Staying at home, walking on local footpaths and bridleways, enjoying quietude.

Staying at home, walking on local footpaths and bridleways, enjoying quietude.

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Secret path

A local walk I like to think is my own.

How quiet is the forest.

Beside the brook, I hear cracking hogweed, like tiny castanets.

And rustling grasses looking like fairy tassles.

I see illuminating, floating gold dipped seed dust, filtered in ribbons between stately trees.

Scratching dry earth with a hawk’s feather, it feels worn like old leather.

How quiet is the forest.

Sketching in the garden: woodland in spring

The weather has been amazing the last couple of days, too hot for working in the Studio so I’ve been sitting outside at a little table sketching with watercolour was crayons, called I think Neocolour. They are quick to work with and I love blending the colours. I used the above reference from a walk in the countryside yesterday and imagined the feeling of walking into a magical Blue bell wood.

Early bluebells

It was so exciting to see these early Bluebells in an ancient woodland.

Usually my poetry tends to be freeverse however in one of my notebooks I came across an example of a ‘Rectum refrain and decided to write my Early Blue bell poem using the Rectum refrain style.

So basically a poem written in the above style should have 10 lines. The first line contains one syllable only, the second 2 syllables and so on. However line 10 should contain a combination of lines 1-4 thus making 10 syllables. No rhyming!

It was a challenge. I hope I got it right! However producing a poem about the experience I had of that walk, coming across the wood and Hawthorn blossom and using my senses and imagination, was far more important to me. I hope you enjoy it.

Early Bluebells

Blue,

Blue bells.

Blue bells shake.

Chilly winds wake,

Woodland creatures hide.

Twigs, new shoots lime green, fresh.

Blossom pure, delicate, intense

Hawthorn spike in dark hollows shine

Glassy eyed rabbits shy waiting. Still.

Blue blue bells blue bells shake chilly -winds wake

Serene tree

Recently I decided to do a series of very quick sketches inspired by my local walks with the dogs. Next I thought about translating a serene feeling I always have when walking at that location, the trees dangling branches in the stream and the winter light. The result was my oil painting above, painted in 3 hours. I hope you enjoy looking at it and the sketches.

Enjoy your day.

Love hedgehogs

The light wasn’t great when I photographed the early stages of my watercolour painting of a hedgehog. I will build many transparent colour layers to create this little hog. I’ll aim to capture an essence of his character. I’m waiting for the paint to dry before I carry on.

I’ll update you soon with how my little hog painting is coming on!

It is a joy to be making puddles of colour again, adding water and letting my brush drop colour onto the paper.

Whilst I’m waiting, I’ll make a hot chocolate or chamomile tea to warm my hands.

Have a lovely evening.

I couldn’t resist taking this shot from the courtyard, such a colourful sky!

Warm wishes to all

It’s been a very strange year of many ups and downs and I apologise to everyone who follows me, likes my blog and enjoys reading my posts. I promise to make 2019 the year when I pen my poetry and get painting again. After one of our beloved Border collies died suddenly last year, the arrival of our Slate merle pup in early spring and Skye, our surviving blue merle having a Stroke, I wondered whether life would ever become calm again.

However, Storm is a year old now, pictured above, and has a lovely nature; she gets on really well with Skye and has helped Skye get over her Stroke by assisting with her physio!

We’ve had lovely holidays in North Norfolk walking along the Coastal path, across the salt marshes and on Holkham beach and I have enjoyed a few hours here and there to paint.

I hope you like my photos and my watercolour painting of the cheeky robin who visits my bird table every morning. I have designed a Christmas card, so he can be enjoyed by friends and family.

I wish you all a warm, peaceful and jolly Christmas and the best of luck for 2019!

XxX

Wild, windy walk

I am walking through the tree line avenues protected from roaring warning winds.

Brittle branches are torn away landing like arrows ripping into the land’s heart.

Leaves dive and dart, grasses like babbling streams.

Leaning into an old gnarled tree, I look high into the patterns made by silhouettes of leaves.

What will I dream of…

In the presence of trees

It has been a wet, autumnal day. I set off this morning with my dogs through a local woodland. It was dark and dripping raindrops which splattered on the leaf mold and moss filled floor. I could see beauty in tiny pools of water collected in large leaves which reflected the tree canopy and the charcoal sky: the woodland creaked and spoke to me of the year so far. The ancient trees, bark toughened, branches gnarled, split and hanging low over the path. The people I met were enjoying their rainy walks too, we were all out there enjoying the elements, exploring our day.

Later this afternoon, I left my husband decorating and headed down the garden to my Studio. I knew I would paint one of the old trees I’d seen and love in all weathers. I’m not sure if it’s finished yet. Tomorrow I will see my watercolour in the morning light! The watercolour sketch on the right I did a while ago. Another oak tree I see regularly and enjoy its presence.

Winter finds

Winter lakeside:

Grey pools binding

With silver speckled rinds;

Threads and reeds surfing

Across leafy waves,

Warmed by gentle waves.

Winter is hanging on, but I like its inky beauty and sparkling surprises.