Walk in the woods

Some photos from a walk in the woods this morning

The garden at Midsummer

I wandered round my garden today, two days before midsummer. It's so lush and green - fecund; now there's a word that sums up Mother Earth at this time of year

Here are cool mosses deep . . .

Here are cool mosses deep,

And thro' the moss the ivies creep,

And in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep,

And from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleep...

From The Lotus-eaters by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Crow

Were you there beside the mountain on that day

and did you see the valley’s green fade into grey

Did you see the salmon sink beneath the reeds

and roll from silver scale to dull mud green

Did the air fall still to drop you from the sky

when spirits held their breath to hear the cry

Were you there when thousands fell beneath the bull

Were you there when all around you shrieked their soul

And did you fold your wings around them by the stones

Forest walk

These were taken on a walk on the Ashdown Forest that we call 'The Stream'.

These are Common Spotted Orchids - so beautifully delicate - if you just glanced at them you'd miss those gorgeous markings

Bark is so complicated and interesting - another of Mother Earth's wonders

The lushness of early summer - a carpet of ferns and mix of trees

Nature ALWAYS gets the colours right!

Stones tapestry series

I'm weaving a series of four small (12cm square) tapestries inspired by standing stones. They're monotone and when finished off properly they will be mounted together on acrylic.

These are the three I've finished weaving - the fourth is on the loom now. The backgrounds are white - it's the lighting that makes them look a little yellow in places.

Playing with Procreate and CalligraphyArt apps

I recently got the Procreate app and have been doing an online course to get to know it and managed to produce these:

Then I added some calligraphy and imported it into Procreate and played with a background and hey presto!

Young crone

There are resident herons on a nearby reservoir and each year they re-visit their nests to bring the next generation into the world. Unfortunately I was unable to get nearer and don't have the long camera lens required to get a better photo of this already large chick waiting for its mother to bring it food.

Heron is a sacred bird and was said to be the first bird to greet the sunrise and was able to predict storms. Three herons (or cranes) protect the entrances to Annwn, the Underworld. Heron is also associated with the Cailleach, the crone or hag, and as such is a bird of old age and longevity.

Herons dance in circles which mimic the movement of the sun.