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...

Snow And Celebration

Just as the day was ending the snow began to fall bringing with it the accompanying stillness and peaceful silence. The muffled buzz type of quiet when you can hear the tiny flakes falling. Quickly I took my camera out as the darkness was descending fast.

I walked down the path and into the little wood. Sounds of rook settling for the night and the gentle trickle of water from the stream seemed even more enchanting with snow falling. Not thinking I turned my camera up towards the sky and of course got a wet camera lens. Very silly of me, I know. So some of the following pictures have a misted look and patch to them. I think it just adds to the atmosphere. ;)  Luckily the camera has dried out now and is no worse for wear. 

I walked slowly, conscious of each footstep, enjoying the moment, feeling a powerful connection to the Earth's magic. Across the hill in the fading light I imagined the millions of snowflakes falling, swarming in the blue light, each a beautiful work of art and each unique. And I thought of water and all that we don't understand and I thought of  this.

 Then back  home again I headed, returning with coat and scarf frosted.

The snow carried on until later and it really did look like Narnia had arrived. Sadly as it was dark I didn't capture anymore photographs. My two teens took their sledges and disappeared into the dark to the big hill.

Just a fleeting visit from the Snow Queen this time.  I hope she returns!

Now for a little celebration....

Recently my Etsy shopped passed a 1,000 sales. I'm so happy, grateful and amazed by this I thought I must do another giveaway to say thank you. :) 

So I had a little rummage  and came up with these bits and pieces. Two small prints, a postcard and a greeting card.

If you would like a chance to win them, just leave me a comment telling me what you would like to see for sale in my Etsy shop? I'll draw a name out and announce it on my next post.

In the meantime I have a new painting to draw out, an older one to finish, hangers to cut and hangers to paint, and a suitcase to help pack. Smallest is off to Italy on a school trip skiing. I  hope the snow follows her back. 

   

Travellers Joy And A Little Hare Love

The latest painting is finished. I have named it Travellers Joy.

Someone asked me in the comments on the last post who he was? The answer to this is no one in particular, just a man, a traveller and this picture is just a glimpse into his story. He is one of the many characters that tread the starlit paths through the landscape in my mind. He first appeared last year as a sketch then waited patiently to be brought to life in colour. My head is filled with characters and places and snippets of scenes. I like to think they all live together in a kind of other world . I have access to that world. But then we all do don't we?
Travellers Joy is available to buy as a print in my Etsy shop here.

The weather here has turned icy cold. Wind chill feels about -7 when out walking. I've seen catkins, kingfisher, snowdrops, velvet black rooks gathering in the icy field and two swans in love. Raindrop sparkles on windows, rainbow colour on crystal and I made some Rainbow Tree Pendants.

And with valentine's just around the corner, I thought it time that I made a few more hearts too, so here they are.

A little 'Hare love'

They are also available to buy in my Etsy shop.

This time instead of the plain ribbon, I used what I call my raggety ribbon. It's been in the drawer since last year and it reminds me of the lines and soft colours of the winter garden and also adds a kind of vintage appeal to them  I think, which seems rather nice?

Pale greens similar to the iced moss in the garden this morning.

And the memories of last year in a crumpled leaf.

Darkness descends a little later now and the light stretches with each day that passes. Soon our winter dreams will be replaced with warm and the soft flutter of moth wing. I have missed the moths.
Happy weekend! xx

The Slow Path

January is flying by but I wasn't fast enough to jump onto her wing and hitch a ride. I feel I have been left behind and  am taking the scenic path. I have been working very slowly. I'm not sure why this is? I think I'm gathering my thoughts and still recharging my creative battery?  It's strange as when the new year arrives you want to throw yourself into the fresh new beginning. But the mind is not willing and is telling me it's a journey not a race. So I've been looking.

I've met Jack Frost a couple of times, but this year he has more business elsewhere, not Wiltshire.
Sky watching. I've done a lot of that. In fact I always do. There is more magic in light than in anything I feel.

January has gifted me with  lavender sweets, celandines in bloom,  a tear shed or two over War horse, falling into heather and the highlands by candlelight via the pages of my book, answering a song thrush that definitely spoke to me! Beautiful new music, browsing in bookshops, sweet incense and warm spicy soup, a meteorite so ancient my mind boggled and of course  the prettiest thing of January, snowdrops.
Thus have been my days. Simple days.
In between I've been painting. This one, a sketch from last year has been on the list for a long time. And  with the muse deciding it's rest time, it's taking longer than anticipated. But, we'll get there. ;)

There's still quite a lot to do on this painting, but hopefully it should be finished next week?

I'll leave you with a clip of War Horse. Do go and see, a beautiful book  an amazing theatre production (which I've yet to see but so want to) and  now magical movie and part of it filmed here in Wiltshire just a few miles away at Castle Combe.
 

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