More trees!

It's been an odd day - we woke to a new covering of snow this morning, and a thick enveloping fog, which filled the house with a beautiful diffused white light, and utter silence. It was wonderfully calm, and so I managed to finish the second painting in this tree series today. I need to do a batch of framing, and thankfully I have a pile of old frames to recycle and use (thanks to Proper Job ) , but I will need to take them in to a local framers to get the mounts cut - I have never mastered it!

And last, but not least, I have been remiss in mentioning tags and blog awards!
I have been awarded the Lemonade Award for positive blogging from Angie at Free Rein Art and Design and Linda at The Briar Rose Gate. I am honoured, and thank them deeply for their kindness.

"I guess that when life gives you lemons,you make lemonade"!

Because I feel slightly uncomfortable about the passing on of tags and awards left, right and centre, I am not going to do that. Instead I will point you in the direction of a blog I love to read.
I know that Lisa at The Laughing Orca Ranch has been awarded this several times, but here is a lady who has been handed a whole bushel of lemons, and still keeps making lemonade!

And finally here is an award for art blogs from Gail H Ragsdale (whose work I love, we share a taste for crows and horses!)
I'm supposed to tell you 7 things I love , which I'm sure I can manage!
1. Almonds, and almond flavouring! I especially love macaroons - I have a fabulous super easy recipe for them from Nigella Lawson.

2. The colour turquoise, and all shades of greeny blue! I'm sure regular readers of my blog will have already guessed that. I even dyed my hair that colour when I was 16.

3. Science Fiction. My favourite escape on the rare occasions I have a moment to read.

4. Big earrings. I never wear make -up, or other jewellery, or even fashionable clothes, and rarely brush my hair. My one vice, even when wearring wellies and scruffy jumpers covered in hay is big earrings. Bright and colourful, and even better if they are jingly!

5. Growing ornamental thistles of every sort. They are beautiful and diverse, as well as attracting and feeding all sorts of wildlife.

6. Singing. I LOVE to sing, but am painfully shy about it, and would never do so when any one other than my family could hear me.

7. Bird skulls. My husband loves them too, and we always pick them up if we find them. They are exquisite little works of art!

So there we go, 7 things I love. Again, I feel awkward about tagging 7 people, so I will simply point you towards my current favourite art blogger, Amy Abshier Reyes . Her paintings are stunning, and her blog amusing - it's always a pleasure to visit!

Christmas ACEOs

" SNOW IS FALLING"

"CHRISTMAS CROW"

Busy , busy , busy! I've commissions to finish by the end of the month, but I've been working like a woman possesed all week, and they are well on the way now. I did find time to paint a couple of little ACEOs, which I have listed on ebay.

We have all recovered from the rat incident, except Magpie, who has moved in to the kitchen corner and spends her time staring hard at the cd collection, no doubt hoping for a second moment of glory!

I have been tagged again, by Akiko Watanabe and Annette from Fairyshoes.

I thought I would come up with another 7 facts, but I wont pass the tag on this time. There seems to be a tagging frenzy on the blogosphere at the moment!

1. Sea green is my favourite colour, but I can't wear it - it makes me look horrid!

2. I spent 9 months in Penang, Malaysia, and Bangalore, India, working as a volunteer at animal sanctuaries. A completely eye-opening experience - wonderful and miserable all at the same time, and I came home with very different views than those I went out there with!

3. I am learning to play the violin! (well, that is not quite right - I have always wanted to play the fiddle, and finally bought an old one earlier this year. I have a 'teach yourself' book and cd, but I don't have time to get them out as much as I would like)

4. When I was a teenager, my pony got stuck in a bog on Dartmoor. It was a blanket bog, and she broke the surface and went through to half way up her belly, though I was light enough to stand on the surface. She struggled briefly , and gave up. That was a truly scary moment. I saw the resignation in her eyes, and realised she was just going to let herself sink. We were miles from anywhere, and the only thing I could do was hit her. I shouted and screamed, and smacked her from behind , beside myself with panic, and eventually she gave an almighty struggle and thrashed her way to the edge ( only a couple of metres away).

5. I love white chocolate toblerone.

6. I once trekked out to see the mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park ( Then Zaire, but now the Democratic Republic of Congo)

7. The first band I ever saw was The Pixies when I was 15. It opened up a whole new world!

PS. Don't forget the print giveaway doesn't close till Sunday night ( UK time) so there is still time to enter! Add your comments on the IF Pretend post!