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Really neat sketches!!!

Thank you, Gina.

My son loved this series as a child.

Happy birthday to her! She is going to be a very happy kid. :)

(Thanks for your nice words!)

Hey this fellow is so cute and so full of character. I think your work is getting better and better. Congrats about the book, it's a great feeling to take something through to completion. I am looking forward to seeing it on the stands :) !

Wow! I love how even your tones are!! Would love to see a tutorial video of how you work :D

How do you get the perfect white light on the contour of her hair? Masking fluid?

This is adorable. I love the laundry all over the place! :)

Just precious and adorable.

So adorable!

She's so cute! I love your style, and you hand is very steady with those lines. ♥

Adorable!

Awesome, love the little shape of her body and your clean lines!

woah! great blog! i love your work so much,and thanks for the comment on mine!

Nice tower, guards must be alert all day long, and night of course, to keep it safe from adventurers skirmishes.
;-)

Woods are very healing I find...your new location looks to be a beauty. I hope the cottage will be 'the one' & you can settle in properly soon!
xxxxx

Your love of the area surrounding you is so infectious - I just wish I knew as much about the natural habitat as you do. Fingers crossed that the cottage will be 'the one'. M x

You just can't beat trees for making you feel better. Maybe that is why I and my boy make a beeline for the apple tree when things are not good (although only John can climb to the top for solace).

Shropshire is a county of trees, I hope it finds ways to worm into your heart like the Cotswolds. Keep painting too... I think all these things help sooth the pains of loss in their own small way. Fingers crossed for the cottage.

Hooray, she has found her paint brushes!!!

We must be sisters from different mothers. I would have taken the exact same photographs, and I too found the woods soothing and healing after I lost my Penny a few years ago. The pain never really goes away, but as long as you keep your amazing eye for beauty, you will cope.
I hope that cottage will have your name written all over it in big, big letters. Nothing like finally arriving home.

I wonder if you ever realise quite how inspirational you are to some of us out here?
What goes around...
xx
ps Bruce the Horse sends you a very special whiskery nuzzle of his very special pink nose bit- a bit reserved for comfort of an extra special kind, and proven to work in every case!

I have just read your post about dear Mouse and I have cried a tear or two.
I am glad there was a happy life waiting for mouse as soon as she entered into this world and a peaceful end after many years of being loved.
xxx

Gretel, glad you are feeling a little better :) regarding your home, I always say if things are meant to be....it will fall in your lap, don't be too disappointed if it doesn't, there is something else much better waiting for you :-)

It is lovely to see the countryside through your eyes, especially a part of England I don't know. So glad that a walk in the woods raised your spirits too, as I know it is so hard to lose a loved friend, like your Mouse. Fingers crossed that the cottage is all you can wish for with no thundering traffic passing close by.

Fingers, toes and eyes firmly crossed to bring you luck with the cottage. Glad you have got your painting mojo back! I love the little froglet ....

There has been so much upheaval for you. I am holding good thoughts that this will be the happy place that you and Andy will be able to call home.
Sending love.

Do hope you find happiness here in these border lands. They are not the wealthiest of places, rich only in the beauty of their unspoiled countryside. A fairly secret treasure. They give up their secrets slowly. People, we have found are warm and welcoming. Shropshire is a good place to be.

Fingers crossed for that cottage.

It was hard for me to read your previous post, as I also lost a beloved cat last week. However, there are many things to bring me comfort, as you also seem to have found. So I hope you are doing better, as well.
I love your little watercolours, so much like what I wished I could paint when I was younger. Perhaps I should dig out my brushes again...

My dear Gretel, I've only just seen these two posts. You have my deepest sympanthy on the loss of Mouse. I understand so much how you feel. I send you much love and kind thoughts, jane

Sometimes, when life is tough, just knowing that there are other people out there who understand can help.
All the best for the cottage vieiwing!

Nature seems to always make things more gentle in your soul. Sometimes sitting out in my overgrown backyard is soothing when I'm stressed. I love listening to wind through leaves and water. I'm glad you are close enough to have an escape. Hopeing you find your cottage!

Gretel, it is lovely to read your words and see the photos in this post. I think that you all are little by little growing into your new location. Yes, many disruptions, challenges, and even a very sad farewell to lovely Mouse.

And yet. Your photo of your hand holding that watercolor brush surrounded by colors and paintings ... well, it's wonderful to see. Maybe you will remember my telling you how much I loved those long ago posts you sent about watercolor techniques, and what a fine teacher I consider you to be.

Think that you scoffed a bit, but I put that down to your sweet modesty.

About now, I realize that this comment is well on its way to a real ramble, and so I will try to rein it all in a bit.

What I do want to tell you is that I send lots of love to you and Andy and know that wonderful days are ahead. Including that new home. With brilliant light, easily accessible country walks, and room for a garden. xo

Aw, your heart will heal. It will. Oh, sure there will be this wee hole that has "Mouse" written all over it, but you go on....

And then you will smile at things like wee frogs and stuff. That's what keeps us going. :)

Glad you picked up the brushes again..

I was sad to see you lost your cat, but glad you are healing up. The painting will definitely help!
Good luck with that cottage! We'll want pictures! :-)

Don't you just love the name, 'stink horn'?! :)
Is that a new photo with you painting? I was wondering if you'd had a chance to do any more to your big one? Sending you lots of good wishes for the new cottage, I hope you both find a lovely new home to love, that will love you back. :)
Jess xx

I hope the little cottage is the one for you - best of luck. x Jo

Ah lovely Wales how I love pictures of countryside and Wales is even better.

Loving your painting of the house, I love the stylised image.

Fingers crossed to the cottage.

So sorry to hear you are without your dear Mouse.
A walk in the woods helps me too ( except for the mosquitoes!)
I hope you find the home you have been looking for.

Your tribute to Mouse was lovely. I loved the theme of all the unremarkable things that made her so very remarkable. She must have been a companion beyond compare. I am so sorry for your loss.

Thank you for the stink horn link, I know without yet having begun that I will love it.

Wishing you very good luck in your own cottage-snaffling tomorrow!

I am sorry to hear of your loss of a beloved friend and companion. Taking a stroll through nature is often a very healing activity. Thank you for sharing some of the treasures and views along the way!

I do so love your fungus pictures, you see them so well and capture their special elusive beauty for us.

So sorry to hear that you lost your little Mouse. It's tough to lose a friend like that, but it's wonderful that you've found your watercolor gift again. My plan for this fall is to take a class in watercolor. I'm a trained graphic designer, but have never had the courage to try just drawing for the beauty of it. We'll see if I have any talent at it at all.

Keeping hopes up for you on the cottage search. Best wishes from the Owls Haven in Indiana.

Dear Gretel,
I am also saddened at the loss of your 'Mouse". It is so much harder when everything is unsettled too. It is amazing how many people you touch through your lovely blog. We are all anxious to see you happily settled in a comfy home of your own.

Hey Gretel, Thank you for leaving such a lovely message on my blog! so glad to see things are looking up and ill keep my fingers crossed on the cottage for you! Im glad to hear you are feeling a little better after everyone's messages, people can be so sweet.
And well done on conquering the painting block! The work's looking great.
Big hugs
xxxx

Dear Gretel,

Please forgive me for sending these condolences so late, but I was at a loss for the proper words. Your loss brought back painful memories of the loss of my sweet cat Whisper and our loyal dog Katie. As I read your post, I felt ever stab of pain you were feeling. It is so very hard to say goodbye, isn't?

Cyber hugs and suitcases of comforting thoughts are of course sent your way.

Your friend,
Janet xox
The Empty Nest

I love the elephants! They go so well with the purple dots.