Remembering Beyond Those Heather Clothed Hills

Sitting at my desk this week I haven't needed music or radio to keep me company. Outside at times it sounded as if the sea was on my doorstep. The trees danced to a wild wind symphony while I watched from the window, cosy indoors.

When I was a child I was scared of the wind and used to bury my head under the bed clothes so as not to have to listen to it's calling. Now I love it and always think I  hear and feel spirits and old souls in its song.
This week has been remembrance week and with that fierce wind blowing maybe on the 11th  hour we heard those souls that have passed a little more clearly.
Here is my Grandad. (Grampy) in 1916.

He was one of the lucky ones. He survived, came home, and had seven children and got to push me in my pram for a just little while.
And here he is older with my Nan.

 

It was on a theme of remembrance that a heart hanger took shape this week.
The Exmoor Emperor will join the spirits on the wind now. I have painted a little tribute to him here.

 There is a place beyond those heather clothed gentle hills where you run free. Deep within the starry constellations. Forever be.

The Exmoor Emperor was a stag that stood nine feet tall and was sadly killed by a trophy hunter a few weeks ago.

I felt a great need to make this little tribute. To settle something inside, for my own soul.
You can also help by clicking here. (A great charity that I myself donate to monthly)

It's strange how things seem interconnected sometimes. I painted a remembrance heart, in remembrance week. The painting was connected to Exmoor and so was a surprise package that arrived on my doorstep the other morning. Inside was a note that said the lovely parcel carefully wrapped in pink tisssue paper had been especially made for me. A thankyou gift for inspiring her.
 I opened it and revealed the most beautiful glass hanger...

And it even had a hare on it! Wow how lucky am I!! Thankyou so much Lizzie. I will treasure it  and soon hang it in my little wooden studio. :) x

Why don't you pop over to her shop. There are lots more beautiful things on sale.

The Exmoor Emperor heart is now for sale in my shop.
Take care in this windy weather. x

A Special Moment In A Day

The morning was grey. Soft rain fell as if a gentle sea mist had payed us a visit. There was not a hint of wind to blow the strongest few leaves that remained on trees. The rain drops collected until they were heavy on stems, November jewels decorating the birds winter feast.
I didn't take an umbrella.

Across the field over the stile, into the lane, then up the road. I scuffed through coppery beech leaves carpeting my path.
I was on a short journey to a certain place that last week a friend of mine had mentioned. She had seen something. A type of something that you don't normally come across in Wiltshire?
I began to wonder whether she had possibly imagined it as I grew near to the area?

I carried on, wanting to find that 'unusual' that something 'different', that 'moment' that can change a day into something special. 
When everyone else was getting on with doing what they do on a Friday. Winding down  for the weekend in the office, getting the groceries  in the local supermarket. taking their child to the dentist.... Here I was hunting for that little bit of magic to turn my day from ordinary to extraordinary.

 Then I reached the place. All was quiet, not  even a dog walker about. Just a plain old field. But a field that held childhood memories of laughter and mushroom picking for me.
 And then I saw them....   

Reindeer!!

 

Such beautiful magical creatures!

 They made my day. :-)

 ***
Thanks to my friend Lucy for the tip off.  :) x
She has recently opened an Etsy shop just a few days ago, so please go and pay her a visit here

Nights Cloak

The night is wrapping her woven cloak around us earlier now that the clocks have turned back. What a marvellous cloak it is, embroidered with delicate starshine, steeped in indigo and milkyway. She is an enchantress, casting a spell over the far northern and southern hemispheres with her rainbow silky aurora dances she hypnotises all who fall under who spell.
My three new hearts are decorated with her dancing. Oh, and hares as I have had so many requests for more 'hares'. :)

I will be listing these very shortly in my Etsy shop here
And I've finally got around to finishing this, which will also go into the shop too.

 Happy November to you!  x

Stone And Light

Yesterday was too beautiful a breezy day to stay indoors, so we walked among Aveburys ancient stones instead...

 Can you see the faces in them? Each stone has a face somewhere, if you look hard enough. Some are easy to see, as the one just above. Sometimes I like to imagine that each one is a person or animal, hidden, frozen in time. I imagine them awakening and dancing in their circle.
(Now that could be a painting to put in my sketchbook! ;) )

Outside the trees are still holding on to their leaves.

And inside the light is a silken veil.

I was hoping to share three new hearts here today, but they will have to wait as it is just so dark outside. Much too dark and rainy to photograph anything. So I'll be back maybe tommorow or Sunday?
Enjoy your weekend. x

A Walk On Hills and A Splash Of The Sea

Who were you.... you who trod these ancient hills... Our footsteps follow the same paths. We breathed the same air, just in different times. Did you stop and see the beauty in the silvery grasses and watch the wind make them dance as I did?

Were the hills covered in so many  papery blue harebells you could almost hear them ring?
When I felt lucky to find just a few.

Did you ride a white horse upon these downs or watch while this one was being carved?

This place, Cherhill ,Oldbury castle hillfort  was occupied in Roman times.  It is said to be haunted by ghostly Roman soldiers. They have been seen on a road near to the camp. I didn't see any sign of them, but maybe I should return by moonlight?

We walked here on Sunday, a lovely sunny day and not so far from home.
There was a powerful silence around these beech trees.

It felt as if they were keeping a secret.... Do you ever get that feeling?

Well my new hearts are not a secret, so I will share them with you.
This week I transported myself (not physically sadly, but in my mind) back to the sea.

 The titles of these pieces are: Turquoise Dreamer, Last Night I Dreamed Of Dolphins (and below) Tintagel

And they are for sale here 
I have another 3 hearts almost finished on a different theme but that will be for another day, not so far off. :-)

October Days

"Come said the wind to
the leaves one day,
Come o're the meadows
and we will play.

Put on your dresses

scarlet and gold,
For summer is gone
and the days grow cold." 

 
-  A Children's Song of the 1880's

So far the days have been mild here this October.
Today sunlight shines on the reddest berries. The blackbird has begun it's feast in the holly tree, a signal for me to pick my chosen berry laden branches and put them into a bucket of water, in the greenhouse ready for Christmas. If I don't, by the end of the week the tree will be bare.

Some things that I have enjoyed and done so far this October...

1. Hunted for toadstools
2. Hugged a huge oak tree
3. Met up with an old dear friend for a good  natter
4. Collected conkers and autumn leaves.
5. Working in my new studio.
6. The spicy scent of wood on my new canvas. (If you follow me on Facebook, then you will already know this! ;) )

And today when I was in town, I saw a man which brought  a smile to my face. Amid the rather bland landscape of shops, he swept through with a touch of magic surrounding him. On his shoulders were two of the most beautiful green parrots! And with his clothes, he looked as if he might have stepped from the pages of  Inkheart. I love moments like these don't you?

Funny how things seem connected sometimes? That man and his parrots was similar to my latest little painting a 15x 15 cm canvas. It is titled  'Francis On The Hill'

I've been meaning to include a St Francis of Asissi ( patron saint of animals and the enviroment ) symbolic type figure for a while now in one of my paintings. It wasn't until two days later, once I had begun the painting that I realised that I had sketched this out on the 4th October (his feast day) without any knowledge of the date. Strange coincidence... but true.
Francis On The Hill will be available as a print in my Etsy shop very very soon. Along with some new postcards of 'Rest Your Weary Head'

I can't believe that we have reached 500 followers! Amazing! Thank you all so much for being interested in this little place of goings on. And for all your comments. x
Hmmmm......I think it must be nearly time for another giveaway soon? ;-)
 

Tonights moon

Sleepy Mice, Toadstools and A Face Among Leaves.

We have two cats and love them dearly. But sometimes, well,.... cats will be cats.

The other morning one of my two, was doing just this, being a cat. I opened the back door to find two of the dearest little mice. Not a mark on them, almost untouched, but sadly dead. I made a grave for them lined with leaves beneath the hawthorn tree and placed an apple core for their journey.  These two mice stayed with me all day in my head and inspired me to paint.

Two toadstool hangers.

The words read: 'Rest your spirit beneath the sleepy leaves and wild woods'  and 'When the sun fades sleep gently dear one'

Nights have been chilly this week. A fire has been lit on more than one occasion. In the garden I am being watched and shadowed by a friendly Robin.

The other morning I went out in search of capturing Autumn rain drops. 

Autumn can be seen everywhere now. Have you spied her watching you?

 

 'She swept through the garden with a misty cloak. And beneath berry boughs I spied her Autumn face'

   ***

(Wooden Heart Hanger and both Toadstools will be listed shortly in my Etsy shop) 

And before I leave, here's a little enchanting Autumn magic I found on You tube.

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