken so long about it and thanks for all of your comments and wonderful ideas of what you would like to see in my shop. I will go through them all and write a list in my sketchbook . Anyway, all names/ number of comments from here and Facebook were put into the draw and the lucky name pulled out by my son this time, was...... Katie Luce 
Congratulations Katie!  The giveaway items will be on there way to wherever you are very soon.

Now it's back to work, I need to mend my light box which will speed things up here. So for now I'll leave you with beautiful music and magical imagery mixed together by a clever person on Youtube...