Whispering grass

What stories do the fields and fells hold of times gone past? Battle fought, love declared and lost, joy or terror? What do they witness and record?

When the grass whispers its secrets do you listen through the layers? Do you hear the histories of those who trod before?

I have been building on this piece all week, adding watery layers of inks, stamping and writing - trying to capture that light when the sun shines through the rain and the landscape melts and shape shifts in the distorted view - as if Mother Nature herself is stirring under her earthy blanket.

And as she shifts I like to think that the murmurs of the past, written and recorded by the fairies, sneak out through the grasses to pass on a quiet reminder of what had gone before - one that you can only hear if you're in tune with the landscape and believe...

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Something a little different from me this week for Paint Party Friday.

Mischief at the Prom

Do fairies have Proms?

I didn't have a Prom. This lovely US tradition only arrived on our doorsteps in recent years. I would have liked a Prom. Although I went to an all-girls school which might have made it a bit dull... so it was probably for the best...

Can I let you into a secret? I'm supposed to be writing my 'morning pages' - three sheets of free-flow thought (hand-written). It's what Julia Cameron preaches in her Artist's Way Book. I'm not very good at remembering to do them... You're supposed to do them as soon as you wake, but I'm usually deep in the fug of semi-consciousness followed by crazy rush to get necessary beings and things out of the door to where they are supposed to be.

I write this because I'm rambling. Fairies and Proms? What kind of a post is this? Well, it is both an attempt to enter Inspiration Avenue's Fairy challenge and Sunday Sketches as well as a guilt trip about not writing my morning pages again... so I'm sort of doing a little bit of them here (though you are not supposed to type or show anyone - whoops!).

Melissa (the fairy Prom Queen), was created in watercolour. She didn't scan too well, so I popped her in a digital frame. I'm sorry to report that by the time the party was over, she didn't look quite so pristine. There was blackberry wine all down her dress (which was even torn in places), the spider-silk ribbons in her hair got stuck in Puck's (who knows what they were doing for that to happen...) and she left her flowers 'who knows where'. She still has that pink flush in her cheeks though!

Hopefully, by September she will have recovered (and be allowed out again). For there is a very special fairy tea party that all will attend and we are all invited!

Postcards from the Isle of Man

It has been so long since we heard from our mysterious correspondents X and Y (back story here). I wondered what had become of them both. Had they stopped travelling, or just tired of each other and the mystery hanging over them that neither seemed happy to divulge?

Well, I can tell you that things have taken an interesting turn. It seems the wee folk have taken a hand in this friendship. Did you know that the Isle of Man is chock full of the Fae? It's true. I read a book about it!

It looks like they have both visited the magic isle, the same postcard shop and are thinking the same thoughts... But did they actually meet?

The mystery thickens like treacle on a cold day.

For Darcy's postcard challenge. I said I'd be back!

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Here's the book I read... Fairies do exist!

Why the long face?

Because it's typical that when you're just doodling on some scrappy piece of paper-cut-off-from-something-else, you end up with a piece that you quite like, except that you don't listen to the niggle at the back of your mind that the proportion appears to be slightly wrong. No, you just carry on quite happily, until the following morning you discover that your girl's face has become elongated over night!

What can we learn from this?

Well, firstly that the fairies have clearly been at her. I'm sure she was fine when I went to bed.

Secondly, one should never give up. My motto is 'where there's a will, there's a way' and so I determined that her features would shrink (in the least painful way possible rendering no harm to the poor girl). An eraser was gingerly (and then somewhat ferociously) applied, but it would not oblige. Too many layers of prismacolour wax put paid to that idea.

So, I just drew over her in pen, restyled her hair - including a fringe covering the second eye line - added a dab of paint or two et voila!

Yet... there still seems something amiss. Is one eye bigger than the other? What happened to her torso? Do I like that green smudge to the right of her neck?

Well, let me tell you - the fairies were certainly present. Look what they bade me do. She squealed when I stamped her (but not as much as when I applied the beeswax!). I appeased her with the pretty crown sprinkled with pain relieving fairy dust and she has forgiven me for having one eye slightly higher than the other. Fairies are wonky though... apparently.... so that's OK!

I'm sharing with Sunday Sketches. Might as well post it now, as it's Sunday somewhere East of here...

Flora of the Foliage

I've been working on Flora on and off for several weeks. On the whole I was happy with her, but felt she was missing a certain je ne sais quoi. I wanted to blend her in with nature and toyed with waxing a layer of pressed leaves and flowers, but I'll be honest... I did try but it just got a bit messy - the leaves just weren't keen on being coated in hot wax - can't say I blame them.

So, I took her outside and slung her in the shrubbery for a photo shoot. This gave way to a few strange looks from my other half questioning what the neighbours might think. They should be used to my antics - after all, it's only a few months ago since I dressed up as Boudicca and staged a Roman battle in the front garden.

I'll admit that this photographic expedition wasn't quite as successful as historical staging - nor nowhere near as much fun.

Flora had to find some decent foliage in PhotoShop - but at least I was using my own photography so it still feels very much my own piece. I think she's waiting in the shadows for the 'people' to go away so she and her fairy friends can come out to play.

She is joining in with Inspiration Avenue's Foliage challenge and then hopping over to Paint Party Friday - busy girl!

If you go down in the woods...

Every evening this week, just before lights out, I have been taking a trip into the Nevernever - the land of Fairy and Elf where you have be careful what you promise to talking cats and danger hides behind every tangled trunk in an enchanted forest. It's a parallel universe whose entrances exist only where there is belief... Do you believe in magic? Be careful next time you open your fairy tales... you may just find yourself falling in... The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.

If you wonder why you've never seen a fairy, it's because they are so well camoflaged. I'm warning you though - try not to look too deeply into those dark eyes. This one is looking for a new plaything and I'd advise against it being you...

I've also been sucked into devouring episode after episode of The Vampire Diaries... After watching the first couple of shows and laughing at the absurdity and craving drama with 'grown ups', somehow I became mesmerized... Must be something to do with those beguiling eyes... Sorry Twilight fans - but, much as love Edward's broodiness, this one gets my vote!

It's Paint Party Friday today. Zip on over and enjoy the fun!

Astrid

Astrid

Just one girl book girl to show you today. The second is still WIP which is worrying. Has the flow stopped? Is it time to move onto sketching caterpillars or cars? (By the way no idea why those two subject matter possibilities popped into my head... perhaps The Muse is trying to tell me something!).

Astrid likes playing in the snow and wearing crowns the elves make her.She is my favourite so far. I found her posing in a Gudrun Sjödén catalogue. She has actually already inspired several paintings by me - something about that head gear has always appealed. She is a Winter Princess; woodland royalty.

One of the most magical places to be is ancient British woodland. In a land that is so crammed by people and our creations, there are few spots left where the fairies can live undisturbed. I am building a board on Pinterest of likely spots where they may dwell. Sometimes there's evidence of people having been by - moss-covered ruins, coppicing and carvings in the stone, but by and large the fae keep control of these kingdoms weaving spells to keep away all but those who believe...

Sharing for Sunday Sketches and Day 6 of Art Every Day Month.

Featured

Are you allowed to say you've been featured if you were the one doing the featuring? Hmm, possibly?

Well, guess what...

As if you didn't get enough of me here, you can pop over to Inspiration Avenue of which I am a member, and have a read all about me.

While I'm here, and before you dash off, I just had to share with you what I found in the garden today. The photograph is actual size and I believe that may just be fairy dust floating around in an attempt to hide the little lady. I always knew that there were fairies in the bottom of my garden... as well as the bats in my belfry and butterflies in my stomach.

The butterflies were busy today. I had to stand up and speak in front of a couple of hundred people. I was given a microphone which is always a dangerous thing. The temptation to start singing is often too great, but seeing as we sadly don't exist in the world of musical theatre then, bursting into impromptu song and dance routines just doesn't happen in the way it does like in West Side Story or The Sound of Music. If only...

Fairy enchantment

Do you believe in fairies? I must say if I'm in a patch of ancient woodland wandering along paths beaten over the centuries by paws, hooves and feet and I peer among the moss covered logs and rocks sometimes, just sometimes I wonder if that flicker of light was a gossamer winged creature with pointy ears and a mischievous nature.

This week on Tam's course we are inspired by the work of Brian Froud - the master fairy painter who professes to have met the creatures and, when you stare deep into his paintings, do you see anything familiar? See how his backgrounds come alive with life if you only look closely enough. Is that what we need to do? Just look closely enough to really see what's hiding in there!

There's a large spider hiding in my bathroom, I know that much. I saw him scurry across the tiles and into a crack. I think he wanted to listen to the bedtime story I was reading my son while he was in the bath. Perhaps he has his tiny teddy in his arms and is snuggled down in his bed of dust and web.

Another week is creeping towards its end and I have done little other than work and sleep. I started this post days ago with the intention of illustrating with a piece of my own crafted one evening. Instead, I'll just have to post this one from a collage sheet by piddix on Etsy.

Also, there's a magical giveaway I wanted to share on Faery Realm Creations - a wind chime designed especially to attract fairies to you.Well, who could say no!

An excuse to post about fairies

What is it with the fairy phenomenon that we so want to believe? OK, the handsome, yet cynical specimen of manhood sitting next to me might not, but I know you're out there - the believers.... I've even read recently an entire post devoted to fairy circles and a little googling found 'evidence' of their existence in a mysteriously named place called Ann Arbor (is it a town or the woman that works in the library?). Indeed, one of my favourite moments from the Antiques' Roadshow seemingly gives photographic evidence. (I've posted this clip before - see bottom of post, but if you've never seen it and a rather fond of the dainty winged poppets, then you really must watch - the whole thing mind, don't miss a moment...).

I have always loved drawing the little creatures. As wee lassie (I'm not Scottish, it just sounded kind of cute written down), I memorised the Flower Fairy poems of Cecily Mary Barker and painstakingly copied her illustrations.

Here is my grown up version who has a touch of the absinthe about her...

For Illustration Friday - Phenomenon.

Anyone notice?

Well, I hope you did! What do you think of my new look? I felt it was time for a little refreshment of my blog and really wanted to include something of my own in the design.

What I didn't know though was how to put it on my blog, and make a fancy banner and get the template to work and... you're getting the idea.

So, I clicked my heels three times and called out to the fairy Godmother of Plumrose Lane - she the purveyor of phantasmagorical designs and curator of whimsical treasures. You can find weaving her magic here in her shop hidden in the hedgerow or on her blog.

Just follow the silken trails of enchantment and breathe in the scents of anticipation... She waved her magic wand and the spell was cast....

We took one of my paintings and a photograph I'd taken of a mysterious looking stairway that seemed steeped in story and this is the result. Now, it's probably about time I updated my profile...

Cupcakes and things

A busy week but I'm still smiling which is surely a good thing and therefore worthy of a Happy Friday post. And why not I say, why not?

Happy taste buds (not so happy waistline)

I've just eaten my fourth of these cupcakes. Not in one go, I hasten to add although I did eat three yesterday. What can I say? There were there... They were tasty... They called to me... Hosted an employee event at work and these were part of the refreshments. My excuses for consuming three in the space of a few short hours was a) naturally it was essential that I tested then to make sure they were suitable for general consumption; and b) there was a great deal of manual labour involved with lugging chairs, tables, bottles, glasses and general bits and pieces, so clearly I worke them off!

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Happy mail

Earlier in the week I answered the door to the postie to find a neat little package all for me! I was so lucky to win a giveaway on Claire Barone's Curious Emporium blog. This cute little bunny girl and a fancy brooch. You must check out her artwork which is adorable. Hers is one of those blogs I recently stumbled upon (but haven't a clue how I found her!), but now make regular visits. She has an Etsy shop too.

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Happy art

Although the back end of this week has been a little dry in terms of artistic output, last weekend certainly made up for it and the warm feelings of so much productivity persist! Here's another fairy! She was the sketchbook try out for what eventually became my Butterfly girl.

Now, I've written before about how so often I'll find mermaids appearing on the page when they were never intended, well from next week they can splash their way into my art as often as they desire for I shall be partaking of Suzi Blu's Sirens course. Week one will see us working on colour matching. My pencils are itching to get started. My bank balance is crying (for some new paint seemed entirely necessary). Watch this space for scales, tails and mermaid wails!

The tooth fairy

She's coming to our house tonight. Isn't that exciting! We'll leave the bedroom window ajar and the curtain slightly open so she can slip in. Her prize will be waiting in a specially made tooth box under the little boy's pillow. She'll be carrying a coin in her silk bag. Who knows how such a slight thing could carry such a weight? Such is the power of magic!

There's a real fairy tale feel in the air this afternoon, for we have spent the afternoon in company of a handsome Prince and the impoverished daughter of the local Baron forced to work as a servant in the home of her cruel and heartless stepmother. Of course it sounds familiar, but the the story, in this interpretation stripped of the traditional magic still not fail to leave a sparkle in the air. Readers, I've been watching Ever After.

Back in the kitchen after an hour or two of fantasy, I tie up my apron and return to my skivvy duties. A woman's life in the 21st century is a hard one! I do love this genre of film - when I was a child I would have watched enraptured then escaped to my world of the imagination to act out my own version.

Since setting the challenge at Inspiration Avenue this week as 'other worlds', I have been so immersed in the worlds of elf and fairy that I fear I may awaken tomorrow with pointy ears or a sudden ability to play the lute. This fairy is my fourth such painting this week. These creatures are flitting their way from my imagination to the page. Clearly they wish to tell their stories... and who am I to stop them?

If you wish to enter it's not too late. Just bring your entry to the ball before midnight tomorrow (that's 4pm EST!).

Mixed media - watercolour, inktense, ink and some magic sparkle.

A fairy story

Illustration by Margaret Tarrant

The Queen and her tiny daughter watched the fairies dancing with delight around the crib. They had heard the good news of such a wondrous birth and travelled on swirls of magic to see the beautiful child and grant their blessings. The baby gurgled with new found joy and reached a soft and chubby hand out to the soft gossamer winged creatures who crowded around her and chattered with excitement - for not only was a royal birth a truly special occasion, but a royal birth to this particular Mother promised magical times ahead indeed.

When the King and the other courtiers returned to the room, they smiled at the child seemingly playing with the shafts of sunlight that streaked in from the half-shuttered windows and the Mother entranced in the joy of her first born.

As the months turned into years the fairies kept up their visits, always greeting the Queen and her daughter with gifts of fairy jewellery woven from gossamer and strung with shells and scales gifted by mermaids. The young Princess was the envy of her friends who never could fully understand quite what made these necklaces and adornments sparkle so purely. The Princess told them that the fairies brought them, but the other girls laughed and mocked her belief in such nonsense, teasing her until she told them instead that suitors dropped them off in the dead of night in an attempt to woo the teenage beauty. Besides, thought the young lady, it had been some time since she'd actually seen a fairy. She was beginning to think she had imagined them. What had once been a special secret between mother and daughter was becoming, to the younger woman, nothing more than... well... fairy tale.

Finally the day came when once again the sound of a baby's newborn cry echoed through the stone walls of the castle. The Princess, cradling the tiny child in her arms took her to visit her own Mother, now in the Winter of her years. The old lady took the baby and kissed her gently before resting back on her cushions.

The baby smiled at its Grandmother and his eyes widened in wonder at the tiny creatures fluttering around her. "Ah," said the old lady, seeing the direction his eyes took. "You've spotted our friends". She carefully introduced her dainty companions to the innocent child while her grown daughter looked on amused.

"I used to love those stories you'd tell me about the fairies," she remembered fondly. "Thanks for sharing them with William too."

The old lady turned to her daughter and asked "Why did you stop believing? I never did". A soft caress rubbed against the younger woman's cheeks unsettling her and she instinctively fingered the delicate necklace lying at her neck while she considered the question.

"Close your eyes and remember" begged her Mother.

The caresses become more insistent and were joined by soft whispers and the echos of long forgotten songs. The Princess smiled and remembered the stories, remembered the adventures, the friends and ... the magic. Opening her eyes, she saw the wings that tangled in her hair and the faces of the long forgotten.

She unclasped the intricately woven silver locket around her neck and read once again the inscription that had puzzled her more as she grew older.

Believe and you will see..

She remembered, yes she remembered...

***

Something a little different today - a written challenge for Monday's Child - to write a children's story based on the image given. What do you think?

Entrancing

For my happy sharing this week, I am cheating slightly and borrowing the talents of others. I'd love to direct you to some wonderful postings that made me smile and clap with joy.

First, have a read of Amelia's musing on what art can teach us about life.

Do you believe in fairies? Read this post and watch the YouTube link set within (be sure to view it all now), then tell me you don't believe...

Finally, more YouTube magic. Have a listen and let the dance vibe invade your soul.