The painting was based on a rough drawing that has been in my sketchbook for several years. I often work like that and go back to something which wasn't finished, or an idea that has quickly been jotted down and left for another day.  'The Shining Ones' is available to buy as a print here.

My little shining ray of light, I am pleased to say is still here. Although sometimes he would prefer not to have his photograph taken.
Other times he isn't bothered. :)
Other work that has  recently been completed, was another old one that was half done and left to linger beneath a fine layer of dust and a home to a spider. It's of Robin Good fellows dear friend the Wren. Such a small bird but oh so noisy in the hedgerow.
Little King is also available to buy as a print in my shop and there will be some cards coming soon too.

Karen 
X

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With July almost over it had to be time to pop in and say hello to this rather neglected blog.
I've been having a sort of semi creative break for a while, so haven't got anything totally finished in the way of art to share... but I have flowers, so many flowers.  My July has been a July filled with flowers.
Flowers are I believe, a good way to balance the negative news that seems to be happening in the world almost on a daily basis these days...
Lets begin with a walk in Gloucestershire. The Slad valley, home to Laurie Lee. Cider with Rosie country.  A warm but overcast day, quiet except the gentle hum of bees and summer soothing sounds of cricket and grasshopper. Marbled white butterflies flitted from one knapweed bloom to another.  Fields of wildflowers, scabious, clover, orchids, yellow rattle dotted the fields.

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In my last post I mentioned that I had recently taken a short trip to Cornwall.  So here I am back again to share some of the pictures...
We started off driving down via the north coast as I wanted to visit a favourite spot. Tintagel  The last trip was in 2011,  so it was definitely time to say hello again to this mythical, magical old rugged place.

It's always a good time to visit, but May has it's advantages. The wild and jutted jagged edges are  softened by bluebells, yellow tom thumb, purple thrift, sea campion and other coastal cliff flowers.
I picked a sprig of thrift to dry and keep. I shall keep it with my dried clover flower that I picked on top of the Tor, at Glastonbury.
High on top stands the new sculpture 'Gallos' by Rubin Eynon.  It means power in Cornish. An 8ft bronze sculpture inspired by the legend of King Arthur. I believe that some people are not happy about new additions here and feel that it is making Tintagel too commercial... I personally really liked it and thought it was a beautiful thing. Standing tall with the wild winds and stormy skies around him he looked so at home. I loved the way he faced inland. looking back home to his lands. I also love the way the artist has left parts of him as just gaps, as if he is only partially here. A ghost you can see through. Arthur stepping through the veil.
Magical.
The next day the sun came out so we went in search of the wild and rugged places once more and walked some of the coastal path.

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Old hedgerow share your story,
Your tales and songs and spells
of morning misted dew drops, on petals of blue Speedwell.
Whisper me the wild and woven ways of forever, as I walk the winding lanes.
Teach me the secrets of bedstraw, sorrel, celandine and stitchwort;
Bryony, archangel, pimpernel and violet;
Stitch and bind the leaves and sap with woodbine into each strand of my hair.
Wrap me up in hawthorn blossom and let the birds build nests upon my heart.
Fill my bones with the scent of bluebell, lest I should ever forget.

~Karen Davis 

In May it's as though time stops. Steps are taken back in time and a remembering becomes more prominent. A remembering of the old ways of hedgerow and home. If I sit in among the greening then I can almost disappear. Away from the modern ways of car and telephone.
If it wasn't so chilly then I would probably take up residence on the soft moss, beneath the apple tree whilst it blooms. Just so that I can inhale as much apple blossom scent as I possibly can.  It's one of my most favourite smells in the world, especially when it has the morning dew or raindrops on.
It is over a month since I last posted on here. I have felt the need again to step back from social media. No reason really, just a little weary of all the chatter.
There have been lots of jobs to do in the garden and not enough hours in the day. I made a rather rickety structure for the sweet peas to climb this year. I'm not sure how it will stand up to strong winds?
There have been walks to the bluebell woods and a short trip to Cornwall, which I will put in the next post. In between I have been quietly working away painting. The next shop update will be Tuesday 31st May at 7.00pm UK time. This will be 8 hedgerow hares and whatever else is finished and ready.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend. :-)
X

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 From my desk I always get a good view of the latest visitors, normally the feathered type, but sometimes furry ones too.
So things have been a little slower. this month. Taking time to smell the flowers and watch the wonders of Spring emerge. And jobs in the home and garden, digging and seed sowing and giving the house a bit of care and attention.
The parliament is finished. I will miss them hanging here watching, with a knowing look in their painted eyes. But, they have given me an idea for a painting, so they will be back in 2D form.
In between there has been cutting out of more wooden hangers. Below is the Spring Wizard in progress.
All of the hangers will be added to my Etsy shop on Monday April 25th at 7.30pm (UK time)
Enjoy your weekend, I have golden beetroot to plant and more digging to do!

P.S...Mrs Thrush now has a nest in the honeysuckle. :) x

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The Museum is just outside of Chichester in West Sussex. It's home to a number of old buildings that were rescued instead of being demolished from various places in Sussex and the Eastern surrounding counties. I love old buildings so this has been on my list of places to visit for a while now.
All old houses do. You can see them if you know how to look: the noontime shadow of a windowpane crawling with intent across a floor; unmeasured angles of wall meeting wall; fireplaces grown chill with unused years. Archways with unseen contours you can trace with a finger in the cracks as brick grinds against brick in settling walls. Some nights, and some houses are doorways entire, silhouettes against the evening's last light black on black like an opening into a darker sky. You just have to look. An eye-corner glance will do, if you don't turn and stare and explain it away.”
~ Michael Montoure

“It was a mistake to think of houses, old houses, as being empty. They were filled with memories, with the faded echoes of voices. Drops of tears, drops of blood, the ring of laughter, the edge of tempers that had ebbed and flowed between the walls, into the walls, over the years.
Wasn't it, after all, a kind of life?
There are many other buildings and things to see, but the tudor style is where my heart lies hence the pictures. It's a lovely place to visit, I would like to return when it is a little warmer though and next time I will hopefully get to look in the little gift shop which sadly had already closed by the time we had finished looking around.  
Back at home amid our local beautiful timber framed buildings, the time had been turned back and a whole street transformed for Shakespeare and his friends. A new tv series about 'Will' the young William Shakespeare. I felt very much at home amid all these props. It was a visual delight.

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Spring has arrived. The past few days has been all sunshine and birdsong. I hadn't meant to leave this blog post so long, (almost a month! oops) especially with it being a giveaway one, but things get in the way sometimes and time ticks on and there seems to be a never ending of 'things to do' this time of year.

So, ......drumroll.....I put the names in my old fallen birds nest, as it was a manageable amount to count this time.
 And the lucky name that was pulled out was...
                                  'Emma Elliott'
This little one below, has become very brave and perches within 12 inches from me to have daily treats upon the wood stump. Mr blackbird is not very happy about this and often chases her off. I'm calling her a 'her',  but in all honesty she could be a 'he' as with song thrushes both sexes like robins, are similar I believe?
From myself and my feathered friends.  X

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If you would like the chance of winning a copy of this print, just follow and comment below. I will choose one winner next week sometime and announce it the next time I put up a blog post. Only comments published on this blog will be counted, as this give-away is to celebrate the blogs Birthday.

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A frosted morning,  clear sky,  noisy rooks. I took the long way home from the post office across the fields. The river had burst it's banks earlier in the week and the fields had turned to lakes. From my window I had imagined I was in Avalon. Now the water had receded leaving shallow still pools.  The sun shone a sparkling path of light across to the other side. 

that more or less

kills me

with delight, 

that leaves me

like a needle

in the haystack

of light.

It was what I was born for -

to look, to listen, 

to lose myself

inside this soft world -

to instruct myself

over and over

in joy, 

and acclamation.

Nor am I talking

about the exceptional, 

the fearful, the dreadful, 

the very extravagant - 

but of the ordinary, 

the common, the very drab, 

the daily presentations.

Oh, good scholar, 

I say to myself, 

how can you help

but grow wise

with such teachings

as these -

the untrimmable light

of the world, 

the ocean's shine, 

the prayers that are made

out of grass.

Mindful ~ Mary Oliver

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So January has gone for another year...
We've said goodbye to early morning tiny frosted fingers on stems and branches. Not that we had many this year at all, with it being so mild.  The month whizzed by and for me (after my wonderful adventure) has been filled with restocking my shop with prints and cards. Re-ordering bits and pieces, doing my tax return, having a sort out, tidying up, with quite a few trips to the charity shop to drop unwanted items off and hibernating  somewhat.

I hope your January was a good one?

Karen
 x 

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'And so the time came for the white hare to journey north. Far away, high up above the arctic circle, to where the sun does not rise in winter time. To the land of the Lapland woman, the Finland woman and the Snow Queen. To where the wardrobe's door opens to an icy sparkling world. He had heard the song of the North call to him for so long and now the time was right'
                                                                      ~*~
Finnish Lapland. Two hundred and fifty kilometres above the Arctic circle, this is where I was lucky and grateful to begin the first week of the brand new year. An adventure in a magical snowy land. The land of my dreams. A place where after only a few minutes outside, my hair and eyelashes had turned white with ice. A cosy log cabin, our home for seven days. A cabin that I wanted to continue living in and take home with me by the end of the week.

Inside the cabin was warm and cosy with a log burner and a weeks worth of wood outside on the porch.
The white hare stood out in the cold snow beneath the starlight and whispered to the sky. His words were carried up into the polar night. He told of a robin that knew the secrets of old and silently the lady Aurora answered with the most beautiful reply' 

Our first night we were blessed and saw the Aurora borealis right above our cabin. A milky green rose up and arched across the sky. I hadn't realised that she moved so quickly. A shape almost creature like, tip toed sideways above us. Walking diagonally she swished her tail as if to say 'here I am'
The Finnish term for the Northern Lights is 'Revontulet' meaning fox fire, which comes from an old tale where the fox was believed to swish its bushy tail on the snowy fell landscapes, throwing sparks into the air. (would love to incorporate that into a painting at some time. :))
That first night I was unable to capture any pictures. Results on my camera were totally black blanks of night sky and so was my iPad. Only my daughter seemed able to catch them on her phone.
So, the next night, after a day of cross country skiing I set my camera up on a different setting and crossed my fingers that she would return again...
She did, out of the seven days we were so so lucky to get glimpses four days out of the seven.  Pictures are blurry as I literally just held my camera to the sky and tried to hold it still. I had no tripod or any fancy gear.
'And she danced, swirling her green gown across a sparkling sky. The white hare watched in wonder and all that he had imagined became reality'

Aurora over the cabin...
In the morning at about 8.30am-9am with a beautiful crescent moon.
In a wooden sleigh lined with a reindeer skin and a thick blanket to cover, we were transported through the forest pulled by a white reindeer that looked as if he had stepped straight out of the pages of a fairytale. The heavenly arctic twilight cast a spell on me as the sleigh pulled and creaked like frosted branches on a windy night. It was at this moment that I knew that the Snow queen would have me in her grasp forever. The magic had entered my eyes and the North would always be pulling me back.
The temperature on our journey was -33, so it was quite difficult to uncover my fingers to take photographs and hold the camera still.

In the forest the white hare met a reindeer, who told him how the Snow Queen had tricked him. How a spell had been cast and how now she would own part of his heart forever.

Outside in the snow the ice sparkles, tiny diamond glints mesmerise and whisper... do not go home, stay...stayyyy with us...
High on top of the fell was Narnia.  Amazingly beautiful! A wonderland.
And a frozen cafe that looked as if it belonged on the top of an iced Christmas cake.  How warm it was inside though, with an open fire.
Far up in the northern lands where darkness is more abundant in the winter months how clever Mother nature is. Such balance of dark and light. Dark, yet then the light from the pure white of snow. Dark and yet, the magical dance of polar light in the sky...
Now here at home, when I look up at the seven stars of the plough from my garden, on clear starry nights. I will remember the North and it will remind me to return one day. I have to, as how can I live without all of my heart?

X

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The trees outside maybe not white with frost or snow but the Christmas trees in my local Abbey are. The other day I took a walk to see them decked out all in white this year.

 Heaven.
 Snowdrops.
 White rabbits and hares.
 Snowflakes in the beautiful courtyard.
All the trees are decorated by local organisations  and it's open to view up until January 4th. It's worth a visit if you are in the area.

At home everything is looking festive. It was my Daughter's Birthday yesterday so we have cards and roses mingling with the seasonal decorations.I can't believe she is 18. How time flies.
I've just been out to feed my little friend with a few Christmas Eve treats and now have the mince pies to bake.
Happy Christmas! and a peaceful, happy, healthy, magic filled 2016 to you.
 X

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Winter Solstice is almost upon us. The longest, darkest night, when the ground should be hard with frost as in the deep mid winter that carols sing about. The earth should be cold and asleep. It's not though, here there is not a sign of Jack Frost. In the garden there are flowers blooming and yesterday there were bees.

On our way back we passed Postbridge, and stopped to see the old clapper bridge .
 Then walked a little and sat with the quiet stones.

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Winter has returned but her frozen cloak has been tossed aside for now. There are primroses in flower in the garden and the days have been mild. The birds have feasted on all the holly berries and now the tree is empty.  My holly picked a few weeks back, sits waiting in a bucket in the greenhouse. All ready to be brought indoors and tucked behind picture frames.

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The silver mists of November weave their soft spider web grey. Drawn to the river and the hills after three o clock until the sun chases them away the next morning.

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I sat for a while among the fallen leaves, beside this old tree. Just for a moment I wasn't here, but on the isle of Apples and was that your laugh Merlin that I heard!?

                                                                           ~*~
I shall be having a shop update in a few days time. Monday 26th October at 8pm (UK time) where I will be adding bits and pieces that I've been busy with. Some birds, small tree hangers cards, and some originals and then another one at the end of November sometime. I will confirm the date nearer the time.

Have a magical weekend.
X

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The first Monday in October and the skies have turned grey and the rain is falling gently. I'm inside at the computer today doing the boring jobs as I call them, but of course very necessary.  Reordering envelopes, paper, and restocking the shop, tidying away and filing receipts and such like. I find it hard to concentrate if I'm surrounded by chaos. I know some Artists thrive in an organised mess, but I'm not really one of them.
Outside the window the holly tree is alive with activity. The berries are red and ready for a blackbird and thrushes feast. Blackberries have clawed their way up through the branches and are in fruit at the top of the tree. Shiny black caviar against the earthy red of the holly. Sparrows flit between the juicy fruit and blue tit hover against the window frame tap tapping the glass with their beaks, feasting on the spiders and other insects that are caught in the webs on the window frame. I do love the advantages of not cleaning your windows regularly. Who needs to, when the birds do it for you. ;)

Luckily the weather here was totally different last week when we had the Blood moon lunar eclipse. I stayed up to watch and the skies here were just perfect. Clear as a bell and filled with starlight. I tried to capture on my camera. They aren't brilliant as I only have a bridging camera not a proper DSLR. But all in all I am quite happy with them and I shall definitely have to add this eerie orange moon into a painting at some point soon.
The other day I was in London.  (My daughter has reached that age when it is time to go visiting open days for Uni's etc)  The last time I was there was a year ago to see Kate Bush, so it was quite nice to visit. Being a country mouse I can just about manage a once a year trip! Although this year I feel it will be many more as we are off up there again already it seems just next week! Anyway, I will stop waffling on and show you what I saw.

Aurora the huge wonderful Greenpeace polar bear puppet, standing outside of the Shell oil building, her head moving and roaring... I was aware that she had been there, as had signed the petition many months ago, to stop drilling in the Arctic and my name was one of the many thousands attached to her.  But what a wonderful surprise to stumble across her unexpectedly on route. Of course London is filled with so many exciting things to see, but she was what made my day! And then even better, was the fantastic news announced just a few days later that Shell had made a decision to pull out of drilling in the Arctic. So now Aurora is on the move and is travelling to Paris and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to see her.  You can read more about the story here.

Back here at home, I've been working on some wooden hangers which are all going into my Etsy shop this evening at 8pm UK time. Just a heads up for those of you that don't have Facebbok and Instagram. Although a bit short notice, so I do apologise for that.
I will leave you with the trailer to Max Richters 'Sleep' An eight hour long piece of music written to be slept through which is just what I did, when it was played live on Radio 3 on the night of September 26th. A wonderful relaxing sleep it was too. Beautiful and ethereal music...

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This year, sadly there has been a distinct absence of butterflies here. No where near as many as we normally have.  Here though below is a blue butterfly enjoying the Oregano that I spotted the other day.
I wasn't alone, there is always company just a few feet away
This is what's been on the easel.  An A3 sized painting on wood. Here are some progress stages.
Now I'm busy painting toadstools and the odd bee.

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The heart of England? Some might say this was Stratford Upon Avon. Birth place and resting place of Shakespeare. I was here on Saturday wandering the cobbles, showing our daughter who is currently studying drama at A level.

I think my favourite buildings of all time/style of architecture has to be tudor. Maybe I had a previous tudor life?
 The top left above the swan, is Shakespeare's birth place. The grey oak dog below, decorates the outside of the Garricks head pub, the oldest inn in Stratford where we stopped for a bite to eat after getting lucky and managing to pick up some last minute tickets for 'The Merchant of Venice' at the RSC.  A big treat for my daughter, before she returns to her last school year, in a few days.
                 RSC photo of Patsy Ferran as Portia in The Merchant of Venice. Photo by Hugo Glendinning
Such amazing actors and actresses! I loved the reflections and light and the red dress, so striking in the dark and candlelight. It's made me want to use red in a painting. I don't think I've used red in a long while?
Summer is fading fast and is almost gone for another year. Soon it will be time to light the fire, the candles, make soup and enjoy the sparkly dew drop days that Autumn brings. 
I will leave you with this, by The Smoke Fairies.  

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A walk on Cherhill downs.
Up here there is peace. Down in the distance the road curves around the mysterious Silbury hill. Up here the cars have been silenced, they are insignificant and unimportant. All that matters is the ticking of grasshopper, hum of bee and whisper of gentle wind in the grass among harebells.

In the sky, the pretty song of skylark calls. The ancient land echoes with it's tales of forgotten people.
My feet on white chalk, this old route, my footsteps following the old ways.
Wild flowers dot the grassland banks and ditches of the ancient iron age Hillfort of Oldbury Castle.
 A sea  of purple and lilac, scabious, knapweed, harebell and thistles alive with bees.
                                       “a walk is only a step away from a story, and every path tells.” 
                                                                                              ~Robert Macfarlane

This summer has been too quick for me this year,  just like the bees on the thistles in the pictures above were. I wasn't fast enough to get any decent shots that day, except the one.  Bees have been on my mind quite a bit lately. There seems to have been more in the garden this summer. Not so many butterflies though sadly. 
A couple of weeks ago I was having a bit of a play around digitally, with one of my paintings, which is fun to do occasionally. I'm no expert in photoshop or anything (wish I was)  One of the images was a bee, I played about with layers and added some vintage stock images. I liked it and thought that it would look pretty as a card. So went ahead and made up a batch of cards. 
Then I remembered about the wild flower seeds spare, gathering dust, that had been collected by myself (from my garden I must add, not the wild) and some that friends had given me and I hadn't got around to using them, as many of the plants already grow in my garden and wild nearby. Anyway, I decided how nice it would be to sell this card with a packet of wild flower seeds. After oiling my rusty graphic design abilities here's the little label for the seed packet, which has been attached to a small brown envelope that hold the seeds.
                                          'Sprinkle these seeds to help the bees'

 If you would like a bee card and packet of seeds, you can find them in my shop here.
Enjoy the bank holiday weekend and last few days of August. x

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Some light, to outshine the darkness. Pictures captured a few weeks back, from that time of day when another realm is glimpsed, and all manner of magic seems possible? I found words in the misty labyrinth of this woven inter web to go with them.

“The Warrior of the Light is a believer. Because he believes in miracles, miracles begin to happen. Because he is sure that his thoughts can change his life, his life begins to change. Because he is certain that he will find love, love appears.” ~ Paul Coelho


Never let the light fade... I've added these words to some hangers that I've been working on.
I've made 10 of these, and each will be added to my Etsy shop on Monday 17th August at 8pm (UK time) There will also be birds and some hare pendants.

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 Two more pieces on wood, that were finished recently.
'The story within' and 'I used to be an Alchemist'

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