Kestrel

I was surprised I was able to photograph the kestrel at such close quarters especially with a noisy 5 year old in tow. But this was last year during our big freeze and before we realised the impact the weather was having on birds of prey. We began to see more and more in the trees and hedgerows, and I swear I saw a buzzard perched on a road side fence post (usually only spotted soaring high above us around here). I suspect our diligent feeding of the garden sparrows probably helped a few predators.

Prints now available here(Folksy) and here(Etsy)

 

Hello wall

Looking good. I used to live in a very old cottage with lots of nooks and crannies, hanging pictures was easy, everything had a place and everything looked great. Six months ago we moved to a house that is younger than me and I was (and still am) overwhelmed by the expanses of bare wall. Its still looking pretty sparse in most rooms but I quite like the way this wall is going so thought i'd share it with you.  

And in case you're interested...

1 The Hermitage from The Hermitage

2 Lodka from The Hermitage

3 Owl from PRINTforLOVEofWOOD

4 silk embroidery from that auction site about 5yrs ago

5 Science is Awesome from Pam Wishbow Illustration

6 Moth Embroidery by Jenny McCabe

If you happen to be in Seoul this weekend

Do go and see my friend Cinzia's lecture on Italian Renaissance Art at the Myeongdong Gallery

I would of course pop over to see this myself but unfortunately I have a prior commitment to take my 5yr old to a party at the village hall. Such is life.

it may be grey, wet and blustery outside

but i can dream...

Etsy Treasury - By the Sea

Works in progress

Late last year - on a mild weekend sandwiched between icy blasts we hopped over to Northern Ireland for a wee road trip and a visit to the Giant's Causeway. I have to say the coastline is stunning, my ideal mix of wide sandy beaches, cliff and rocks. I've been working on a design for a print ever since but struggled to get the composition right. Now I think I've just about cracked it. 

 
I was a but miffed to find i didn't have enough lino to make a start on this last night so decided to turn channel my creative urges towards a spot of painting.

He's not quite finished yet but it was a great feeling to produce something in a relatively short space of time, printmaking on the other hand can be a rather long drawn out process (at least it is the way i do it!). Must do more painting this year - and more birds - lots more birds!

Crow and Anvil

Way back in the autumn, before all the white stuff, when ferns and fungi still flourished we took a trip to Brimham Rocks. I took reams of photos and made a few sketches but various other printing projects and the inconvenience of an unheated workroom coupled with sub-zeros temperatures contrived to keep any output from the trip on the back burner, until now.  Brimham boasts a magnificent eagle which rises like a massive totem pole above a narrow rock canyon. The eagle has been cleaved in two by erosion and one half has collapsed. I was convinced that it was upright on my first visit nearly 20 years ago and told my husband and son so. Then I  found a photo I had taken at the time, it showed my recollection to be quite wrong – funny how the memory plays tricks. 

This is the anvil stone, I loved the way the crow perched on the edge and cawed down to passers by with such authority.

Happy New Year