Winter Song (and a little give-away)

A little feathered carol singer, who stays with us all year round,  perched amid Winter foliage: Ivy, Holly, Mistletoe and Rose-hips - with a hint of cinnamon to bring warmth. 

A kind Norwegian friend has invited me to be part of her Advent Calendar! If you would like a chance to win this winter illustration just leave a comment there before the end of Wednesday the 12th December.

Scattering and reaching without moving

The sun stays low in the sky these days. Tall trees casting even longer shadows. Across fields and gardens and buildings and roads. To places far from where they are rooted. Touching a corner of a field or garden they could never have dreamt of reaching in their immobility. And the leaves too, gathered up by the wind and scattered far from where they grew. A little travel adventure.

Above, a painting inspired by my almost 93 year old Grand-Uncle. All summer long a blackbird in the apple trees outside his window, where he sits all day, came to sing. He thought maybe it was a bird who had come for breadcrumbs on his bird table the Winter before. He said the Blackbird had repaid him in full.

Song investment

If she feeds the birds now in Winter, maybe they will come back next Spring and sing all Summer long.

Don't forget to feed the little ones if it gets cold this Winter!

Changes afoot, underfoot

Every day, a new leaf painting underfoot.

Oíche Shamhna. Halloween.

Trick or treat!

Downward looking

It's hard to not not look down while out walking the past few days. Changes underfoot every few steps.  Here, yellow speckles of Lime tree leaves on tarmac. There, papery pink Sycamore polka dots. Then, curvy oak leaves making splashes of burnt sienna. Sometimes scattered, sometimes mixing all together. Sometimes spattered on green grass, sometimes scattered on navy tarmac.

Above, blackberries and "jinny-joes" for a belated September birthday. Now to unwrap a slice of the belated birthday cake from tin-foil and put the kettle on!

Be-jewelled Autumn

 Have you ever noticed how the colours of Autumn are full of jewel and gem tones? Gold, ruby, bronze, copper, amber, topaz. Even smudges of amethyst on blackberry stained fingers. Like as if the trees are arraying themselves in all their rich loveliness before Winter's unadorned repose.

Glimpses of be-jewelled trees, footpaths, doorsteps, window-panes, windscreens and puddles to your week!