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 

Forever filled with magic may this place be.

In my last post I shared a sketch that I had done. Since then I have gone ahead and turned it into a painting. I thought it might be interesting to share the process in stages, as I haven't done that in a while. From sketched out beginnings on wood.

To stirrings of life, aided by of copious mugs of tea and many hours of music.

Until you reach that moment when you stop and say it's done. 

The colours are looking slightly different between these last two images. I think the true colour is somewhere between the two. 

This painting is now available to buy as a print here in my shop.

~*~

A few days ago, I was out early to capture the morning's beauty. 

Fire was rising from the horizon as I walked down and looked across the garden path. 

Ice intricately covered each and every stem. Not a branch, seedpod or faded leaf had been missed. The Winter King is very thorough. I had just a few special minutes in this strange magical half light before it disappeared. A small window in time. I felt as if I was witnessing something ancient that so many from long ago saw when they worshipped the sun. 

 Walking on, the sun watched me, peeping through branches like an eye.  

 Then in no time at all the eye had disappeared, the light diffused and a dragon rose to greet the day.

   It didn't stay long but metamorphosed into another golden being of light. 

In the corner of the field I encountered a golden portal.

I didn't step into it that morning as I had art work to come back to and be getting on with. ;)  But, rest assured next time, I will most certainly step inside.  Who knows where it will lead to?  After all I have asked my little friend to show me the old magic.  I think he is doing a good job so far.  

By the time I walked back home for a cup of hot chocolate, the sky was the colour of a summer flower. 

Decorations and gifts

The darkest time of Winter is upon us. Inside and outside lights abound to chase the darkness away.  Fairy lights twine around trees, doorways, staircases, sometimes whole houses, they shine from almost every window, wherever you go. Fires are lit to warm our hearths and hearts.

I know many folk don't like the long dark nights that winter brings, but I have always loved it and celebrated it's difference to the other months.  I can't imagine living in a place without obvious seasons. I love winter equally to Spring, Summer and Autumn and feel glad that each one has their own beauty and gifts to bring to the cycle of the year. 

Winter's dark evenings I feel are balanced with the bright low light in the day. Her silver skies, frosty dawns and of course her whiteness of snow. 

This morning I was up earlier than usual and as I put the kettle on to make my morning mug of tea I noticed out of the window a low mist lying in the field. So after finishing my drink and a slice of marmite on toast I decided on a morning walk hoping it would be a great opportunity for photographs, as it looked so pretty. 

The mist still hung about the river when I got to the field.

To my right, the frosted grass was flooded with ethereal light. 

Beautiful winter sun. 

Revealing nature's own December decorations. So much more perfect than anything sparkly for sale in the high street shops.

Delicate spider webs draped in the tiniest almost frozen water droplets formed a necklace between the burdock seed heads on the river bank.

Gold from the heavens shining on jewels of the Earth. More precious than any jewellery to be opened on Christmas morning.

I walked in this morning sun for a long while. Soaking up it's brightness in my bones, feeling as if my very heart was being charged. I took deep breaths inhaling the icy air. It was filled with the smell of leaf, branch, soil, animal, fruit, stone, feather and water, all blended into an exotic morning scent. Better than any designer perfume in a bottle. It was a good start to my day. 

                                                                                 

                                                                                   ♥

The Sun Has Returned

What a change this morning. A return of sparkling sunshine. Pure delight after the past few wild and stormy grey days. Much too nice to stay inside so I decided to tidy my out door work space. I brushed up, moved things around and re-blutacked pictures/postcards that had fallen down. I shook out the rug, cleaned the windows so now it's ready to use again. In fact it was warm inside. Warm enough to work in while the sun is out.   

These two, of course followed me.  Here they were having a little tiff. Willow was adamant she wasn't moving from 'her' space in the corner where the sun was, even though Jasper was originally there first. Do you see the look on her face. There were several hisses in between shots. ;)

 It seems almost half the lawn has turned to moss. How did that happen? I don't mind at all as I love moss and find lawns rather boring, unless of course they have lots of daisies. 

Maybe I'll make a coat out of the moss. I never did find my green mossy velvet coat that I planned to buy?

I could add these delicate ferns as lace around the collar?

Spring is in the air. I peeped my lens through the hedge and zoomed in the best I can with my little camera. I felt a teeny bit like paparazzi...

On better terms ten minutes later...

                                                                                    ***

So, the children are back at school and the new year has well and truly started. I'm not making any written down resolutions as I'm totally rubbish at keeping them. 

I've been drawing out a new painting this week and finishing off a bath panel. We've been without one for 2 years. Two years of looking at a horrible nothingness beneath the bath where dust collects. The last one cracked and it was so nasty we decided to bin it. Our landlords choice, the cheapest of cheap white plastic. So here is the new one....

And some close up shots...

Now to the giveaway!

  

Thank you all for entering. I used the random generator thingybob again this time as there were quite a few comments to cut out beautifully in the shape of leaves as I had originally planned.  Extra numbers were added for people that had shared via Twitter and Facebook too.  So the winner is .........

                                                                    Celtic Heart

Congratulations! the book will be on it's way to you as soon as you message me details of where to send. :)

                                                                                   ***

Have a great weekend everyone! lets hope this sun stays, as we have a chicken house to move. 

xx