Spring Flowers, Hearts, Daffodils & Bluebells

I love living where I do, here is a little peek at my week in pictures...
from big skies

View from the Warren

to little snowdrops

Snowdrops & Eranthis (winter aconite)

from big trees

Scots Pine by the Lake in Brandon Park

to little birds

Mr Blackbird & the Chaffinch

from a big horse

Mr Ned in the field

to the teeniest tiny snail among the moss

A Snail in the Moss

It's lovely to have so much inspiration on the doorstop. 

My latest Hearts with Flowers are for my local Art Shop Cavern 4 with Workwise which is part of the the Papworth Trust, a worthwhile charity helping to train and develop people with mental health problems. 

These Hearts have been influenced by Spring, the up and coming Mothers Day and not forgetting Easter.

Hanging Hearts with Daffodils & Bluebells

I hope you have enjoyed this weeks post, I am linking it to the Handmade Harbour Linky Up

Jan x 

The Wood Nymph, a painting on canvas

This week I thought I'd show you a Work in Progress of one of my paintings, this is a 12 x 12inch stretched box canvas. For those who have followed my blog for a while know that I occasionally like to paint the Green Man or Wood Nymph. 

Now here is the Green Man explanation bit..... 

The Green Man is a representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves, branches, vines or flowers. Commonly used as an architectural decoration Green Men are frequently found in carvings on buildings. It is usually interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of growth each spring. The image is popular with artists from around the world interweaving the imagery into various modes of work. 

This painting isn't the traditional Green Man, Gnarled Man of the Woods or the Man of Oak but a Wood Nymph or Tree Sprite. 

After a quick sketch I've started to lay down the flesh tones and blend them together

Work in Progress Acrylic Painting

Here, the eyes and mouth are beginning to take shape and definition

Painting the Green Eyes & the Mouth

I painted in the lush green background then added the leaves and swirly tendrils

Adding the Background, Leaves and Tendrils

I have painted around the sides of the canvas and it can be either hung up or stood on a shelf or unit.

Painted around the edges of the Box Canvas

The finished painting on a shelf

The Wood Nymph painting on canvas

I hope you have enjoyed seeing this WiP

Jan x

I'm popping this over to Handmade Harbour's Linky Party and checking out the other great blogs that take part.

Painting Daisies on Hanging Hearts

Hearts and Flowers are on the agenda this week, not Valentine Hearts or Roses but turquoise skies and daisies. The daisy is one of my favourite flowers and I often paint one or two into my work, I put them on my Fairy Doors, on my Swirly Tree Paintings and now I have painted them on Hearts.

I picked 3 different sized mdf hearts to paint and chose bright pinks and turquoise for the background....

Turquoise & Pink Background on the Hearts

I painted a smidgen of green in the point of the heart and using a couple of different shades of green I painted flower stems and grass.....

I used my Daisy photo's as inspiration...

Daisies in the Meadow

Painting the Daisies on the Heart

The backs of the Hearts have been left plain turquoise...

Back and the front of the Hearts

 

The finished Hanging Hearts

The large and middle sized Hearts have a pretty turquoise ribbon for hanging up and the smallest of the Hearts has a magnet attached.

I have put these in my Folksy Shop or if you would like something doing similar please contact me.

I'm planning on different colour and flower combinations, I'd love to hear what your choice would be?

 Jan X

I've linked this post to Handmade Harbour's link up

Valentine House, Candlemas & Groundhog Day

We are now into the shortest month of the year, the month when thoughts often turn to love, yes this is another Valentine Post but only so I can show you my Valentine House with the lattice windows and Heart details....

Handpainted Valentine House

Hearts & Flowers on a House

There are other significant events that happen in February, one celebration is Candlemas.  

A Snowdrop ACEO from my Etsy Shop

Candlemas is a Christian feast celebrated on February 2nd. Sometimes it's known as the Feast of the Presentation. Snowdrops (galanthus nivalis) are known as Candlemas Bells because they often bloom in February.

You can read more about the  Candlemas Feast here.

February 2nd is also the date Groundhog Day is celebrated. According to folklore, a Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap because he believes the winter will continue but if the day is cloudy he remains outside, as the weather is going to be moderate. There is an interesting Groundhog Day Article Here 

Have you ever seen the Bill Murray Groundhog Day Movie ? It's a great 'curl up on the sofa with a duvet' movie.

I came across some poems that covers both these events...

In Scotland, the verse:

If Candle-mas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be two winters in the year.

Or an alternative Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o' winter to come and mair,
If Candlemas day be wet and foul,
The half of winter's gone at Yule.

An English verse:

If Candle mas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

A European verse:

For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.

So are we going to get a 'second winter' or is spring on it's way? What do you think?

I'm linking this post to Handmade Monday
 

Jan x