Oberon's Wood

Who says you have to be 'Skin and Bone and Misery?'

2012-01-03T11:16:00.007Z

Happy New Year! :o)
I bet you're all so sick of hearing that by now aren't you?
Well...you will all no-doubt hear it on every blog until the novelty wears off he he he

So...did you all have a fab time? Hope so!
I will not say about mine as it will get very boring if everyone on their blogs rattles on about how they ate too much and now feel guilty...blah blah blah...

Last year...(was it that long ago?) I found a fantastic 'plump' model and have been doing lots of sketches of her...it has always been difficult finding a larger model, for obvious reasons, so when you find one believe me, you treasure them!
Just think, if you have a 'perfect' figure and are very aware of it, then you would have no problem at all being an art model (and we would all hate you forever!!!! he he he)
But if society made you believe that you were too fat and so, therefore, must be 'unattractive' then how brave you must be to become an artist's model and let all of the world see your so-called flaws!
So thank you my 'plump' model, thank you for giving me the opportunity to challenge the misconceptions which society has imposed on us, that only thin or perfect can be beautiful!
Thank you for giving me the chance to draw something different from the 'beautiful' (and they are) perfect (they are) models...although I do also thank them for allowing me to draw from their lovely bodies...it means so much more to me, being able to draw your 'not-so-perfect' body...

And I think that's about it...
As you can see...I have started the New Year as I mean to go on!
Run for the hills folks he he he

I has been playing Wizards!

2011-11-15T10:57:00.005Z

I has been playing with potions...well, the wizards shouldn't have all of the fun!
After my last post I'm a little off wizards!
Really, I play like this all of the time but I actually took pictures of these so you can play wizards with me (or witches!) ;o)
What shall we make?

I sometimes wonder if I will ever grow up...nah...who wants that kind of boredom?
Although these creations of mine are taking over my house, I do enjoy playing with them...after all, where else can you stick your big fingers into potions and brew things with mermaid and dragon scales?
Hey, now don't blame me I didn't harm them, they sort of 'fell off' on their own and I was there to collect them!
I've been creating wizard stuff all year for sale but then I get attached and don't want to part with them...typical me really...but there really is nowhere left and I must be strong...must not be greedy (yeah like that's ever going to happen!)...

So my little wizards (or witches!) what have you all been up to?
Any one been brewing potions?

I have been thinking about Wizards...

2011-10-19T11:44:00.005+01:00

I've been thinking about wizards...
And I think that they have had a good time over the years...
I'm not complaining, hey, any magickal being having a good time is fine by me.
It's just that, with 'that' time of the year ever approaching, it will be time for the Old Hags to surface and scare the whits out of those poor itsy-bitsy children by popping them in their gruesome cauldrons etc etc etc...you all know the drill...

The hags have always been that way...scary and toothless...with warts to boot!
They couldn't just grow old gracefully and enjoy their dotage.
Obviously they didn't buy into all of that 'Rejuvenating Cream' nonsense ;o)

But the Wizards?
Why they can be as old as they want, with wrinkles as deep as the Pacific Ocean...and what do we think?
'Oh he's so wise and learned...just look at all of the wisdom written on his old face' (no warts either you notice)
'He must be terribly clever because he's SO old'
hem hem (that's me coughing, I know it's not very good but hey)
To be an Old Hag, you have to be erm OLD so why are they never given the same credit as the Wizards?
As you can see I've been giving this way too much thought!!!

And of course, while thinking, I doodle, if there's a scrap of paper anywhere near me and a stick of burnt wood there is no end to my scribblings...unfortunately this one got a bit carried away with itself and in real life he is huge, I couldn't fit his big head on the scanner!
Naturally he has all of the long flowing hair and beard (shiny shiny white no doubt) and that quizzical look of 'Why is she spending so much time thinking about Wizards', on his face...although it might be something much deeper knowing wizards ;o)

Also, perhaps it could be that, because I am also sculpting wizards and other bits then my mind is preoccupied with them...?
Who knows, it is a mystery...but I still think it is unfair, that gentlemen get to grow old and become 'distinguished' while the ladies just grow old...even in the magickal world...

Sorry to pass this on to you my dears...but I do like to share he he he
And anyway, I think my wizard looks like he has a crooked nose ;o)

EHAG sneak peek

2011-08-29T16:32:00.004+01:00

Hi folksies
Just remembered that I forgot (?) to pop a sneaky little peek at my EHAG thingy for the Emporium this month!
Oopsie!
Never mind though...it isn't quite the end of the month ;o)
So here's my offering...can you tell what it is yet?
He he he he he

Those Sirens and their singing...

2011-08-24T08:32:00.004+01:00

Well folks, after the last post (oh that sounds a little sad!)...
I have taken Quentin's advice and hidden my junk under the table!
By the way, Quentin makes the most gorgeous jewellery if you want to have a peek at his website Lunar Skies
Which means that I got to do some painting, doubt it will last though ;o)
I have (I think) finished (maybe) this Mermaid painting which has been lying around for a while bugging me to get on with it...you know those Sirens and their song!
Does it look finished to you, or is something missing?
My dear Troll says it need an island, but I think that might be too distracting, after all it's her we're meant to be looking at, not an island in the hope that Jack Sparrow might be lurking there ;o)
As you can see, I'm a fiddler, which is a big problem!
Nothing ever gets finished 'cos I just need to add a little something here and a bit there...
The colours aren't really like this either because my scanner and the finished item always have a tiff and play up with each other so my colours go all weird!?!
Oh well, back to my fiddling...and as Joolz has put the thought there (thanks for that Ju!)...I now have 'Fiddler on the Roof' going through my head!
'If I were a rich man....'
Bet you're all singing it now too aren't you?
He he he...

The tale of the missing wooden table, by Agatha Misty

2011-08-09T08:28:00.005+01:00

We're moving stuff...again...
You know that awful kind of 're-arranging things' because you need more space?
Then when it's all piled up into a teetering tower and you have created a lovely clean little area...only to look behind you at the cob-webby-dust-infested pile of junk which you now have no space for!
My daughter's bedroom is now beautifully tidy after laying new carpets and doing girly stuff...now all of the stuff she no longer wants is piled in the big inglenook (it looks like a flea market...funny how quickly they grow out of toys...)
I'm just as bad as everyone else here though...

I did used to have a table to 'work' on, in the kitchen, tucked under the window to get better light, ha, nice try there Missy!
It was all ready for me to paint the 'masterpiece', you know which one, the one that lurks in the back of your head and will never come out to play!

Now...it's piled high with boxes and clay and bits of old fluff and lace and oil paints and sculpting tools and more boxes and ribbons and plastic leaves and more fluff and an old herbal book (?) and some sketch books and some charcoal and some crayons and some hair (?) and some watercolour paints and some pencils and some bits of fluff which looks like it came from a timid dog (we don't have a dog though!) (?) and some acrylic paints which have dried up because their lids snapped off so I have to poke a knitting needle down the end to get the paint out! and some fabric and some sewing threads and some paper and some scissors and some chocolate ;o) and some tissues and some photo's and some more fluff and a small easel and the castors from my big easel which broke and some hand wipes and some paintbrushes and a jar of teeny beads and some small wooden tables and an old rusty six inch nail which I found in the fireplace and liked (?) and some rust which flaked off the big nail!...and some more fluff...you can see there's a problem here can't you?

I can't find my table anymore!!!

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted...
Back to sketching on the sofa and annoying everyone with my scratchy charcoal (ha ha ha, teach them to mess the house up!)...they should be more tidy with their stuff...like me ;o)

This one is a study for a stretching female...in case you couldn't tell ;o)

Am I following You?

2011-06-20T11:08:00.005+01:00

Hi folks...
I'm reposting this one as it got lost behind the Midsummer Faery ;o)...

I just wanted to check with all of my friendly followers to see if I have done you all the courtesy of following you in return?
I have just spent ages trying to track some of you down!
Some folks keep their 'profile' hidden which means when I click on the followers it won't show a link to your lovely site and then I can't come and have nosey around your blogs...:o( :o(
I've managed to find a few of you...who have been following me for yonks and now I can see what goodies you have to share...so please forgive my tardiness...it was you all being secretive 'what dun it' ;o)
So...if I have totally ignored you...and you really didn't want me to (and I can understand why you would!)...then PLEASE...leave me a comment or a message or anything which I can grab as a link to you...so that I can come and play on your own turf :o)
If you have recieved this message and did not subscribe to this blog, please ignore this message ;o)

Merry Midsummer Solstice Everyone!

2011-06-20T10:05:00.004+01:00

'Summer is a coming in'...but I won't sing!

2011-05-23T11:12:00.005+01:00

Hello my fellow bloggers...so how are you all today?
Did any of you guess where the song title came from? he he he...
I am always amazed by the fact that folks actually bother to read the drivel which spews from my typing fingers...yet, some do!
So...as it is raining very heavily here (actually it's blowing a gale...seems more like Autumn)...and because I am feeling a little better (the rain has nothing to do with anything I just wanted to pop in the weather forecast)...I thought that I'd come and visit my blog pals :o)
Hope you're all feeling chipper and 'Fine and Dandy'...and that you have all been up to mischief ;o)

Whilst I have been doing my 'enforced sitting' I have at least had an excuse to do some painting...I always feel guilty just painting when there are so many boring housey things which should be done...even though painting is my passion...maybe because it is my passion...I have feelings of 'I shouldn't be doing this as it's too enjoyable'...
Does that mean that I am a martyr?
I suppose if I feel that I shouldn't be doing art because I enjoy it and then go and do 'other things'...then I am a little weeny bit martyr-ish...
Oh I don't like the sound of that...not one bit...yet I do wonder if it goes with the territory of being a wife and/or mother...how many of you can truly say that your art doesn't suffer because you have a family or other responsibilities?
Anyone who creates anything, no matter what it is, must have some feelings like that...

I remember many years ago watching Barbara Hepworth (a British Sculptor) and she said that she had totally neglected her children in pursuit of her art...(granted she probably had a nanny anyway, the folks then always did)...and that 'Why shouldn't she? After all, male artists have always done that and they are never seen as doing anything wrong'...
At the time I thought that Barbara was being incredibly cruel to say she didn't want to spend time looking after her children...but then...I didn't have any myself...(!)...I think I have a little more sympathy for her plight now...(even though I could never ever do what she did)...and she was really only saying what a lot of women-of-her-day were thinking...imagine how hard it would have been without all of the mod-cons we have now! Oh my...those poor women!!!

As you can no doubt see...I'm rambling :o)
So...this painting is the product of my 'sitting being selfish' time ;o)
Hope you like her...she makes me feel like Summer is here...and not this early Autumn, although I do love Autumn...I would prefer it at the right time!

Bye for now my lovelies...carry on with your mischief ;o)

Do you believe in ghosts?

2011-05-19T08:23:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone...:o)
I thought you might like to see a painting I did a few months ago for my MIL...
And hear about the strange reason for painting it in the first place...(not that I'm being all dramatic ;o) )

Last year my husband (The Troll) 's grandmother 'Cissy' who died in 1994 kept 'visiting' me...not in the ghostly sense...but in the 'keeps-popping-into-your-head' sense...she just would not leave, she was there all of the time...I couldn't stop thinking about her...
Now I never knew Cissy very well, we only met a few times but she was a lovely lady, with so much life in her and a wonderful past to share if anyone wanted to hear...and The Troll was very close to her and spent all of his holidays and weekends at her home when he was young...
We were the last people who saw her alive, which has not gone down well with the MIL :o(
We visited Cissy and Charlie, her husband, a couple of days before she died unexpectedly and I had a feeling when she looked at us driving away that she was going to die...she seemed strange...
MIL (Lee) says that if I had told her that I thought her mother was going to die she would have rushed down to Gloucester (yes the home of Dr Foster ) to be with her...which says a lot for my 'premonitions' really, but I felt bad telling her...I don't think she will ever forgive us for being the last ones to see her mother alive...

So...back to the painting...I don't do portraits it's not really my thing...but Cissy just wouldn't go away...it was as though she was telling me to paint her...I have a few photographs of Cissy as an old lady but they weren't right for the painting...I have one very old photo of her as a young woman and this seemed to be the right one...so I started to paint her, not exactly as she was in the photo as she wasn't smiling...but as she is here...
Cissy was by my side as I began...and she stayed with me throughout the painting process...sometimes correcting me by gently pushing me on...then one day...Cissy was gone...just like that...she had left...
The Troll was away while I painted his Grandmother so it was a surprise for him to see her...I'm not really sure how he felt about seeing her after so long but I think he liked her...
If it had been left to me, I would have refined the picture more and corrected some mistakes...but when Cissy left me, I thought I should stop painting...so this is how it was then...without my usual fiddling!
I know that Cissy wanted me to create this picture for her daughter Lee (MIL) so I wrote a letter to her explaining why it was created and that Cissy wanted her to have it and that I had no idea why...and also that Cissy seemed happy...then The Troll took the painting when he visited the family (on a detour from a work trip) and gave it to his mum...I just hoped that the whole thing didn't upset her or drag nasty things into the present for her!
She wrote back to say that she had been visiting a 'Spiritualist Church' locally and had been trying to contact Cissy for a long time...with some slight success...and that she felt her mother had come (through me) to tell her the answer to something she had been worried about (I don't know what)...and that it was a lovely spiritual gift and she was very happy with it...
Which was a relief! :o)
So...that's the story behind my 'Spirit Painting'...I'm not sure if I enjoyed the experience but I do wonder if anyone else will 'come through the veil' and ask for a portrait...I wouldn't mind doing Marc Bolan...but that's another story...;o)
Bye for now...back to the sick room for me...

Just sitting with my W.I.P...and cat

2011-05-15T10:42:00.006+01:00

Hello again everyone...hope you're all enjoying yourselves this fine day :o)
As I'm still not feeling too clever (health wise)...I can't stand at my big easel (called Biffy...yes, my easel has a name and I love him!)...I'm sitting an awful lot, which drives me crazy unless I'm doing something...so...I thought I'd show you what I'm up to...(Works In Progress)

I'm not sure how much to change the pusscat yet...I think he needs a white bib...and something doing with his paws, they look like he needs a pedicure!
And his coat is very untamed!
And there's a lot more to do on the cauldron...as you can see from my poor old battered and rusty specimen...the one in the painting needs ageing!
Shame I don't have a lovely stripey cat to pose for me...but I'll have to make do with my imagination there ;o)
I don't like the bottles much either...they look too 'modern' to me so something to change there...
Can you see how hard it is to just enjoy painting?
And don't you just love my painting table?
We actually sit down to eat at this poor old thing...but I am just an old traditional and have to inherit things which I feel sorry for...and cannot ever think of parting with...
Imagine...
You are an old table which has been good to families for over a hundred years, faithfully standing by to aid in their mealtimes and school work, not to mention all of their creative endeavours...
Then along comes this New Chap...all modern and showy with his shiny surface with scratch resistant coat...and they look at him and cry, 'Oh he's so handsome and clean and his legs are so smooth and straight...we must get rid of Old Faithful this instant and invite New Chap into our lives'
Never going to happen!
I love Old Faithful's fat funny legs and his gouges and paint stains...
Okay...so we can't all fit easily on him anymore and he really does need a good sand and re-veneer...but then I wouldn't want to paint on him...so he will have to stay as he is...bumpy, scratched and well loved...
Bit like me really ;o)
And...so my dear friends...I will bid you all adieu...
Now go and tell something old and well-loved that you 'heart' them and I'll see you again soon...:o)

A Familiar Spell

2011-05-11T14:24:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone :o)
I'm peeping my head around the 'sick room' door for a bit as I wanted to show my piece for the EHAG challenge 'Familiar Friends'

I have always had a soft spot for toads, all kinds, I love their warty backs and the way they walk... And we are very lucky here that they find their way into our greenhouse and bury themselves in the plants, as they are incredibly useful creatures for the garden.

Not to mention their magical connections...although I do think they have been given a bad press because of all the licking that went on in the Dark Ages (toads have a secretion on their skins for protection, which someone found could make a person have hallucinations if they licked it...just how anyone ever found that out in the first place, I have no idea...but it was a while back...!)

So anyway...back to the challenge...I'm waffling again (I blame the bug ;o))...
Most folks think of Cats when they hear of a Familiar but my first thought is always Toad...so here he is...his name is Touchwood...and I have to say I'm glad that I finished him well before we caught this lurgy as I would have been sorry to have missed him...

So...now it's your turn for a challenge...
What do think of when you think Familiar Friend?

And on that note I will vanish in a puff of smoke *******

Sometimes you just have one of those days...or weeks...

2011-05-03T14:34:00.005+01:00

Anyone got a handkersniff?
We're running out here...
Well it has been a real downer this past few weeks in our Mountain Hovel...
My eldest son brought a right rotter of a bug back with him and then 0h-so generously gave it to his siblings who then passed it around, like a parcel, but no fun opening it ;o) then we all caught another one straight afterwards! :o(

Never mind though...at least it means you get to just 'sit' for a while...none of this awfully disgusting stuff like 'cleaning' or 'ironing' *shudder*...can't do any of that nonsense with a bug ;o)

This charcoal study looks quite a bit like the way I'm feeling at the moment...
You know that feeling you get when you have just gotten over a bug and another one is fast approaching ready to kick you when you're looking the other way?
Why can't they just visit you with a nice chocolate cake instead?
Much more friendly!

I've also had some time to do some painting though, so I can't grumble (too much) and I'll show some of them soon...as soon as I get some more hankies...

Have you all been enjoying yourselves now the weather is being more agreeable?
It's warm here but the high wind keeps whipping up and taking the electrics with it...I know last time it fried all of the computers so we all run to switch everything off when we hear the howling approach!
It's all very 'Wuthering Heights' and terribly dramatic when it whistles round the house!
Although a friend in Ohio tells me that her roof was blown off recently!!!
Wow...that makes ours seem so trivial!

Good thing the houses up the Welsh mountains were built by hand, from rocks dug up out of the surrounding fields (no machinery in those days)...our walls are two feet thick so I think those 'primitive' folks knew a thing or two about strength in high places...they were certainly built to last up here...even though it does mean the houses are all like a reversed Tardis...big on the outside and pokey inside...and the gaps between the stones allow critters to tunnel through the walls and appear in all sorts of places!
I can honestly say now that I am an hexpert ;o) at catching mice!
If you ever need to catch mice (humanely of course) they LOVE peanut butter!
And chocolate...so all of that stuff about cheese is a load of rubbish!
I have even seen a tiny mouse drag a huge chocolate biscuit off...
We have been visited, courtesy of our stone walls and their gaps, by bank voles, shrews (all kinds), field mice, wood mice, giant spiders which are the size of voles! and all manner of lovely things.

At the moment the bats are enjoying all of the moths and flies outside and we have already been visited by the cuckoos, who have come an awfully long way just to fob their offspring off on some poor little bird (they are either very cruel or rather clever, I'm not sure which)
And don't get me started on rats!
Thankfully they all live in the far away fields by the streams!
The moles were very busy through the winter piling up lots of little hills everywhere, so there is absolutely no way you could be 'lawn proud' here, but we scoop up the hills and use them for compost, so we don't mind the visits from the 'Little Gentlemen in Velvet Waistcoats'
Last year was very bad for the swallows, so I'm hoping that they're okay and some make it back...no sign yet though...
We also have adders, which frightened the wits out of me at first... but now I just stand and watch them winding their way through the plants and don't imagine them digging their sharp fangs into everyone you love! ;o) though now the children are older I'm a little less worried as I've read that a bite from an adder is very unlikely to kill an adult (just small children and pets!) and you are more likely to die from being hit by lightning than from being bitten by a snake!
That is SO comforting...;o( and anyway....we are all like lightning rods up here!
We are the first things it goes for...we can watch it move over the sky and see it land over on the other mountains!

Now aren't you all glad you don't live in a run-down old farmhouse in Wales? he he he
Oh dear...I've written a book about it all now haven't I?

Sorry folks...pass me a hankie and I'll be on my way...;o)

Let Sleeping Faeries Lie...

2011-04-18T15:31:00.004+01:00

If I sneak in while everyone's looking the other way...no one will be able to moan at me for going AWOL again ;o)...not that anyone would ever do that to a poor old Fae...
I know you are all lovely kind folks deep down and missed me terribly didn't you ?;o)

So...here we are again...how've you all been?
My 'puter is still having the odd problem (or two) and groans when I do anything strenuous, bit like me really, so I know not to push too hard...hence my absence...
Still...it gives me more time to paint...or to try to sort out my stash of projects...
You know the classic image of a crazy painter...with paper, canvas and paints sprawled over every surface?
Me :o)
The ones who slide everything off a table to make room for a meagre snack of bread and cheese?
That's me :o)
The ones who everyone moves away from if they get too close, as they have paint under all of their nails and in their hair...the ones with paintbrushes sticking out of their ears?
Me again :o)
If you have any OCD problems and need to be neat and tidy...you would hate me, truly, madly, deeply!
Everyone here is so used to me they kind of just get on with it and work around me, (granted they have no choice), but it must drive them mad!
Hang on though...I tread on Lego all of the time (and it really hurts!)...and I let them pile their toys into teetering towers all over the place too...and spread games and cards and all sorts of 'educational' things everywhere!
And my musician son has been breeding instruments all over this house so the 'parlour' (ha) has become a recording studio of sorts with wires everywhere (and me on a 'puter) and deafens us all!
You try typing with a 'session' going on!
So...thinking about it...I now do not feel so guilty about my art stuff littering everywhere...
At least it's quiet...well...most of the time ;o)

This painting of a Sleeping Fae was done a while ago...but got lost under things, hence me tidying up!
She has a story to go with her but I won't bore you all with that (just yet!) it's a little sad and I really do not feel like being in sad mood today...there's a beautiful full moon and I'm off to howl at it...right down my musician son's ears...payback time...
Revenge can be oh-so-sweet!
(Oh yes, she's a watercolour in case you were at all interested)
See you all soon...if I can climb over all of this Oh-so-useful-really-necessary-art equipment!

Introducing...Ms Cassandra and Miss Rowan

2011-03-31T11:28:00.003+01:00

Ms Cassandra and Miss Rowan (Take a walk in the Dark Woods)

Don’t be scared sweetheart,
You know it isn’t real,
It’s just the shadows in the wood
Which gives the creepy feel.

Don’t be shy my baby,
Don’t hide your little face,
It’s just the whistle of the wind
Which haunts this lovely place.

Don’t you fret my darling,
Your mummy has you tight,
I’ll chase away the spooky things
Upon this moonlit night.

Don’t you worry honey,
Don’t listen to their plea,
I’ll keep you safe from all things scary;
Bug-eyed Monsters, spiders hairy,
Ghosts and Ghouls and Goblin Faery
Do not frighten me!

This creation came about after thinking how much our children rely on 'Mummy' to be a big, strong, safe image.
I love the way which very young children see their parents...as though they are invincible, that they are never afraid of anything…that they will always be able to protect them.
Although as they grow older, sadly they realise that this is not always so…

This creation is my offering for the March EHAG Emporium...if you would like to see more of the artists of EHAG do pop over to their site...it's always Halloween there...what more could you want? ;o)

Ms Cassandra stands at 5 1/2 inches to the top of her head and 6 1/2 inches to the top of her pointy hat.
Although it is difficult to see Miss Rowan (she's hiding), I can assure you that she does have a full face and both her eyes are there! (Even though I then hid one on Mummy's shoulder)
I also thought it would be cute to dress Rowan in bright colours as a contrast to the more sombre garments which adults (witches ;o)) prefer.
Although most of my figures can be gently posed, because of the nature of this pose I have fixed the two figures together...they are, therefore, not pose-able and Mummy can keep hold of Rowan forever...that's love for you...
These figures are completely One-of-a-kind and no moulds have been used or taken from them (so you will have the only ones ;o))

Sorry folks if this sounds like a sales pitch...I'm not after your money...I'm just trying to promote my EHAG friends :o)

And look at me...two posts in two days!
I must be feeling ill ;o)
He he he he he

Let us pray...

2011-03-30T11:31:00.004+01:00

Well...I think he looks like he's praying at least...
the only reason I wanted to sketch this pose was because of his arched back...
for some reason...whenever I see a new pose, I size it up for wings :o)
And, as his back is nice and big you could fit a grand pair of wings on it ;o)

Makes me wonder what the poor boy was praying for...
Maybe he's heard all of the comments about his other sketches (and his back)...
Maybe he doesn't want to be a Greek God!
Maybe he's praying that the folks who left the comments about him won't find him ;o)

Or maybe he's just having a quiet moment...
Sometimes it's the quiet moments which help us to really see ourselves...
Sometimes we get lost or caught up in events and feel helpless...
Sometimes we pray to whichever Gods we have faith in to aid us or just to hear us...
Sometimes we just need someone to listen...

So...for now...I think I'll leave you to your own quiet moment...
See you all very soon...

What a rotten Tease!

2011-03-27T08:51:00.007+01:00

Hello there everyone...can you believe it...it has been sunny for two whole days!!!
Won't last...

This little picture is a sneak peek of my offering for the March EHAG Emporium
I haven't made anything for a while...been drawing mostly and concentrating on my Faery Book
(You know...the one I've been working on forever ;o))
So I thought that it was about time I did some 'proper' work ;o)
And, surprisingly for 'proper' work...it was great fun...if a little awkward!

I'm not saying any more about it for now...
It is only a tease after all...

So...how are you all?
Is it sunny for you?
Anyone been up to mischief?
Do tell...

The Return of The Greek God!

2011-03-22T19:24:00.005Z

And as promised...
Here he is from the back ;o)
He has such a broad back that I couldn't fit him on my 'puter...(scanner)
So I'll just leave you to imagine the rest ;o)
Also, he does have feet but they wouldn't fit on either...although they were quite small for such a big lad!
Now...from the amount of feedback he has been receiving here and on The Hive and Facebook...I have come to the conclusion that, although we live in a modern society...with mod-cons and very feminist attitudes...
We all still seem to hanker after a good old fashioned Greek God...
Can't think why ;o)

Now go fan yourselves with a wet cloth and I'll see you all next time...with maybe a girl?
Or...maybe I'll do a Standing Greek God?
He he he he he

Could he be a Greek God?

2011-03-21T14:17:00.005Z

I'm not going to harp on about how long it's been since I visited here...you see...this time I have a 'proper' excuse!
My poor old gal (the 'puter) has been coughing and spluttering for a while...and over the past few weeks we thought she might not make it...but...
She has had a little R&R and even some ER (no, not that show!) and 'Touch wood & whistle' she seems to be okay...(hope so anyway!)

So...I thought this time I would give the spotlight to the Blokes...
I've put up lots of Ladies on this blog so now I'm going to devote a little space to the Fellas...

This chap struck me as being a God (Can't think why ;o) )
I think he would be a little too...well...big...for a Fae...
Although...you never know...just cos' I've not met one this big doesn't mean there ain't one this big!

I can't really see him flying around the woodland...although...he might make a cool Angelic type...maybe a Dark Angel...
I think I may have to sit down and have a rest now...after all this exertion...;o)
I'm feeling a little faint...wafting my fan quickly...and no...it wasn't the model who made me faint...he's not my type...
I like them Tall, dark and rich...just like my taste in chocolate really...
Oh yes...and stupid helps...
He he he he he...
Good thing my Giant Troll doesn't read this anymore...;o)
(Next time I'll show you him from the back...the model not the Giant Troll)

Smudgy Fae...(could be a song title)

2011-03-02T16:36:00.006Z

Hello folks...as you can see I've done a female this time :o)
And she's all smudgy and charcoaly just as they always are...can't do 'clean' when you use the lovely black sticks...good thing my sofa's aren't white!
I think this one wants me turn her into a Fae...she looks that type...what do you think?
She's a little squashed on the screen as I sketch in A3 and my scanner is A4 so I have to squish them in to fit...(saves stitching them, hate doing that)

Hey, get me...two blog posts with a 'smallish' gap between them...wonders will never cease!

Also while I'm here (having been given a lovely bug from my adorable sprogs!)...I see that I have some new followers...'Hello and welcome to the wood...mind your heads on the falling branches :o)'...Well...now that's made me feel even more guilty for being so neglectful on this blog...(If you ever read any of my other blogs you would see that this is a common occurrence with me...I take on far too much and just can't carry it all...so something always falls out of my arms...I promise that I'll try to be good from now on (crossing fingers behind my back) and do more here...
Did anyone really believe that?
Didn't think so...
Can you believe that it's now March?
The birds are all frisky outside...little sweeties...they're all so glad to be alive...funny how you don't hear about depression in the wild critters isn't it...mmm

Who is he?

2011-02-17T11:43:00.005Z

I'm one of those people who can't just sit...
If I'm watching the TV I have to also be 'doing' something...this annoys everyone around me I'm sure...but they're probably used to me now anyway :o)

My favourite thing to do whilst I sit, is sketch...and charcoal is my favourite thing to make a right mess with...
I love the way the blackness creeps up on the white page and takes over it...
Most of the time the result is just a mess...sometimes though, a face will start to appear and after a while, I start to see them looking back at me, urging me to help them escape from the darkness.

This face appeared on my page amongst all of the scratchings and rubbings (which annoy everyone) and I thought that I would share him here, as I would like to know who he is...
That may sound slightly odd I know, but I feel that he is trying to tell me to bring him out further from this rough sketch and 'make' him into something...trouble is, I'm not sure who he really is...

I like the strangely wistful gaze he has...and my first thought was to make him a Fae...then I thought that he might be better as a God...or I could add horns and make him a faun...you see what I mean...I haven't got a clue really...

I think I would like him to have story which fits him...
He seems a little sad maybe?
Or maybe he's in love?

The picture didn't really fit my scanner (I sketch quite big) but I've just managed to squeeze him in...some of his hair has gone but I think he's showing enough to get an idea...even in this very rough sketch.

So folks I have a request from you...
Who does he feel like to you?
What do you think he wants from me?
I'm not saying he will get what he wants though...
I don't hold with paintings getting their own way...no Dorian Gray works here ;o)
I'm just curious...

If you click the image you'll get a better look although he is much darker in real life...

And thank you in advance for your help :o)

I HATE Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:27:00.006Z

Well...it's THAT day again...the one where folks get all upset if they aren't loved :o(
How bizarre is that?
Why does the date dictate how much love a person has or gives?
I HATE this day...but I LOVE almost everyone and everything...so...from me...
You are all loved...promise...someone, somewhere loves you...
You may know them...
You may not...
One day...you will...it just takes a little patience...
So...lean into the 'puter screen and I'll blow you a BIG Elf kiss...
Just so that you feel loved...(*blow*)

I'm not christian so I don't do the whole V day thing...but my Giant Troll does celebrate the Roman equivalent...(sometimes...if he feels the need)...he's a little 'Old Fash' my Troll...and he will insist in writing doggerel poetry for me...sigh...you know how big Trolls are...how can an Elf stop a Troll?
Needless to say...it made me laugh...
I s'pose that's love for you...;o)

Oh well...for those celebrating...may love trickle over your toes like the lovely stream in springtime...(?)
For those who are V-Grinches (like me)...kiss the mirror and say 'I love you'...
Well if it was good enough for Oscar Wilde...:o)

The Snow House

2011-01-12T15:27:00.004Z

Hello everyone...hope you're all enjoying the New Year!
It's still a little dreary here...I don't think the sun has shone for months...apart from when it bounced off the snow!
Still...the fire is blazing and the sooty smell is filling the house ;o)
Ah...the joys of the countryside in winter.
I thought you might like to see my poor greenhouse...just before New Year...

I know it's not the best time to be thinking about planting this year's veggies and herbs...
But at least I can get the doors open now and chop off all of the poor frost-bitten growth :o(

One good thing to come out of the enforced 'indoor activities' is that I have had less in the way of distractions to keep me from painting...although it doesn't take much to distract me...
But making a fire and keeping it alight all day means the tiny sculpting has been put on hold until the sun comes back to us...polymer clay and soot are not a good mix!

Charcoal on the other hand...no problem ;o)
I could make my own!

I'll try to post some pics soon...sooty fingerprints included...
Happy New Year folks!

Happy Birthday Nan

2010-11-22T15:37:00.006Z

My it has been a long time since I posted anything...truth be told...it has been a little trying here in the mountains...long story...very boring so I'll leave it there!

I just wanted to wish my nan a happy birthday...for last week...see I even missed that!
My nan is no longer physically with us...but she still visits my thoughts...and was my first introduction to anything at all creative...she could make anything from very little...a true artist...

As I have previously written a post (on my other, older blogs) about her I will just add this direction for anyone wanting to pay my nan a little visit...it is a little self indulgent on my part so please forgive my ramblings...but you would be most welcome to pop in for a nice cup of tea...click here to visit

I'll post something new when the mess here is tidied up...promise...but for now...
Happy Birthday Nan!
She looks a little like "Alice" in the old photo...how times have changed...

Tis' the Season to be Spooky...fa la la la la la la la la...

2010-10-01T16:34:00.000+01:00

Well it's that time of the year again...you know the one...the time when folks get excited by pumpkins and things that go bump in the night...

Of course...even in the miniature world folks like to get in on the act...and it seems that this version of the AIM magazine has done the "Spooky Ookey" world justice by hosting its own Halloween special...

Now you all know that I'm not one to toot their own horn (now you know that's true...don't you?)...but that bloke on the front looks a little familiar to me...can't think why...mmm...

So...if...like me...you enjoy free things...and who doesn't?

Pop over to the Aim mag and take a peek at some of the talent out there...toiling away over those rusty ol' cauldrons...year in...year out...just to brighten up your little witchy worlds...

You can also download the Aim magazine each month for free!...what more could you ask for...well me personally...I could ask for a lot more as I'm a rather greedy goblin...but that's another story...

And while I have your spooky attention...my fellow hags at EHAG are also doing their best to put their brand of "Let's be spooky all year round" fun on the map with their monthly Emporium...even if the purse strings are a little tight at this time of the year...we can all still be "Cats looking at a Queen"...and I love window shopping...although there aren't so many windows to browse this month...it's still fun to visit...

Now...I just wanted to say a personal thank you to a very lovely lady Julia...I have just visited her blog and seen what she has done with a little friend of mine...and I am just so thrilled that she has taken the time to show her appreciation in this way...as she has only just returned from hospital...so thank you Julia!

Well folks...I suppose that I should get on with some "Arty stuff" and switch off this blasted thing...they are useful but they don't half take up your time!

See you again soon my lovelies...

My Little Faery Friend Daisy...

2010-09-23T08:37:00.007+01:00

Sometimes...from the peripheral vision...you get fleeting glimpses of movement...
Many folks pass this off as a trick of the eyes...
Some just think that the imagination is playing tricks on them...
Some just like to lay on the dewy grass and watch the world go by before their very eyes...

It is now officially Autumn...season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...
So why are my little Fae friends still playing in the grass with no vests to keep the chills out?
I have no answer to that one...
As you can see...some of my little ones still hold fast to the notion of freedom without inhibitions...I suppose if you are a Fae then you can get away with it...unlike us giant folks the human beans.

Let me introduce you to Daisy...a pretty little thing...not at all shy...having a morning stretch in the Autumn sunshine...I don't know how she managed to find daisies still in flower though...but let's just call it Artistic License...

She said it was okay to paint her but only from the back...
I'm happy to do that though...it saves having to edit over body parts to be able to post my pictures on here...some folks you see are a little worried about seeing naked things on blogs and I might get into trouble...(although that doesn't usually stop me he he )

Daisy as you may have noticed doesn't have wings...she can fly without them...so I suppose evolution had a hand in that somewhere...much like us.

Well...I just thought that Daisy and I should wish everyone a beautiful Autumnal Equinox...that wondrous time where the world is equal and night and day are even...
If, as you take a lovely Autumnal walk... kicking through the fallen leaves...you happen to see Daisy...introduce yourself to her...she's a real sweetie...she always smells of blossomy mist...and she would be so pleased to know that you caught a glimpse of her...out of your peripheral vision...

Astronomer's Table

2010-09-10T14:32:00.004+01:00

What is it about the stars that makes us feel the need to understand them?
Why did those people (men mostly) many centuries ago want to learn about them and plot their positions on their charts?
Why do the planets fascinate us so much...as they travel along their path around the sun?

I have no real understanding of these things...
But they still fascinate me...

And there could not be one amongst us who has not gazed out at the Bat black night sky and wondered...
Some of the things we see up there...may have expired long ago...gone out in a glorious blaze of glory...which may never have been witnessed by a human being...
Some stars...by the time we see them twinkling...are already long gone...

It makes the things down here on this small blue planet of ours seem very insignificant...
That a star so bright could be gone without being wished upon...

So...for those of you with a little magick in your souls...
If you get the chance... step out into the beautiful darkness and look upon the vastness of the night sky...
Hold up your heads and stretch out your arms as wide as you can...and wish upon the first star that you see...
And remember...it came a long way to see you...

Strength in Solitude

2010-09-06T16:53:00.000+01:00

I painted this picture a few months ago but you all know how we get with our work...I was never really happy with it...so I hid it away from my vision...in the hope that it would look better tomorrow...

I'm not sure it ever will look better to me...
I don't think that I will ever be happy with a painting...

We all go through this...I know that my fellow PAN members feel this way at times...
But I thought that I would show it on the blog anyway...as a kind of cathartic exercise...
I need to let go of my negative feelings towards my art...
I need to just create and not be so sorry that I am not, and never will be, an "Old Master"...

Sometimes we forget this...we put undue pressure on ourselves to be something we are not...not just in our art but in our lives also...

The painting is called "Strength in Solitude"...it is painted with acrylics on 18 x14" canvas...just in case you were wondering :0)

There now...I'm feeling my burden lighten a little already...

Litha...or...Waiting for the day to begin...

2010-06-08T08:49:00.005+01:00

Hello there my pretties!
Are you all enjoying the Summer?
Seems like I haven't been around here for a very long time...
Life's like that sometimes...if you don't hold tightly to time...it has this way of escaping your grip.

Of course I haven't been totally idle (no eye rolling you lot!)...I have been doing some arty things...although these days...I just seem to let it lead...with me following behind trying to catch up with it...

I posted the origins of this painting on the PAN blog here
She is obviously the bottom sketch...and I knew that she was in just the right pose for a laid back faery...so...gave her a couple of toadstools and here she is...finished...I think...

In the beginning...I thought that she was waiting for something...but couldn't make my mind up what or who...she seems to be looking across into the distance...and of course...there is the answer...she is waiting for the sun...

She is a Fae of the Midsummer...a Solstice Fae...and she is watching the sun rise on this special long day...presumably she is resting...before the faery revelries begin...

It is long known that these little beings can really party...
Maybe...one day...they will let me join in with them again...I'm not too fussy about the size of the cakes...and I don't drink the hard stuff...so I wouldn't tread on any of them by mistake...
If I cross my fingers...maybe this year...

I have a dear friend called Linda...who each year celebrates the coming of the Fae...she lives with her Grandchildren in New Mexico...where the faeries sure know how to party...and everyone gets to see them...if you would like to join in...here's how you get there click

If I don't see you again for a while...
You know where I'll be...
Happy Midsummer Solstice my faery friends...
Hold on tightly to time...and sprinkle faery dust in your wake...

Please Help The Whales!

2010-05-05T11:40:00.000+01:00

Care 2 are spreading the word about the sneaky way that certain countries are trying to bring back whaling...
I've copied the page for you to read...
If any of you would care to help these beautiful creatures of the deep...
PLEASE sign the petition on the care2 site...it doesn't cost a penny...
So do please take a look...
Here's what they say...

Stop the Sell Out, Save the Whales!

Target: Madam Minister Ilse Aigner of Germany
Sponsored by: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

A massive new threat against whales has recently surfaced that would wipe out the international ban on commercial whaling.

A 'behind closed doors' proposal between Japan, Germany, the United States and other governments would legitimize the cruel commercial slaughter of our ocean's great whales for the first time since 1986 -- undermining decades of hard-won protections for whales.

Please sign the letter to German Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Madam Minister Ilse Aigner, to stop this sell-out of the whales. We must act quickly!

Dear Madam Minister,

Disturbing reports indicate that you may be supporting an international agreement permitting Japan and others to resume commercial whaling.

We respectfully urge you to prevent the sell-out of the whales as outlined in the "Compromise paper" of the IWC Chairman which is currently supported by the German government.

In addition I want to ask you to do everything in your power to uphold an effective moratorium and finally end commercial whaling in the 21st Century.

Thanks everyone...on behalf of the whales...
Here's the link to the petition site http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/175446210?z00m=19842944

Skyclad...Work in Progress

2010-04-19T11:41:00.004+01:00

Well now...I have only just realised that...although I have put this "Work in Progress" up on my other blogs...
I completely forgot to put her on my actual Art Blog!
Shame on me...
After you take the trouble to visit me here in Oberon's Wood...and how do I thank you?
By not showing what I'm actually doing...naughty...very naughty...

So...(as I've said on my other blogs)...this is the painting on my easel at the moment...
She needs a lot more done to her I know...
But I thought you might like to see the process...
That's if you've forgiven me for not showing you first!

She's quite a nymph...but that's what you'd expect in a Faery Wood I suppose...

Sorry about the appalling photo...I was in a rush...as usual...and didn't do all of tech stuff properly...but as she isn't finished anyway I hope you don't mind all of the wavy lines...

Gonzo appears courtesy of my son...who thinks my paintings could do with a bit more life...
I actually think he suits the style though...;0)

See you all soon in the wood...watch out for the fae ones...

Old Jack...The Caretaker

2010-04-08T10:12:00.003+01:00

Well my pretties...are you all enjoying the lovely Spring weather...yes?
Well why on earth are you sitting in front of your 'puters...reading this rubbish?
Go on...go outside and breathe in the lovely fresh air...instead of this stale stuff hanging around your rooms in which you keep these beasts that sap our lives...;o)

Before you do though...as I haven't been blogging for a while...I thought I'd show you Old Jack...he's not my usual scale but he was fun to do.

I've been painting loads too...when I photo them...I promise to show you...as you actually take the trouble to come and read this...(when you should be outside getting some fresh air!)...I must remember to put something pretty up for you when you visit...a bit like putting a doily out on your cake plate I know...but hey...call me old fashioned!
(I don't really use doilies...cake doesn't last that long around here!)

Well then my lovelies...time to venture outside...into the light...and leave this gloomy...sap-sucking machine...have a lovely day...

Well...go on...off you go...see you when it starts raining...again!

Happy Halloween!

Are You Ready For Halloween?

2010-03-25T10:22:00.012Z

Well now my lovely lads and lasses...don't you remember me saying that I can never make works of art within the correct season?
Well you see...I'm not the only one...the wonderfully talented artists of EHAG celebrate Halloween all year round...
Which makes all of us "Witch Lovers" very happy indeed...
So if you're all sick of fluffy bunnies and eggs and fancy getting your teeth into some Autumnal fare...go take a look at the sneak peek for this month...you can't see all of their goodies until the 31st though...just a teeny peek...so remember to visit on the night...and don't forget your brooms!
See you there...
Just click on the link shown on the right to fly there...
Happy Halloween to you all!

Tread Softly...

2010-02-08T13:12:00.001Z

Sometimes...when we wander through life on our journey of discovery...
We forget the simple things...
Like sticking out your tongue to catch a snowflake...
Or holding out your hand to catch a raindrop...
The pleasure of feeling the sun on our faces...as we close our eyes and turn our face to the bright heat.

We seem to wander around searching...trying to find answers to things that, sometimes, there is no answer for.

I was going to post about the journey into faeryland...that glimpse through the veil that some of us are lucky enough to find.

I wanted to take you with me, down this secret path into their home...

But I can't...

For anyone feeling low or upset at the moment...please take my gift from the Fae and read no further...this is not such a happy post...
For anyone else who becomes deeply saddened by death then please don't read on...it is not my intent to upset you.

But this needs to be said.

A while ago I wrote a post about "The Not So Merry Widow"...in it I spoke of a cousin of ours who became mentally ill because of the abuse from his Grandfather.

Whilst I was painting this picture, I found out that this poor man has hung himself.
And that his younger brother has attempted suicide three times.

I have no proof that any of this is due to the way these men were treated as young boys...but I know in my heart that it must have played a part.
If this Grandparent treated me in such a way, in just the brief visits to his house...then what must he have done to two young boys who were left in his care all day while the parents worked?
I know that he would follow them to the outside toilet...every time...I know that the eldest boy was deeply troubled...I know that his Grandfather abused him.
I also know that this Grandfather was never brought to account for his actions.

So instead of my faery painting being a beautiful visit to the Fae...it became a sad look back for me...
I am sad for what has happened and I am angry for the wrongs that were never punished.
I am sad that...even now...this Grandfather haunts my life.
I am sad that I have brought him into your lives...you do not deserve that.
But most of all I am sad for these poor young men who had no one to turn to.

My mother's brother died of cancer some years ago...he had three children...his eldest daughter who adored him with the most outstanding love, had a break down...she has not yet recovered.
His only son was so grief stricken, that one fine day...he lay down on a railway track and was decapitated.
He was just eighteen years old.
He also felt he had no one to turn to...just before he killed himself he said that, " he wanted to be rocked in his father's arms once more"...
I hope that he is...

So...for these poor young men...
I dedicate my Faery...
I began her as a gentle reminder to always look down into the grass...
To keep an eye out for the small things beneath our feet...
To tread softly...

Now...she is guiding the forgotten children to a better place...
To the warmth of the sun...and a gentle people...
To a place of dreams...and not nightmares...

Where all children are safe...

Holly Faery

2010-01-26T13:59:00.006Z

During the bleak mid-winter...I was walking through Oberon's Wood...when something caught my eye beneath a big bush...on closer inspection I was lucky enough to see Holly.

My little friend was calmly sitting on her toadstool counting her winter holly berries...even though the weather was freezing and the gentle snow flakes were falling.

Of course I was a little concerned for her health...but Holly assured me, that...being a child of the winter...she never felt the cold...and this is why she was outside enjoying the soft snow falling through the branches of her home within the Wood.

I told her that I could easily make her a little cloak to wear...but she wouldn't hear of it...saying that too many layers of clothing made it difficult to fly.

I suppose that she's right...

But I do still worry about the little Faeries of Oberon's Wood...it has been a very cold winter this time around...and I haven't seen a few of them for a while.

Of course...I have been leaving little cakes out for them...but still...some of the older ones are a little frail...

Maybe when the weather warms up a little...they will come out to play...and I will again enjoy their company...

I do hope so...

Cherry Blossom

2010-01-19T08:05:00.006Z

Before you say it...I know that it's not spring yet!
Like I mentioned in the previous post...I can't create things in the right season...

This little sweetheart is called Cherry Blossom...I wanted to do some work which reflected the "Spirit of the Seasons" and all I could see in my mind for spring were the beautiful Geisha of Japan...so here she is.

She's in the same style as my "Little Witches"...but without the pointy hat!

The Cherry Blossom is always a beautiful sign that winter's heavy gown has changed into spring's delicate dress...which always makes your heart feel lighter...especially if the winter has been a bleak one.

Maybe I should try to imagine those beautiful blooms as I work here in the cold Welsh mountains...in my mind's eye I can see spring, just around the corner...even though, I know, I still have more of winter to come...

Maybe hibernation's not such a bad idea...

What Season Is It Anyway?

2009-12-10T09:58:00.006Z

Well it's Beginning to look a lot like Yuletide...everywhere you go...

Apart from here though...for some reason...I don't seem to make "Seasonal" things...in the right season!
I tend to ditch things part way through creating them...(UFO's again!)...then feel guilty...and start them again...after everyone else has moved on to creating other seasonal things...

I think it has something to do with magickal things...they don't really fit in with the seasons in a traditional way...so I don't tend to create for a specific market...I create for me...while this is fine and lovely for me...and freeing in an artistic sense...it does limit my customers...mainly to folks who LOVE Halloween...or are really crazy about HP...you know, that kid in the round glasses...the one with an owl...

So...to completely screw up the traditional Yuletide blog decor...

It's called Night Spells...can't think why...

Finishing My UFO's...(Un-Finished Objects)

2009-12-02T11:49:00.006Z

Well...I'm still not grade one...but I am managing to get a bit of sewing done!
Just like Agapantha...The Quilting Witch...I am actually...almost...finishing a quilt which has been lounging in the... "must finish this thing cos' I'm sick of looking at it" pile...(which I have to add, is HUGE!)

So...here is one of my alter-ego's...she looks a lot calmer and sweeter than me...but my quilt is more finished than hers...(so there...he he!)
And it's keeping my legs nice and warm too...see there is a bonus to having to sit still...if only someone else would cook and wash pots...I'd be in witchy heaven!

I'll post some more old photo's when I manage to find out where they've been stored on this contraption...I can't find my way around without a big ball of string!

(I'm not really a luddite...I just dress like one!)

Love Lies Bleeding...

2009-11-27T11:36:00.007Z

Hello everyone...
As I'm a little incapacitated at the moment...after hurting my back...again!
I thought that I'd post a few of my old pics...so that you don't think that I've forgotten you...
This is Amaranth...The broken hearted elf...Ah!
I'll post some more when I can sit up straight...till then...crook-back signing off...

The Green Man

2009-11-03T11:32:00.006Z

I have been fascinated by The Green Man since childhood...
I like to think his presence is felt when we are close to nature...working in our gardens or walking in the countryside or through the wooded places.

He represents wild nature...he hides within his leafy home...the leaves growing from his body and out through his mouth.
He brings nature to life...in effect he is the spirit of nature.
He is an image which belongs to no religion and yet all of them at the same time.
He speaks of birth...of growth...of decay...and of rebirth.
I see him as Mother Nature's consort...her partner...her love.

I have created many types of Green Men over the years...I have made graphs for cross stitch and needlepoint which show different aspects of him...I have drawn him and sketched him...I feel like I know him personally...he is like a friend to me.

In the U.K. many inns and public houses are named after The Green Man...in rural areas and in the cities.
His image can be seen in many old churches and cathedrals...looking down on the congregation...or peeping out from behind screens...he is even carved into the pews.

As a spirit of renewal...his face is seen in many places...usually benevolent...sometimes a little mischievous...always uplifting.

The Green Man which I have painted here is shown as an image of The Oak King...who presides over half of the year...the other six months belonging to The Holly King.

He is surrounded by oak leaves and is bringing forth new spring leaves...but is also turning into autumn with his older leaves changing colour and his acorns ripening.

I hope that I have done justice to my old friend...

Me And Tabby.

2009-11-01T12:09:00.006Z

Well...after all the festivities it's back to the drawing board...or easel...!

I've finished another of the "Little Witches"...well I actually finished her a week or two ago but she's been to the printers...where they "stitch" the scans together and print them...they have to stitch them because the canvas I use is too big for the scanner...I must try using a smaller canvas...it would save so much work...I have to have two scans for each painting...and pay double!

I call this one..."Sunny Day With Me And Tabby"...can't think why!
I love patchwork so I gave her a patchwork cat...I think it's her little "familiar"...she seems a happy little thing to me...enjoying a nice sunny day...no Autumn winds in sight...I think she's a child of the Summer...hope she doesn't have hay-fever like my family!

Hope you all had a groovy Halloween!

Little Witch...Friends Forever

2009-10-17T09:11:00.005+01:00

This "Little Witch" reminds me of my middle sister...she has such a sweet little face...just sitting in the meadow enjoying herself with her best friend crow.
(My sister didn't actually have a crow for a friend!)
I think she's a little child of nature...I don't know if others will see her this way...but to me she symbolizes the natural instinct which children have, to be in tune with their surroundings...and to find pleasure in simple things.

I would have loved to have had a crow for a friend...

My Harvest

2009-10-16T21:24:00.007+01:00

This little cutie is so proud of her harvest...just look at the beautiful pumpkins she's grown...all by herself!
She seems a little "Old Fashioned" in this outfit...she just ended up very traditional looking...not a bit how I had imagined her at all...I think it suits her though...even if she does look a little prim.

Seems I just can't stop painting these "Little Witches"...wonder who the next one will be?

Feed The Birds

2009-10-08T16:28:00.008+01:00

I've just finished another of the folk art children's paintings...this one is called, "Feed The Birds"...although someone who saw it said it should be called, "Crow Girl"...just goes to show how each person sees your art work!

Actually I like this one, she seems really happy...standing in a field feeding her big black birds...makes me want to join her.

We do have plenty of them around here...now where's that corn?

The Green Man

2009-10-07T09:02:00.005+01:00

Back to The Green Man...I can't leave him alone!
(Must be the smell of all those leaves...I love the smell of leaves...how sad!)

Yes, I am painting another picture of The Green Man...over the years I have created him in many different styles and materials...I have made cross stitch charts...needlepoint cushions...sketches...you name it, I have stuck a Green Man on it.
This time though I am doing him in acrylics on canvas...I'm not really sure whether I like his portrait at the moment...he seems to have passed too far into Autumn and needs greening up a bit more.
Maybe this time of year is affecting my work...my colours are all leaning towards the shades of the season...oh dear...what will the Winter bring...white snow on a white canvas?
Not really...I'm not THAT arty...(ha ha ha)

Folk Art Children

2009-09-27T14:18:00.004+01:00

The Folk Art Children seem to be taking up most of my painting time at the moment...as soon as one is finished then another one calls to me.
I seem to be preoccupied with this style of painting...it is very liberating for me as I usually do more precise watercolour techniques...with lots of detail...this is the time that I can be more free with my art and concentrate more on the colour and emotion within the picture, and not the minute detail.

One of the paintings...Poppy (no more war)...is full of colour and yet still seems drab...this was intentional, as she is trying to show how children suffer when the world is at war.
The landscape is bleak and so is she.
The poppies are used to commemorate war veterans so she is surrounded by stylised flowers, which match her outfit, in effect, she is also a poppy.
Deep red...beautiful and sad.
I still love her though.

Lonely Boy

2009-09-22T09:46:00.004+01:00

I am working on a set of folk art, children's portraits at the moment.
Each one came into my mind with a desire to tell me about themselves...as art has a different meaning to each person...I don't like to say too much about the reason for creating something...but try to explain a little about why, in the titles.

One of them troubles me a little...it is called "Lonely Boy" I feel there is something in his eyes that he is trying to explain to me but I am not fully understanding him.
As the painting is a very naive style, I can't put too much in the way of detail into his portrait to help me gain an insight into his troubles.

I wonder if the people who see him will connect with him in a different way?