Thoughts, Walks And Hares

A few days ago I had a day off from doing creative things.We didn't go far, just a few miles away from home. 

 

                                                                  View of Silbury hill

Moon daisies ( Ox eye)  danced to the gentle scented breeze and skylark song surrounded the ancient West Kennet Long Barrow. A burial mound 5,000 years old.

As I leaned against the stone it felt warm, no hint of the usual coldness of stone.

Roundway hill was quiet. The blue butteflies fluttered upon tiny yellow flowers of Tom thumb undisturbed, happy to have reclaimed the land.

 

On July 13th 1643 it would have looked a rather different scene here. A site of a battle

Looking down this hill above I caught a fleeting glimpse of a hare before it disappeared  beneath the bush.
I have been visiting this hill for many years and whenever I do I always remember our school day out years back when we spent the day on the hill with other Wiltshire schools reinacting the battle. We made our costumes and were only allowed to bring food that would have been available in 1643. I remember having a small bag made out of sack to carry my lunch in and to conceal my waterbottle which held blackcurrant juice. ( pretend wine!) Our class were Roundheads, on Oliver Cromwells side. I dug up an old photo of us, ready for our journey up the hill before battle commenced. :-)

                                             
Sitting on the hill and near the barrow I felt content and at home. It made me think about a recent and interesting post by Christina on her blog 'A mermaid in the Attic'. She recently did a post called 'Meditations on home'   How sometimes we can feel disconnected and feel as though we don't truly belong if our ancestors have come from another place/country. I feel very lucky to feel connected with this land and feel that I am in the right place. My husband on the other hand feels the same as Christina. Being born and raised in Zimbabwe but having ancestors from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and maybe even a pirate from Portugal! He doesn't know where his roots really are? Maybe he never will?
The feeling I have is hard to put into words. It's a deep connection,  a sharing? It's not always felt, sometimes it only shows itself when you return from a far away place and step foot on home ground. .... Of course I could be competely wrong and I may well originate from Vikings? Just 3 miles away from my home they did DNA testing and found a group of Viking descendants! However I'm not that tall ( 5ft 6) and I was born with very dark brown hair and blue eyes, so perhaps not. ...Although I do have a strong pull /urge drawing me to Scandanavia?....... ;)
Please do go and read Christina's post on the link above, as it's a wonderful piece of writing.

After our day out, the rest of the week was busy, not as busy as this Mother or Father, who I've been watching put so much hard work into feeding chicks. We have a nest in a crack in the wall above the dining room. Photo's courtesy of my Dad who had his 'good' camera with him the other day.  x

I'm sure what I've been busy with is not as important as raising beautiful chicks, but I'll show you anyway..... 

                                             Forgetmenot Hare

                                                           Star Hare

                                                                  Harebell hare
And two more Oaky hares ....

Pop across to my Etsy shop  and take a look .
And enjoy the May bank holiday whatever you are up to?
x

Tree Time Tales And Some Starlight Birds

Waiting for moths to hatch or emerge can get a little like waiting for paint to dry really. The other morning though when I wasn't looking, one appeared. I let it out of the jar and it flew to the window pane where I was able to get a picture.It then flew to the holly tree, so I wished it well on it's journey. Now there are only two chrysalis left.

If you love moths like myself, click here for an  interesting programme that I enjoyed the other day.
I finished another tree inspired painting. Remember the sketch in my last blog post...

                                                                 The Blackthorn King

Both paintings, the one in my last post and this one I have done for 'Tree Time Tales' the theme of this years Cheltenham Illustration Awards which a talented artist friend of mine (whom I so wish would get a blog!) recommended I should give a go.
The painting 'Advice from A Tree' is based on the poem by the same name by Ilan Shamir. I think I have shared this poem on here before, but here it is again anyway.
                                                                 Advice from a Tree

Dear Friend,
Stand Tall and Proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of a greater source
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The Energy and Birth of Spring
The Growth and Contentment of Summer
The Wisdom to let go of leaves in the Fall
The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night.
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!
                                                                     By Ilan Shamir
                                                                 
The painting 'The Black Thorn King' is based around the story of the Erl King. but I also included a thread of an enviromental theme running through it, so it has a double meaning. In the picture he has been defeated. The rider has escaped. He will always be Autumn. (Cut down and will never see spring again.) I have turned the tables so to speak and the Erl king/tree king has become the victim. A slight similarity to Angela Carter's version. in her book The Bloody Chamber which is a dark magical  read  and full of wonderful imagery.
A while ago I shared a song by Josh Ritter on one of my older posts that I love that is also based on The Erlking. The story has been changed to Oak tree King in the song. Take another look here it really is a beautiful song.
 I shall leave you with some Starlight birds, soon to spread their wings to my Etsy shop.

Did anyone catch a glimpse of the full moon last night? I was told it was A 'Hare Moon' but sadly was cloudy here.

A Touch Of Wild And A Scent Of Wisdom

Gentle, delicate, insignificant to some who are sucked into the realm of bold, bright loud, showy and repeat flowering... Our native wild flowers hold a special place in my heart. I suppose it's because they are the flowers I grew up with in the country lanes and woods where I played as a child. The wonderful names always transport me through a doorway into a forgotton place. A past of herbal tinctures, small bottles with glass tops, pestle and mortar, apothecaries, bunches of dried plants and garlands hanging from old oak beams. Rooms scented with bowls of pot pourri, flagstones scattered with lavender leaves,  flowers steeped in oils and blended essences.... I'm inspired just by the names . ... Honeysuckle, Shepherds purse, Pennywort, Dandelion, Cuckoo pint, Yorkshire fog, Speedwell, Snakeshead Fritillary, Herb robert, Devils bit scabious, Yellow archangel, Lady's bedstraw, Sticky mouse ear, Jack by the hedge, Fairy flax. Corn cockle,  Foxglove, Deadly nightshade....
I could go on and on...
Here are some I spotted out walking...

                                                Speedwell

                                                                  Cuckoo flower

                                                             Jack by the hedge

                                        Dandelion

And the queen of the woods... bluebell 

The hawthorn is in bloom now too and my little summer hobbit house which I've nick named 'Bag End'  is looking lovely and wild alongside it.

I also have been wearing this scent of  the wild.. Tree Wisdom perfume. :-)

 My daughter gave me this for Christmas. Hopefully the wisdom might soak in?  ;-)

Of course, as well as enjoying being outside, I have been doing other things. 

Sketches for new paintings..

 And one of them complete. Although looking at it now, I can see I have done the tree's hair line differently. I prefer the sketch, so will have to change that.

'Advice From A Tree' 

I've also been in the shed cutting out lots of wooden creatures and still have more to do, so next week will be a very busy week here.

Oh and just incase I forget, (but I'm sure I won't! ;-)) My painting 'The Starlight Hare' is the featured painting for spring/summer on the children's page over at the Hare Preservation Trust!  Please go and have a look as it's a great website and a fantastic cause for a magical beautiful animal. 

www.hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/children.html

Easter Moments

As Easter weekend draws to a close now and the sun sets on what has been yet another glorious sunshiney filled day. I thought I'd share a few moments of ours.

                                                     Waiting for lunch...

A giant Easter bunny and some other magical moments to treasure at 'Secret World' Wildlife Rescue. 

                                  Baby owl

And another adorable little chap just 3 weeks old....

 Sweetest fox cub. :-)

And then on Easter sunday another magical moment!

One of the chrysalis's hatched! (See last post) I believe it to be a lime hawk moth? What an amazing stunning creature and how appropriate to re-emerge on Easter Sunday.

I freed it soon after to a place very near to where I found the cocoon.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend however which way you spent it?
x
 

Sunshine,Sea, Slow Worms And Waiting For Moths

The other day we drove some miles across the border to Dorset and spent an afternoon by the sea.

The sky was clear, not a hint of a breeze blew, unusual for the coast. The sun warmed the sand like a summers day but the smell was spring. Gorse flowers perfumed the dunes with scent of coconut.

The landscape on the dunes is so different to home. You can almost imagine you are in distant lands with the large ants crawling around on the sand beneath my toes and the trees and grass reminded me of Zimbabwe my husbands homeland.

Back in the garden primroses and cowslips.

And slowworm in one of the compost heaps enjoying the warmth. Haven't seen any grass snakes yet?

I'm sure these two have though?....

                                                         (Mummy hen with one of her two son's that were born last year)

So what else have I been doing? Quietly working away on small bits and pieces. 

Oh and I found these when I was tidying the greenhouse....

 Can't wait to see what type of moths they turn into?

Any ideas anyone?  x

An Interview With Dpi Magazine

Several weeks ago I was kindly asked to do an interview with the Taiwan magazine dpi. Dpi stands for (Design Popular Imagination) It's a lovely monthly magazine by the looks and I'm really happy with the spread they have done. I'm in this months issue, so thought I'd share it with you.   

 Here is the interview as it's to small to read on the pictures......
 

What kind of material, tool and technique do you use for your creation?

 I work very traditionally in acrylic paint on canvas, wood or watercolour paper. Sometimes I might use coloured pencils on paper alongside the paint. I occasionally add metallic paint and gold and silver leaf.

It feels peaceful to your artworks, and how do you describe your creating style?

Yes, alot of people have told me that my work has a calming effect or sense of peace to it. I'm really happy about this as hopefully it means I'm achieving a little part of what I've set out to do? Much of my work is about connection. The connection between humans and animals, plants trees, nature in general. I often feel that there is a disconnection between us and nature /animals. We as humans have separated ourselves from it, living in cities or submerged in our material worlds. Sadly we exploit it and have in some areas lost all respect for it. In my work I try to show that the connection is still there if you look for it. A special magic, wisdom a spark, a deep respect that was once lost can be re-found, relit and reconnected. I use imagery with stars alot to potray this magic and my colours are often centred around blue which is a very calming colour. I hope the peace that people see in my work is maybe that connection showing itself?
Other pictures of mine can be more whimsical and light hearted and are painted with a specific piece of writing in mind.

What's your inspiration from? Is there anything can inspire you from daily life?

Nature, stories myths, folk and fairy tales and a single word can spark an idea. A piece of music an image, film or an old object found can open rusty locks to creative doors in my head. I'm inspired by many things.I love notebooks and am always  filling them with sentences that often come to me in the midnight hours. These often lead to a painting. At my desk on a daily basis I'm inspired by what's going on outside my window. The trees, their skeletal form in winter. The birds rooks and jackdaws that live in them. The light, how it falls , the constant changing of the sky, the windsong on the leaves.

 

It looks that your artworks contain a lot of animals, such as owl, fox and dogs. Why do you like to draw animals in your artworks? Would you share your design conception with us?

I use animals in a symbolic way. I've always been interested in stories using animals. Fairytales and superstitions relating to them. I use them as the inbetween link between us and the earth or ethereal world I suppose? 

The owl sat amid the starlit forest in my painting  'The Keeper Of Time' for instance is just that an owl, but is also reminding us of wisdom and the passing of time. Or a wisdom lost over time. 

The fox in my picture 'Wearing A Robe Of Gold ' is to me a prince in the landscape. He turns to glance at the light. I used the light to symbolise hope of things to change and the elephant hawk moth that has just hatched from it's sleep represents new beginnings.

  

Would you talk about your works “the hare” and “thrush”? What’s your design conception of these two images and why do you want to put people and animal in the image? 

I use people and animals together to emphasise a bond. The Thrush picture or 'Nest' is about  similarities. Reminding ourselves that we too are animals How we both have the same instinct watching over our offspring.The hare and woman is again about connection something passing between them. Unspoken, a feeling, a knowing between them. 'A Secret'

The image of “Magic Toyshop” looks has different design conception with other artworks. Would you share the creating idea with us?

The Magic Toyshop painting is an old work of mine. My palette and subject matter was much darker at this point in time. It was work I did at college and based on Angela Carters book of the same title. I won first prize as student Illustrator with it at the Benson And Hedges Gold Awards. 

Will you try another creating style in the future? Moreover, do you have any latest artworks now?

At the moment I'm happy with my style of working. Although I would like to learn more about digital work. I would also like to do some much larger paintings and more book Illustration work. I'm working on preliminary ideas at the moment for my next painting about the circle and dance of Spring.

                                                            *************

Now to the Novica giveaway!  Before I announce the winner I have a little good news. Instead of one voucher for $75, I got things a little mixed up and actually have two!  So.. that means two winners!  

I asked my son and daughter to choose two numbers and they chose numbers 11 and 12.

         So the winners are.... 'Deborah Long'  and 'Bunnits'

Congratulations! Email me and I'll send you the vouchers! :-)