Walking In Woods

Give me a land of boughs in leaf,

A land of trees that stand;

Where trees are fallen there is grief;

I love no leafless land

~A E Housman

I've been walking in woods. Away from the noise of roads and traffic. A cathedral bursting with green and birdsong. A place to listen to your thoughts, and let go of baggage and chatterings of the modern world.

When I walk in the woods I wonder what it would be like to live here away from everything for a whole year. I would learn the language of the birds and be quiet under foot as woodland creatures are.  I would discover where the birds made their nests and I would be dressed in green  of course, so no one would really notice me there.

 Hours would be sat  up high on a comfortable branch watching and sharing the view with the rooks. I would need a head for heights and be an exceptional tree climber. I'm sure I could acquire these skills.... ;)

But at night I would come down and sleep among the moss and leaves beneath a twiggy shelter made of hazel sticks....

I found violets in the woods.

and orchids in the spaces between.

 From a distance the beautiful blackthorn was wearing a cloak of snow. Snow in Spring. Snow made of petals. Or a white cloak of lace, a Spring bride.

At home in the garden the Apple tree is also wearing her coat of many blossoms.

"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come."
-- Chinese proverb

Some little birds appeared in the Holly tree today.

And look! then they tried to nest in my basket.....

Keep an eye on Etsy over the next few days as they will be making a flight to my shop.
Tweet tweet, chirp chirp....
xx

Haunted By Glass Eyes

Yesterday I was up in London for the day with my son visiting a college open day. We had a couple of hours to spare before we caught our coach back so we wandered  around the Natural History Museum. It's quite a few years since I was here last, but it doesn't really change. The building is magnificent outside and in. It reminds me of Hogwarts.

If you've never been here, there is a lot of taxidermy (not a favourite thing of mine) but, all of it done by Victorians many years ago. Time has ticked on and the animals have faded,which adds to the melancholy feel of seeing them.

The old lion touched me the most. How can artificial eyes look so sad?  It made me wonder if the taxidermist was feeling the same as he prepared the King of the jungle for his life behind glass?  I promised him that he would feature in one of my paintings when I said goodbye.

Old Lion, how did you spend your days.

I hope you felt the African sun on your back.

Your real eyes have long gone, what did they see?

Zebra, impala, Baobab tree.

Your body treated and preserved for humans to admire.

In a cold case you stand, blind glass eyes.

I would take you out if I could.

Faded and sad and misunderstood.

                                                                    (Words by me)

I'm not going to talk about the weather, but...

Everyone seems to be talking about the weather have you noticed? I know us British folk are supposedly renowned for it, but lately it's more than normal and even people on Twitter are tweeting about weather and they are from other countries. Maybe it's always been this way and I'm just noticing it more?  Anyway all I have to say on weather is that many years ago it snowed on April 22nd. I know this as I remember it clearly as I woke up and rushed outside to see if my guinea pig had given birth. She had produced a little miracle in the night whilst the snow fell in Spring all those years ago.... and yes it was April!  Everything does seem a month behind though. In the garden daffodils are in bloom alongside the primroses and none of the trees are in leaf yet.  Like the Spring, I have been slow too. Slow writing here and slow producing my work. Maybe others are feeling this too.?I like to think it's because my body is in tune with nature's pace outside rather than the busy rush of news, tv, social media and fast paced gossip way of life. ;)

So I have some things to share. Firstly some snaps of Easter. ( I hope you had an enjoyable one, whatever you got up to)

A couple of weeks ago I went for another walk on my lunch break. I thought I'd share some of the inside shots of the Abbey that I took. They are giving me the urge to paint an interior picture which I haven't done in quite a long while...

I wouldn't mind being accidently shut in here one night, then I could get to browse the dusty pages of  these books. Think of all the words hidden. All the worlds captured inside those old bindings....

 And  of course I would look in here to see if another world existed behind it's old doors. 

My desk has been a hive of activity this last week finishing off a drove of wooden hares, threading beads and  ribbon.

They are finished now and  here they are all hung up.

Several have moths painted on them as waiting for the butterfly chrysalis to hatch on my windowsill  I have been thinking a lot about the past moths that hatched the year before last  and that very special  first one.
I even fitted in some pendants using up the odd scraps of spare wood

The hares and pendants will be listed in my Etsy shop  at 7pm ( BST) tomorrow evening  (16th April)

I will leave you now with some music by Ludovico Einaudi  from his latest album  'In a time lapse'  Saturday night I was lucky to get to see him at the Colston Hall in Bristol. What a great evening. We weren't supposed to take pictures really, but me being a bit naughty (ssh) sneaked one in at the end. Here he is before his encore.

Silver Skies...

Silver skies from the weekend...

And lots of lovely...mud mud glorious.....

 

 Oops almost got carried away there playing in the mud... ;)

Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments on the giveaway. I would like to give you all a prize, but sadly there is just one. So.. I put the comments into the random number generator thingamybob and the lucky person that was chosen was...........................'Trumpet sounds etc....

                                                          ***Valerianna***

Congratulations Valerianna, the moleskine notebook will be on it's way to you as soon as you let me have your details. :) x

Now it's back to painting a batch of wooden hares. I've been completely away with the faeries, with my head stuck in those silver clouds this week. I hadn't even realised that my hobbits finished school today for the Easter break!  Oh dear me...  

A Magic notebook which could be yours..

Looking around it seems that Spring has arrived. The snowdrops are going over and the primroses are appearing.

Up in the top fields the lambs have arrived too.

Yesterday I went to photograph them but it was so so cold, much colder even than Iceland. I felt sorry for the lambs as they were laid down sheltering from the cold winds. The Spring sun should have been shining warm down on their new limbs so that they can dance in the sunlight. I do hope it warms up soon. The March breezes are indeed loud and shrill, it's so windy out  that it sounds as if the Atlantic ocean  is just outside the back door.
I've been busy here finishing the last of the wintry paintings and other bits that needed completing, I've been planning and thinking quietly, hmm probably too much thinking.......

                                                  Last wintry painting before it's finishing touches..

                                                                Five Foxes ( Acrylic on wood)

Sometimes I have been graced with the feathered company here.

The other afternoon I played around customising some small moleskine notebooks.

I love these small moleskines they are just right for keeping in your bag or even your pocket when you go for a walk to the woods. They are perfect for writing or sketching thoughts down whenever you feel like it or kept for recording dreams and magical moments.  Two have gone into my Etsy shop but this third one below is up for grabs as a giveaway prize. Yes! for you my lovely bloggy friends! ;)

At the end of last month this blog had an anniversary. It was 5!  It's hard to believe how quickly the years have passed.  Anyway, I've  been meaning to do a little giveaway as it's been sometime since I last did one. So, if you would like a chance of winning this little notebook above, all you have to do is be a follower of this blog and leave me a comment below. This is specifically a 'blog' giveaway so only comments posted here will be entered into the draw.
Good luck and a happy Mad March to you! :)x

P.S ~ Draw will take place in about a week. x