Trying some Mandalas

As always July and August have been unbelievably busy. End of term, allotment work, and children's projects and hobbies seem to take up all my time. Most of all we have been busy with ponies, but I'll tell you about them in the next post. I find it hard to have creative space in my head when there is so much else to sort out, and so I haven't done much work over the last couple of months.

However, there have been some new projects brewing, and I managed to devote some time to my studio over the last couple of weeks, and finally got a couple of paintings done. They have been needing to get out for some time.

 

'For Facing Fear' AKA 'The Slinky Foxes'

 

I took another step towards working completely intuitively. Here are  two 'Shamanic mandalas,' each painted for a specific purpose.

Each has a particular meditation, or process that goes with it, but I'm not going to publish it here, because I think it is important that they speak to people individually first, before you are influenced by what I have to say about them!

 

I'm just working on getting prints from each that I am satisfied with, and then I will list them on Etsy (and detailed explanations will be included when the prints are posted off)

 

 

'For Healing Trauma'

(or 'The Blue Labyrinth')

Allotment days

 The long wet winter suddenly turned into glorious summer, and every waking moment seems to have been spent outside!  I did finish work for exhibition - you can see it here, and some of the originals are now for sale in my Etsy shop.

We are lucky to have a fantastic allotment, which Steve works very hard on. It was wild and overgrown when we took it on 5 years ago, but we have gradually reclaimed most of it. The allotments are at the top of the village, catching the afternoon sun, with the most magnificent views across the hills. 

 What more perfect way to spend a summer Sunday than riding ponies with friends all day, followed by a lazy evening in the allotment?

The potatoes are coming up, and the currant bushes are laden.

One side of the allotment is bordered by apple trees, and the other by elder trees. At the bottom is an elderly walnut tree.

Comfrey grows everywhere, especially in the last unclaimed patch at the top of the allottment, behind which a neighbour's beehives live. The edges are a riot of wildflowers, and the whole plot hums with the sound of bees, late into the evening.

 

 The Wolf boy has his own plot, carefully planted with raspberries, cucumbers and basil, with a handful of poppy seeds scattered through it.

We still haven't got round to building a shed or summerhouse to sit on a sunny evening!

Walking home, we cross the stream that divides the allotments, complete with dipping pan to fill your watering can.

 And pass the secret, abandoned corner allotment, where the wolf boy is constantly finding new flower treasures to show me.

 Overlooked by Meldon, the hill which guards the village below, everything is bursting with life.

Some plots are sprawling , and some are regimented.

We walk home in the evening light

Through the kissing gate,

 and across the neatly manicured park.

At the top of the village the road splits,  and we could walk down the leafy tunnel to home, 

or wind through the village square,

but instead we opt to walk down through the churchyard.

I love this church - dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, it sits on the hill, a direct line passing through the church, the war memorial with it's much older cross, down the hill and squarely through my house, and on up to the lookout at the top of the deer park.

And the churchyard too, a sleepy, friendly place, full of the memories of people who have lived and loved in this small place.

And back home .....

Where the tatty ginger cat awaits us :)

New work.

Starting to panic now - I have an exhibition on the first of May!

I have so many paintings in my head, and not enough time to work on them!

 

 'She Walks in Grace'

Prints available in Etsy shop.

'The Love of a Wolf is a Splendid Thing'

Wild March

 No time for painting these last two weeks. Plenty of playing with ponies though.

Perry loves to be scratched!

 

And Will tolerates kisses :)

 

My sisters and I were snapped posing for Goddess portraits, but to be honest we look scarily like Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters.

And I've been drawn to the deer park recently.

 

And here is the sentinel,  guardian  of the valley. A stag's head of oak and granite. How magical is that?

Winter gives way to Spring

'Blodeuedd'

I've been laid low by illness for half of this month. It seems to have taken out most of the village. It did mean I had a little time for painting though!

 

'New Beginning'

9cm x 14cm

(For Sale in the Etsy shop)

 

The milder weather inspired me to create a couple more card designs - spring like, of course!

I particularly love the fox below :)

'Spring Song'

9cm x 14 cm

(For Sale in Etsy shop)

I should have prints and cards available of these in the next couple of days.

'Midwinter Fire'

A4 ink and watercolour

This painting has gone into Artisan, Chagford, to sell.