Saturday, May 31, 2014

oh little bloggy blog, what shall we do with you!

Ahhh I'm not very good with keeping my little blog up to date am I? Oh dear! I admit, I've been updating my facebook art page so much more as usually it's more a quick sharing of images rather than long winded or detailed blog posts.....but detailed, magical, thought provoking posts are something I love to read myself on other peoples pages....I just cant seem to find the words myself! Ah well, I just need to do what I can do, let things flow and not put too much pressure on myself...words and ideas will come...one day...hehe :)

For now, some inspiring quotes and poetry and new (ish) works that I have not shared on here as yet....



"Luna" a private commission (2014)
 " I write for the child in everybody, that part of us that is aware and open and courageous. It's also that part of us that isn't afraid to explore the mythical depths, that vast part of ourselves we know little about and which we often fear because we can't manipulate or control it. That's where art is born."
- Madeline L'Engle (found via Myth and Moor)


"Lyra and koti" (2013)

"Green Children"
 Dazed they were, and scared, 
lying on the cold stones,
their arms and legs green.
Not the dark green of ivy,
not the yellow green of apples
ripe on the summer bough,
nor the deep green of the ocean
where it leans against its bed.
They were the green of leeks,
of the new-furled feather fern,
of the early leaf breaking soil.
When they opened their eyes,
their eyes were green, too,
and the little hairs on their arms
were inchworm green.
They spoke a green language
which the trees and flowers knew
but which we did not.
The boy died of a wasting,
the girl lived on,
eating broad beans,
forgetting her green tongue
growing whiter each day,
till she was christened
and married and all all white.
Not the white of milk
after the cream is skimmed off,
nor the white of October snow,
nor the white of a spring lily,
waxen and still,
nor the white of sea pearls
formed within the shell.
She was the white of the old moon
that shines over the hall. "

(by Jane Yolen - much loved and the idea of 'green children' has inspired many of the pieces below....)


"Wildling" (2014)

"Strange Journey" (2014)

"She spoke a green language" (2014)

"In the greenwood when the world was young" (2014)

"Fae" (2014)

"The Green Child" (2013)


"....when a bird cries out,
Or the wind sweeps through a tree,
Or a dog howls in a far off farm,
I hold still and listen for a long time.
My world turns and goes back to the place
Where, a thousand forgotten years ago,
The bird and the blowing wind
Were like me, and were my brothers.
My soul turns into a tree,
And an animal, and a cloud bank.
Then changed and odd it comes home
And asks me questions. What should I reply?"
-Hermann Hesse



work in progress......








Sunday, December 29, 2013

New beginnings at the tail end of the year...


"The Seed Keeper" 2013
More new work to come... :)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Trying to begin...

"May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is children" 
-Rainer Maria Rilke

I've been having a strange year so far... finding it difficult to start projects, and when I finally do, it's very hard to knuckle down and get the work done and not be distracted.
But things have been ticking along, slowly, slowly.
I feel like I have turned some sort of corner at least - I've begun writing again, something I used to love when I was in high school but something that I seem to have had a huge block about since. It's like I could never get into the right mind set, but that, thankfully has now been cracked so I hope it continues...don't know if the stories are any good but at least I'm writing!
This is a very dear wish of mine - to write and illustrate my own children's books, instead of just illustrating other peoples...so we shall see...
So this above is my affirmation for a while :)

I've also been very much enjoying the discussions about daily "rituals of beginning" on the Myth and Moor blog  - my daily rituals at the moment are not very conducive to creatively so it's something that must be worked on and there's much inspiration to be found on Terri's blog.

I have many plans for the next few months - I need to work on products for my online shop, ideas and illustrations for children's books to work on, commissions to start and of course, to share more thoughts on here.

For now I'll leave you with a couple of paintings I've managed to complete in the last few weeks :)


"Following the Moon Paths"

"White Star"