Greenwoods

I stepped away from the Oracle Deck for a couple of weeks, because another painting was calling out to be worked.

I had intended this to be a rich and earthy green painting, but the paint had other ideas, and as I laid down the rock face behind the figure, the flowing watercolour chose ethereal pink tones instead.

 

 

Frustrating as watercolour can be at times,  I love the way it runs and granulates, layering colour, surprising you just when you think you know your paints well enough to predict their actions.

 

Lifting out bramble tendrils.

 

And putting in fabric patterns.

 

Small details, which disappear in the big picture, but are seen clearly close up.

 

 

 

'Guardian of the Greenwood'

The woods truly are greening here, bursting into life over the may day weekend.

( I forgot to take my camera to the Jack in the Green celebration, but I'm sure you will see the pictures on the blogs of others in our community)

Seething with life - quite literally - this is a giant wood ant's nest, over a metre high, the surface of which is constantly changing as thousands of ants go about their business.

Win the 'Beltane Hare'

'Beltane Hare'

Ink and watercolour, approx A5

I've been working so hard on big paintings recently, preparing for an exhibition next month, that I have had very little time for the computer, or anything else! However, there are a dozen more paintings trying to escape from my head, and countless playful ideas that I want to experiment with. So, as a break from the larger, detailed work, and by way of a 'Thank you' to all of you who take the time to read what I write, and are kind enough not to take it personally if I don't always have time to reply to comments (though I read them all, and DO try to answer them all), I thought it was time to offer up a little original.

If you would like to have the chance to win this, you need to post a comment on THIS post, or on my facebook page (link on sidebar), and I will put all the names in the hat and draw a winner next Sunday evening. You could, of course, put a comment in both places, and I guess that means I can put your name in twice! You are also very welcome to share this post, or the facebook post , I'd be very grateful  - however, this is NOT a condition of entering the draw. I hate feeling pressured to share stuff - it can feel horribly spammy - so don't feel obliged at all! 

So, Thank you, and please leave your name if you would like to win the Beltane Hare :) xx

Tricksters and Totems : A Virtual View of the Exhibition

So, here we are! My exhibition is up in the Courtyard Cafe, Chagford, for the month of April.
I'm sorry for the colour in most of these photos - they were taken indoors without a flash, and have a very yellow cast!

'The Goat Guardian'

These are the lovely oak frames that I salvaged from the Proper Job recycling centre, which fit the Guardian paintings perfectly.

'Hare Guardian'

'She Waits'

'She Wishes'

And these are a pair of small mixed media paintings which I finished in time for the show. There will be prints of these on Etsy any day now.

Thankyou so much to everyone who leaves comments - I really love to read them, and appreciate them all. I'm sorry I have been extremely slow moderating them recently, but I'm having some major issues with my internet connection at the moment.

New work emerging from the studio......

"We Are Kin"
A3 watercolour

Busy days in the studio at the moment. I have an exhibition coming up, and have been working like mad on some larger pieces for it. I have grand plans for a much more extravagant version of this fox woman, but for now I need to tidy up loose ends and finish some smaller pieces.

These two paintings are huge (for me) and are off being framed in some lovely second hand oak frames that I found at Proper Job. Having the new studio has meant I have had the space to work larger, and these are very personal paintings that I have been wanting to create for a long time. These characters are my muses and guides :)

Spring has well and truly sprung. While I am working I have been fidgety and eager to get outside into the glorious March sunshine.
Captain has been wonderful, taking everything in his stride. River crossings, log lorries, ice creams in the village! I am reduced to walking everywhere, as the girls have stolen him entirely. I'm guessing there will be a lot more walking in the future, as my car is on its last legs. The lovely local garage have stuck it back together with sticky tape, but it's only going to keep it going a bit longer.

Giveaway Time!

"Chalk Hare - Summer"
6 x 4 inches watercolour painting


So, it's Giveaway time! I'd like to say a HUGE thankyou to everyone who follows this blog. As promised I have a little original painting to offer up in a draw. In fact, you have the choice of either of these chalk hares - summer or winter. All you have to do is leave a comment saying which one you would prefer to win. I will draw all names out of a hat ( or maybe the Random Number Generator) once comments have closed on Sunday night (17th October) at 9pm UK time. Good luck ;-)

"Chalk Hare - Winter"
6 x 4 inches original painting

And as we strolled through the meadow last night in the evening sun, the ponies shone in the golden light. Sandpiper is the colour of a polished conker!

Being inventive with vegetables

We have courgettes coming out of our ears at the moments, and I'd love to hear any of your creative ideas for using them. Meanwhile, I thought I'd share one of my favourite courgette recipes with you

Courgette souffle quiche

shortcrust pastry to line a deep 10 inch pie case

I use 400g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
300g butter

Mix these ingredients together to make crumbs, and then add 1 egg to bring it into a dough

Roll out thinly and line the pie dish base and sides. Bake it blind at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes, and then take it out and let it cool down a little. Meanwhile prepare the filling.

3 medium sized courgettes (zucchini)
1 small onion
3 fat cloves of garlic
handful of grated cheddar cheese
6 sprigs of thyme ( I like lemon thyme)
8 mint leaves
2 eggs

Slice the courgette and onion and saute until softened and just beginning to colour. Add the finely chopped garlic, and saute for another couple of minutes.
Remove from the heat, and puree all these cooked ingredients.
Finely chop the herbs, and add these with the cheese to the courgette mixture. Stir, and season to taste. Once mixture has cooled slightly, beat in the two eggs, and fill the pastry case. Put back in the oven for another 25 minutes until the filling is risen and just set.

It's delicious, and 2 out of 3 of my courgette - hating children loved it!

I have been busy making a padded saddlecloth for Rosie, as she has a very prominent spine, and the saddle she came with sits so low the gullet touches her spine. Before we did any work with her I wanted to make sure she was absolutely comfortable. My brilliant saddler showed me how to do this once when I balked at spending £100 on a specially made numnah with extra 'shims' to pad it out. I stitched fleece pockets onto a lightweight numnah ( fleece is great because it has a bit of stretch in it, which you need when trying to stuff the shims in), and then cut the shim/pads out of pure wool felt (these are offcuts from a local felt maker, but otherwise they could be cut from sheets of foam gamgee). It is important to build them up in layers, and actually fit them to the contours of the pony's back.

Once they are in place, it is crucial to make sure they lie flat and unwrinkled - you don't want to create any pressure points.

It's not the prettiest thing to look at, but it works a treat, and Rosie's saddle fits much better now. Of course, in an ideal world she would have a new saddle fitted, but realistically, we have only borrowed her for the summer, and so I am not going to buy her a new saddle.

And here she is, quite happy to be going for a ride!

I am putting these three originals on Etsy soon, but thought I would offer them here at a slightly better price first in case anyone wants to grab one!

"Dancing Hare"
original acrylic painting
painting measures 13cm x 16cm and comes with a beautiful old re-used wooden frame, which measures 24cm x 29cm.

£55 + shipping /insurance

"Of Moon and Magic"
original pencil and watercolour
measures approx 20cm x 29cm, mounted with a thin gold border, and in a wooden frame
Frame measures 34cm x 44cm

for sale framed £80
or mounted, but NOT framed £60

+ shipping and insurance

"Between Times"

original pencil and watercolour
measures 29cm x 20cm
mounted with a thin gold border and in a wooden frame
Frame measures 34cm x 44cm

Framed £80
mounted but NOT framed £60
+ shipping and insurance

please email me if you are interested in any of these

'The Naming of The Hare'

The children returned to school this morning after a wonderful half term week, one of those times that remain in your memory for always. The sun has shone gloriously, and we have picnicked amongst bluebells, while dangling our toes in the river, we have walked over hills with friends and sunbathed while children spent hours climbing tors and scrabbling under rocks looking for treasure. Eldest daughter has set out on her own, with her beloved pony Matthew, pack lunch on her back, to meet friends and play, while I have pottered around the lanes and the open moor with smaller children and a motley collection of bikes and dogs and ponies. This is truly bliss! In amongst this I clutched sewing needles and sticks and endeavoured to finish mounting quilts in time for the exhibition. It's done! The exhibition is up, in the Courtyard Cafe , Chagford, until the end of June, so do pop by if you are in the area, or pass the word on to anyone who may be interested. They serve delicious cakes ( gluten free) and hot chocolate!

'Sleeping Hare'
I managed one last tiny painting to join the others. It is approximately 6 by 4 inches. I will try and get in with my camera over the next couple of days, as the quilts look quite different now they have been mounted and hung.

And now for a brief 'proud mother' moment! This is my young son, who at 6 years old completed the Chagford Two Hills race in blistering sun shine on Bank Holiday Monday. This is a gruelling race up the face of Meldon hill, (shown in picture below) down, and back up Nattadon hill (where the shot was taken from). It is a total climb of 1076 feet and is fractionally under three and a half miles. He did it in 58 minutes , which is brilliant! I have never run the Two Hills Race, even in my fit teenage years, and I am just bursting with pride!

And here is my baby, Sandpiper, maturing into a beautiful filly. She is three now, and I just adore her. I had originally thought I would back her this summer, but I now think I will leave it a year, as I think she still has some growing to do. Native pony breeds mature more slowly than horses, and though she has plenty of bone, I expect her to get much greater depth of chest, and to generally broaden, so I think I will stick with ground work this summer.

Wandering between worlds

"Between Times"

I have been contemplating gateways and openings since the month began. Doorways to magical places, and world's within worlds. That moment when you step from one place to another.

When in fact, I should be madly finishing off work, and framing it. I have an exhibition to hang on the first of June, and am nowhere near ready ;)

"Magic Hare"

Instead I painted a little hare miniature ( it's an ACEO - that's really tiny - only 2.5 by 3.5 inches). I've listed it HERE.

The title of the fox painting above ( Between Times) made me suddenly nostalgic for my teenage years, and my love of Robert Smith and The Cure. I had to go and search out and listen to "In Between Days"! Here it is, for anyone else who feels a pang of nostalgia for those heady days of boys with black eyeliner and guitars.

THE CURE - IN BETWEEN DAYS from Pablo Morais on Vimeo.