My last post's title seems rather odd now as summer most definitely woke up again. Who would have thought that we would be basking in the most glorious hot days in October. Shorts and tee shirt weather and no need for a cardigan in the evenings.
Nights are clear and warm with windows thrown open wide and the song of the tawny owl lulls us to sleep while Jupiter shines in the starlight.
I've been busy with birds.
And my desk has been as colourful as a summer garden.
"Delicious autumn! My very soul
is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot
Summer is tired and sleepy. Her eyes close, her lids heavy with faded petals. She tells the remaining flowers as she rests her head, that they can stay a while yet, if they so wish. But she warns them of the bite that might come on cold nights when the sky is clear and covered with a twinkling cloak.....
The Mud Maiden here is lost in slumber as summer will soon be. Isn't she beautiful. I'm sure many of you have seen her before. She sleeps in the cornish countryside in the Lost Gardens Of Heligan. Created by Artists Sue and Pete Hill. You can read more about her here.
We paid her a visit during our wanderings near the sea.
And her friend of course The Giant.
August's goodbyes took our breath away with spectacular skies.
Her farewell also inspired my latest painting. 'Passing Through'
Which is available as a print in my Etsy shop here.
And now autumn has brought gifts.
And a Zazzle shop. If you fancy a new mug to drink your hot chocolate by the fireside, indoors or out under the moonlight then please have a browse. There are also other bits and bobs such as ipad covers, iphone cases etc and I'm still adding new things. Have a look here. I'm afraid the mugs don't come with marshmallows though. ;-)
All is not as it seems in the woods. There is a doorway... I step through and follow a path lined with candles. The air is still. I breath the faint sweet scent of fallen leaves and woodsmoke. "Mind you don't stray from the path..." the trees whisper... There are memories, possessions scattered. Abandoned suitcases their contents spilled. dressses, shoes, books, the best silver, and photographs, so many photographs.
What would you include if you had just twelve minutes to pack?
A man sits writing. He passes a letter. "Find Colette" he pleads desperately..
Another man plays piano, and another banjo, sat on the forest floor surrounded by twig and leaf.
The path goes on and the light is fading. More photographs and suitcases, spectacles and hair.
I shiver.
A lady, angry and heart sore sits in a bath cutting letters up with scissors.
I reach another door and step through to a clearing. The stage is set twinkling with fairylights around lampshades and sparkling with sequins on dresses. The music begins, I sit down and meet The Dancer And The Devil...
I just had to share a little of my wonderful evening in the woods entertained by Rogue Theatre. Truly inspirational. If you get the chance to see them then you must. I can't recommend them enough. To see more about Rogue Theatre have a look here.... and below.
I hope everyone had a good summer? Here's to an incense, berried, woodscented, bonfire, appley, baked potato and spiced cider tasting Autumn. x
Summer is slipping away and the smell of Autumn is in the air again this morning. My list of things to do is getting longer and longer and longer...I shall be off to the sea soon to recharge.In the meantime I've decided to have a little blog break. I won't be away for long, just enough time to organise my very cluttered head at this moment and tackle some of the jobs on the list . ;-) In the meantime I'll leave you with these beautiful videos that are three of my favourites. I hope you enjoy the music, amazing photography and beauty of our Mother Earth as much as I do. Take care everyone and enjoy the rest of the summer. I'll be back soon. xxx
August has brought with it warmth and sun today. It is hot and humid and the long grasses that blow in the occasional breeze are dry and yellow and have an end of summer look about them. I'm sure the seasons are ahead of themselves? The hazelnuts that are normally ready for picking and eating at the end of August are ready now and there are ripe blackberries to pick on the land where we grow our vegetables.
Here are my two tucking into some freshly picked hazelnuts. We openly admit to suffering from nut fever in this house. I'd better make sure I pick more soon before the squirrel takes the lot. I'll leave the one's at the top of the tree for him or her. ;-)
Here are a couple of the other hangers that were not quite finished the last time. Tiny magic forest worlds inside a toadstool.
These two went across to etsy the other day. The unicorn one has sold, but at the time of writing this, the fox one is still available.
I have also put some other items in the shop, pendants and a whale, but I've decided it's not worth showing them on here if they are similar items to what I have made before, as things begin to get a little repetitive.
I loved the Harry Potter film and am already looking forward to it coming out on dvd and imagining myself curled up on the sofa by the fire this winter watching it again.
So to the giveaway....Thank you to everyone that commented. All names including the one's that commented via, Facebook and Twitter were put into a hat and the winner picked out was (a facebook name)...
Lynda Redwitch
Lynda please let me know your contact details so that I can send the magical goodies to you. I would send them by owl but I don't have an owl I'm afraid, so Royal Mail will have to do.
Before I disappear again I thought I'd share this short film 'Astonish Me' with you. It's the latest one by uk WWF and is very captivating.
This week the sun and rain seem to be playing games with each other. Neither one can make their mind up to stay. The Sun has been fickle with her golden rays, likewise has the rain, showering short bursts here and there with her diamond droplets of precious water.I suppose the rhyme does say...
"Hot July brings cooling showers, apricots and gilly flowers"
Well I don't have apricots growing here, but I do have flowers.
Talking of flowers I want to share with you this pretty one that has popped up in the garden and down near our vegetable patch. Most people would consider it a weed but seeing as there is no such thing as a weed really, it's all personal choice, we decided to let it thrive. After all who are we to judge that this plant with it's delicate sweet scent has no place in a garden? It's called Hawkweed, but is also known as other names my favourite being 'Fox And Cubs'. :-)
In between watching the showers and looking for rainbows I've been gradually making way through my pile of work.
Various birds, hares and pendants. There is also another whale, a couple more toadstools and another Narwhal that are still on the desk not quite ready yet.
These will all be listed over the course of today in my Etsy shop if you are interested in any of them.
I also just had to create this snowy owl. What with the last film being released, Harry Potter magic is in the air again!
(He'll also be listed in the shop)
I haven't seen the film yet, but will be this weekend. I must remember to take plenty of tissues as I know there will be tears. It's an end of an era and I'd like to thank JK Rowling for the Magic and all those clever film people for bringing it to life on screen. I loved each and every book and every film too. If like me you are yet to see it here's a taster. ;-)
Giveaway Time!
Last time I was here I said I'd be be back with a summer giveaway. A little celebration as this is my 200th post! When I began this blog I'm not sure I thought I'd get to 100 posts let alone 200! So, because I have Harry Potter on the brain at the moment, I thought it would be fun to include a little HP in the giveaway.
Below I've collected together a few items that have a 'magical' feel to them. There are some HP postcards, a candle, a couple of moon scented incense sticks, some sparkly stones that you could use for craft or jewellery making and a couple of other stones, one which looks a little like the philosophers stone I thought? I will also throw in a couple of my postcards too! ;-)
Just leave me a comment if you'd like to be included. If you can't comment due to blogger access etc, as I know it plays up sometimes. You can also comment on my facebook page or if you are on Twitter, Tweet this post on and then let me know and I'll enter you in the draw too. I will choose a winner in a couple of weeks time.
Happy Harry Potter watching! x
July has arrived and I haven't blogged. So here I am with a new painting.
Waking The Ghosts
It seems words have ran away again. They have hidden underneath moth wing and clover leaves. This time last year they did the same thing... I've been a hermit shut away in my workspace. Four paintings on the go and a stack of wooden things to paint. Until they are ready here are some things I've been dreaming and humming to.
Jackie Morris lead me to the bewitching voice of Emily Portman and I was lucky a couple of weeks ago to hear her sing locally on a wonderful apple journey. A magical hour and a bit, well spent indeed.
Another lovely song below is beckoning me to the sea again. And I will be journeying twice next month. One of which will be to my sister's wedding.
This last week the days have been a little rain washed. By the evening though the sun comes out and we've followed the itch in our feet to walk by the river. I captured some magic along the way.
On our way home we glimpsed fox, heron, swan, duck, rabbit, wood pigeon and a white horse that secretly I think was a unicorn in hiding.
The new painting can be found as a print in my Etsy shop.
Have a great weekend everyone. I shall be back soon with a summer giveaway! x
“Through the dancing poppies stole, a breeze most softly lulling to my soul.”
John Keats
I could quite easily have laid down in these poppies and fallen asleep as Dorothy did in the Wizard Of Oz. I didn't though. Luckily these poppies didn't have a magic spell put on them. Well not a sleepy one anyway. I think the spell Mother nature put on these is more a hypnotising enchantment because I just couldn't take my eyes off them! The bees and butterflies coudn't either although you can't really see in the pictures.
Everywhere I look at the moment there are flowers, so it's not surprising I felt the urge to paint some.
Latest scraps of wood turned into flowery pendants.
No poppies here, but I'm sure they will find a way to sneak into my work somewhere, on something at sometime?
Hopefully next year there will be some in our little meadow area, that has come on well this year.
If you are interested in the pendants they will be heading over to here very shortly. Enjoy the sunshine and flowers. x
Look what I found... A toad with golden eyes stepped straight out of a fairytale into my garden. Isn't she gorgeous!...
I'm here to show you the painting finished.
( Been umming and ahhing over the name of this piece, so for now it is unnamed.)
And more magpies, this time in a small 5x5 canvas which I've named.... 'Indigo Wood'
Both paintings will be scanned shortly and made available as prints.
I've been watching magpies out of the window this week. They've been hopping about in the garden. I think they have a nest nearby as I saw them chase a blackbird off and a grey squirrel. What characters they are! Did anyone see the beautiful raven on BBC Springwatch? Chester was his name and wasn't he handsome and so clever.
Hmmm... someone else has had their eye on birds too. Luckily without any success.
Other news... I've listed some more cards in the Etsy shop.
Pendants and postcards and more designs coming soon, as I still have plenty of scraps of wood!
And what a treat arrived in the post the other day.
My complimentary copy of next years 2012 ' Earth Pathways Diary' I was so pleased to hear that my painting 'Wearing A Robe Of Gold' had been included. :-)
It really is a beautiful diary, filled with wise words and stunning pictures. Pop across to here and snap one up, as I believe they disappear quicker than the queen of hearts jam tarts!
From January 2021 I decided to give blogging a break. and since then have only been posting videos. I may come back to it at some point, (a new one though, as this site has too many glitches) but in the meantime do come and follow me on Youtube. 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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