Winter Nature Walk

 Bright winter brings a strange architectural beauty to the landscape.

Spiky, flamboyant teasel heads dominate the marsh.

Outlines are more defined -  edges are crisp and sharp against the clear blue sky.

Oak galls resemble a structure of miniature domes.

Rose hip boughs form decorative arches, and geometric designs.

Even the ragged edges of the fallen leaves seem to create distinct  abstract shapes against the earth.

Looking closely at the natural world opens the doors to so much new interpretation...

Nature journaling - on a former landfill site!

Almost 10 years ago I had to move from a tranquil spot in the Gloucestershire countryside to live on the outer edge of a city. Culture shock was immediate, traffic, people everywhere - and so much noise! Accustomed to roaming through fields, bluebell filled woodland and past gentle streams,  I felt bereft. Desperate to find green space, I had to explore!

We live on the floodplain of the River Severn. Behind our home appeared to be an area of waste ground, close to the industrial site of Avonmouth, and adjacent to a roaring stretch of the M5 motorway.  I was told the area was a landfill site until 1988! Despite this not being the most appealing idea, my natural nosiness got the better of me.  I followed the decommissioned tarmacked road,  past fly tipped rubbish, and found, to my delight, a wealth of nature. 

This site, (now renamed Saltmarsh Drive Open Space) is indeed, old salt marsh. It's crossed by drainage ditches called rhines (pronounced rheen). Some of these watercourses date back to the medieval period. The Merebank Rhine, is actually a Scheduled Ancient Monument!

A few quick sketches managed this week!

The watercourses, and the scrub land surrounding them are a magnet for wildlife, and the soil of the former landfill site has allowed a unique diversity of plant life to emerge, including  stunning wild orchids.

This is one of the few places in Bristol which is home to the delightful water vole. 'Ratty' from The Wind in the Willows. A common sight in my childhood, spotting one is now rare - and a thrill. Otters have also been observed using the rhines.


Small groups of our shy native roe deer frequent the scrub, and  kingfisher and heron are regular visitors to the waterways. There's a wealth of bird life, ruled over by the resident buzzards, who soar above like miniature golden eagles.

 My journaling has changed  a lot in the last 3 years!

No one visits here much. There is litter from the motorway, and strange items which pop up from the landfill. Dog mess, ignored by careless owners, is a hazard; and tuning out the noise from the busy motorway, (and sometimes off road motor cyclists) is a necessity.

Nature, however, ignores these minor irritations; she goes about her work, making this unlikely spot a very special place indeed.

Nature's memories

What's your earliest memory?
Most of my vivid childhood memories have a strong connection to the natural world.

The first thing I clearly remember, aged almost 2, was toddling up to our front door and seeing a huge, dark shadow on the glass window. We were snowed in. I remember being lifted up to see the white world outside, and being not scared, but excited, at how the world had changed.

And  I remember from childhood:

Watching the blue tits pecking the milk bottle tops to feast on cream!
Feeding the hedgehogs who visited our garden.
Excitedly looking for the first golden cowslips which bloomed in the field next door each spring.
Walking along (the beautifully named) 'Frog Furlong Lane' with mum and the 'helicopters' on the sycamore trees.
Looking for 'Walter' wagtail , who loved to catch insects in our yard.
Hearing the cuckoo calling.
Writing on laurel leaves with a rose thorn.
Hanging up a piece of seaweed outside after a trip to the coast, to tell what the weather would be!
The taste of ripe blackberries.
The wonderful scent of the sweet peas mum planted every year.
Being absolutely terrified that tigers would leap out from the shadows and eat me, as dad drove us along narrow, shadowy, wooded lanes on our family outings (thanks, big brother John! I never, ever told mum and dad though .... )

These very ordinary things had a huge impact on my life, and how I view the world. I  really hope that  the newest generation will enjoy similar memories.

Exploring nature in 2017

Good Morning 2017!

 'Explore'

This is the word I've chosen to guide me through the year. I've lots of  new avenues to find my way along, and opportunities which seem quite daunting, and not a little terrifying.

This year, I want to delve deeper and look closer into nature, and capture even more beautiful and wonderful things. Like the bark of these wonderful 300 year old yew trees.

 

The Universe must be doing it's stuff; because I've had a beautiful and unexpected gift  from my niecelet - which is a pretty perfect fit.

'Beautiful British Bees' - Microscopy Art Workshop with Cath Hodsman

We all know bees are amazing pollinators,  and part of the lifeblood of our planet, but, did you know  for instance that worker honey bees are really so cute and fluffy close up? And that they  have been trained to 'sniff' out drugs and explosives more quickly than dogs? They are simply, amazing!

Cath Hodsman is a nationally acclaimed wildlife artist, who's specialty is bugs! (Entomology for my posh readers :) )  I had an amazing time last week, first, learning many new and fascinating facts about the honey bee, and then studying, and drawing them under the microscope, using Cath's expertise and knowledge to guide me.

For someone like me, who's passionate about nature, art and detail, this was a truly wonderful experience!

Here's my Worker honey bee, outside hind leg x 15 magnification.

It's incredible when the teeny tiny little thing on your slide suddenly becomes this  huge, amazingly detailed furry limb!

Cath explained how to actually take a photo through the microscope itself. (This is not a great shot as it's really hard to do, you can hardly breathe;  but, it gives an idea of what we were looking at, and some of the incredible detail.)

 Cath suggested we also do a label, which was great fun to play around with after the intensity of using the microscope. I loved using it, but it is an entirely new way to draw, and can initially, cause eye strain.  You must take breaks. We worked in graphite and colour pencil on hot press watercolour paper,  building up layers after laying the initial foundation drawing.

 

Cath explaining something - opposite  my workstation with microscope and slides!

For anyone worrying, all Cath's 'subjects' are natural bee deaths and very reverently preserved and looked after. She's a passionate conservationist and a lady after my own heart! There was a lot of fun and laughter during the day.

                Fellow students at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, enjoying our day.

Here are a couple of examples of Cath's work, please visit her website to see more of her beautiful art.

I thoroughly recommend her workshops. The knowledge I gained will help me in my nature art journaling, and, in helping to save our precious bees!

Midsummer Rain

It's June 20th, and raining, and raining, and raining. It hasn't deterred the birds though. Green finch and goldfinch chicks have fledged,  and are busy emptying our bird feeders every day! Blue tit, great tit and woodpecker parents are still working hard collecting food for their babies.

 

 When it's not actually raining, the birds now tolerate me sitting and drawing very quietly on what I call the 'patio', alongside my rusty, trusty wheelbarrow!

Deer, Roe deer, Roe deer....

Deer have been much in my mind of late, and then I saw Tammie's invitation to this drawing challenge!  A while ago I was thrilled to find a Roe deer antler on the marshland behind our home, and made a journal entry about it.

These deer are British natives. Unlike most deer species, they are solitary, but form small groups in the cold months.  I though I'd try some wintry sketches of a buck...

 and a doe.....

 
Then this evening,  I got a tweet from the National Trust, who saw this photo I took of the Fallow deer herd at Dyrham Park. They loved it and asked if they could use it in their social media promotional material! So I'm feeling that deer are very dear today!

Mini Art Quilt - Winter Melody

Last week I finished my samples for my mixed media workshop and they are now waiting to go on display. This is the first one, a simply structured mini art quilt  with a winter theme.  Loving seedheads as I do this was a great chance to use some of my favourite images.

I  made some simple stamps, then used a variety of of fabrics to show the effects  of the paint on different weights/types. I made pearlised paints to give a sparkle of frost and ice.

 

After preparing the fabrics and stamping them I set out the images in a collage, and then fused them to wool felt.

They were then re sectioned, simply embellished, using  a variety of  threads/ stitches and some beading, and  hand stitched together with a variegated pearl cotton.

Some are overprinted on already patterned fabrics -

some onto heavier weight linen, and  fine, hand dyed silk.

As the workshop is about approaching mixed media without the need to use lots of products and expense, everything was found in my supply stash and around the house. I do  feel that limiting yourself also extends your creativity. Having decided on my colour palette there were a few challenging moments -  which stretched me - but these were the things I liked best when I'd finished. What do you think - does anyone have any projects where constraints meant success?

Brown Paper and Stitch Book

Another  experiment - working with recycled material. Inspired by my workshop at the end of last summer with  Frances Pickering  I wanted to make a simple book using paint and stitch. This little prototype is made entirely from the brown paper packing material used by a well known on-line company (other brown papers are available!) :)

 I've been  playing about with the momigami, (paper kneading) technique, I found in Cas Holmes
 ' The Found Object in Textile Art'. I'd love to know if anyone else has used it?  The cover was molded and bonded  to stiffen it - and hopefully make it durable! It gave a nice, leathery effect.

Inside colour pencil worked  quite effectively  on the dyed paper. 

On the right are a couple of blank notebooks I put together with momigami covers.

 This is my favourite page. I have a thing about the arum family!

 I'm happy with this and learnt a lot of useful things making it!

One of the good things about being a curious bumblebee is that  you can buzz back to the same flower. Over the last few weeks, I find myself being drawn back more strongly to embroidery.

Isn't it odd though, that when you feel the need for a change,  the past rears its head?
Last week I had three separate enquirers asking me if they could see my dolls - and would I run a doll class again?  It was  lovely to be asked - then I realised I hadn't actually got one single place with my photos  - so I decided to add some new pages here. It did seem strange to put them back on my blog, after all!

The story of a wildlife garden - so far.

I've been off line quite a bit as I've had labrynthitis and kept wobbling about! It's getting better so I thought I'd pop in and post a few photos of the beautiful blossom in our wildlife garden.

This garden is the fourth I've had and it's like no other before! When I moved here in 2008 I was a bit shocked to find it such a long way from our flat, with no water or power. It was originally like a small, undulating field which had been cleared of brambles, with just two old buddleia plants in it! All that visited were a couple of magpies, so I suggested to Himself that we could have a garden for wildlife. He's unable to do gardening, but loves wildlife as I do, so he thought this was a  great idea. The top border was dug out  in 2009 and shrubs to attract bees, butterflies and pollinating insects  planted. Since then we have planted five trees and a wildlife hedge of native British shrubs,  and many herbaceous plants and herbs. The garden has to be manageable for me as we still have no power outside and  all water has to be carried down from our second floor flat! (The garden in front belongs to the old gentleman who lives below us.)

This is the border a couple of years later.

And here it is today! This viburnum is filling the spring air with perfume.

 

The kerria attracts loads of insects and looks beautiful.

Likewise this lovely peach coloured chaenomeles.

 The bees love the ceanothus.

Our little trees are growing so well too,  the weeping crab apple is all set to take centre stage.

And the pear trees are out in full bloom.

 The forsythia was originally a tiny cutting my mother in law gave me! (The squirrels and magpies have displaced the bird feeder stand going after peanuts, and it needs sorting out!)

Even tiny gooseberry blossom is important for emerging pollinating insects.

 And of course, dandelions are very important! We have a lot of these! :)

 Our bug and bee retreats are already attracting potential nest builders and egg layers.

The hellebores are still blooming,  and have been since early January. They are probably my favourite cultivated plant. The old brick path is very weedy and broken down, but I'm loath to change it!

 Bee friendly wallflowers! The colours are just gorgeous.

This peony appears to have been planted in the original 1950's garden and  still comes up every year!

 And this is the wildlife hedge - the first spring after I planted it in December 2011.

This is what it looked like this morning! We have blossom!

I'm excited waiting for the guelder rose to bloom for the first time!

And maybe the wild roses?

 Anyway,  our garden visitors seem to like it,  this little poppet flew down to  investigate while I was taking the photos!

 

  

It's great to  look back and realise how far we've come,  now we have a variety of birds, mammals insects and amphibians visiting us regularly. I hope this year will bring even more. How's your garden?