Today marks Imbolc and St Brides Day ... Imbolc is one of the four major "fire" festivals, lying half way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is traditionally a festival honouring Brigid, she became woven into the Christian church as St Bridget. She is a Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft, Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth, she brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. So why Oystercatchers... To the Gaels this bird is an emblem of St. Bride, who carried one in each hand. Legend has her arriving on the shores of South Uist with an oystercatcher on each wrist. When she was becalmed at sea, oystercatchers flew to her boat and by the beating of their wings, filled the sails of the boat so that she could sail safely to land. In Gaelic, the Oystercacher is called the Guide of St Bride, as she was supposed to send the birds to guide sailors to safety. It bears the form of a cross on its plumage as it once covered Christ with sea-weed when his enemies pursued him. . . . #imbolc #stbridget #oystercatchers #stbride #anthrozoology #celticmythology #irishfolklore #paganfestival #pagangodessoffire #pagangoddessbrigid #linocut #printmaking #monotype #reliefprinting #inthestudio #lino #contemporaryart #art #illustration #contemporaryprintmaking #humananimalrelationship #get_imprinted #ukprintmakers #narrative

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There is still a wintery feel to my bit of Cornwall today, the snow is mostly going and the roads are open but its chilly! looking forward to the logburner tonight! . . .#sketch #mixedmediaartist #highmoor #blusteryday #drawing #chalkdrawing #landscapepainting #cornwallpainting #mixedmediapainting #contemporarylandscapepainting #cornwallart #cornishmoors #moorland #winterlandscape #softpastelspainting

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Tonight as we have had a little snow fall in Cornwall, I thought I would share a picture I painted a few years ago after a trip to @wwtslimbridge ...a gaggle of Snow Geese, so full of character and very eager to check if you have any corn for them.

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How lovely are these peeping through the snow in the garden ❤

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The snow arrived in Cornwall! And then usual gridlock ... It looks pretty though ❤

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I have been having fun selecting work for this Studio Sale always a few bargains at this lovely annual event at @morvahschoolhousegallery

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Biterly cold here in Cornwall this morning ...so another blustery moor painting... Looking out to the north cliffs ... . . . . .

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Speaking of Ravens... I painted this one a few years ago whilst doing a painting a day on a 30 day challenge

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The college I teach at has some lovely FREE taster afternoons coming up in March if you know anyone who may be interested please feel free to share or let them know. There is an online sign up http://bit.ly/2UuBEiJ. . . . . . . . .#freecourses #freetaster #artanddesign #cornwall .#cornwallcollege #printmaking #art #artcourse #printmakingcourse #cornwall #cornwallartcourse #artstudent#arteducation #degreeinart #degreeinpottery #careerinart #bahonsart #multidisciplinaryart #artforbeginners #paintingcourse #cermaicscourse #potterycourse #graphicdesign #illustrationcourse #illustration #education #adulteducation #parttimeartcourse #finearttextiles #textilescourse

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A bit more blustery Cornwall to share with you today , one of those moments when the sun highlights just one hill this time Carn Brea in the distance ....

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Linocut and monoprinted Black hare to en the day today...hares always bring a lovely sense of the magic, mystery and folktale imbued world into our lives. . .

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The Cornish daffodils are in full bloom all around us... Bringing a little sunshine to a cold damp day today. . . . ..#cornishlandscapepainting #painting #landscape #mixedmedia #sketch #acrylicpainting #mixedmedia #landscapepainting #cornishdaffodils #cornwall #daffodils #earlyspring #signsofspring

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More blustery high moor a view towards carnmenellis with twisted wind bent gorse and that gorgeous vibrant rust coloured bracken

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I like to start a new project in January ... Which is usually just a reinvention of my previous ones! But this year my ideas are around communicating a sense of this place in which I live and have done for over 20 years within 3 square miles ... it's wildlife, fabric, lanes, plants, weather, stories ... Not sure how best to do this 😁😁😁 but it may turn out to be a collection of things... A visual diary... Monotypes, sketches,blickprints, paintings, casts ....

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I am always trying to capture those colours I find in the landscape, winter bracken and that lime green when a single file is illuminated by a winter sun.. this isn't even close ...😁😁😁 But it is a direct monotype from bracken and ferns, when I make these I don't feel like I have really done anything the leaf does it all for me... . .

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Just trying to bring a bit of warmth into my life ... With this little jackdaw basking in the rays of a golden ball :)

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A blustery day to say the least here this sketch is looking across from one of the highest points in the parish ...

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Added a bit of colour to my earlier sketch loving this burnt sienna in the winter landscape around here at the moment.

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A bit of ink sketching today..... . . #sketch #ink .#painting #houseonahill #drawing #landscapepainting #cornishlanes #cornwallpainting #mixedmediapainting #contemporarylandscapepainting #cornwallart #cornishmoors #moorland

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Rook on a lace plinth now in the spring exhibition at @cornwall_crafts at @nttrelissick

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Raven calling forth a little blue sky for the weekend.... 🙏☀

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I find it interesting how I am drawn to quite particular features in the landscape, hills with masts (or other obalisk), houses on hills, lanes going up hill... I have always enjoyed living on a hill ... ??? This is a charcoal sketch of the road to BlackRock

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A misty sketch ...although the mist quickly cleared this morning itis a common occurrence iñ this part of the world ... I personally love it . . . . .#landscape #sketch #mistysketch #landscapepainting #cornwalllandscape

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Tragic but so beautiful found hanging in a bush too late to save it... a hedge sparrow or Dunnock :'(

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A misty morning here in West Cornwall everybody would like a little more breakfast!

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A hare on a golden ball ... I do not have hares around me in this part of Cornwall sadly, plenty of rabbits caught on my wildlife camera. This one went to @nttrelissick gardens for the @cornwall_crafts spring exhibition which seems appropriate as hares are often associated with spring

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Lapwings linocut with monoprint. I love to see them fly in groups with their very distinctive wing Shape and action. Delivered to @cornwall_crafts at @nttrelissick gardens for the spring exhibition.

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Sunrise ...

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I have been searching for traces of badgers around the fields today so that I could locate my camera in their path... I didn't find anything certain, I love finding those paths walked day after day in the grass...like this one I painted in the summer

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I popped my camera put again today ... Looking forward to seeing who comes to play tonight ... #wildlifecamera #excited

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i didn't paint this today but we have that same strange light today in Cornwall where the sky is iron grey and everything is in high contrast a gull flying by bright white against the almost black of the sky ....

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A few more of the sketches I did on @skokholm_island an amazing place to stay if you ever get the chance, particularly famous for its puffins, guilimots, razor bills and most of all manx Shearwaters..

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Apparently today is blue Monday.. most depressing day of the year... so this rook is walking away from the blues! My January is for planning so quite exciting in some ways .. and the days are getting longer so whilst trying not to wish life away I am looking forward to spring ...

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Looking back at some sketches I did on @skokholm_island a few years ago, although this is a hut it was all about the birds...unforgettable!

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I will be nipping over to the @cornwall_crafts shortly with a few new pieces of work including this Raven on a red ball for their Spring Exhibition which will open on the 26th January..

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Today's colour excitement when I go for a walk the colour seem to stay with me ... Urging me to do something with them... Gorgeous walk over the dunes to gwithian beach today

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I am particularly looking forward to dropping work off for this show as it will be my first at trelissick #Repost @cornwall_crafts • • • • • Trelissick Gallery is all set up to receive our wonderful member's work tomorrow. Our Spring Exhibition will open on Saturday 26th January. Can't wait it's going to look amazing. . . . . #cca #cornwallcraftsassociation #springexhibition #Trelissick #trelissickgallery #exhibition #ceramics #pottery #porcelain #glass #jewellery #furniture #mixedmedia #metalwork #wood #craft #art #textiles #silk #lighting #millenary #hats #2019

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Hare jumping over a blood moon? , we had such an amazing moon here last night I wanted to share something moon related but I only had a hare jumping a ball...😁

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Lovely local woodland with droplets of rain like jewels on buds and branches

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In changeable weather as I went to put up my wildlife camera I caught a glimpse of the sun shining particularly on this one field, I have noticed it before and it always brings to mind this wonderful poem by R S Thomas The Bright Field I have seen the sun break through to illuminate a small field for a while, and gone my way and forgotten it. But that was the pearl of great price, the one field that had treasure in it. I realise now that I must give all that I have to possess it. Life is not hurrying on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush, to a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once, but is the eternity that awaits you

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❤ #selfcare

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A shed full of wood to split an I am distracted by the patterns ❤. . . .#rurallife #smallholding #logspliting #naturaltexture #beautyofwood

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I am going to pop my wildlife camera out again today, hopefully we can get some more foxy footage, would like to see a badger as well as I am sure they visit us... Watch this space . .. this is a little sketch in acrylic on paper. . . #peopleandanimals #anthrozoology #foxpainting #contemporaryart #wildlifewatching #cornwallart #wildlifeart #art #illustration #wildlife #naturalworld #mixedmedia #humananimalrelationship #wildlifecamera

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I am still trying to work out how to take these happy accidents forward ... They are made when I used the cut out prints as a mask to add a coloured or patterned background but I love the effect ... Not great at working with the unexpected 😁

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Bleached moor grass in winter has a wonderful mellow colour here and against the deep orange/red/brown of the bracken I find it quite exciting! But my memory of this little painting was the jackdaws chattering and wheeling around the sky... I find spending time time in the landscape relaxing sometimes almost mediative , but I become much more alert when I see or hear birds :). . . .#cornishlandscapepainting #painting #landscape #mixedmedia #sketch #acrylicpainting #mixedmedia #landscapepainting #cornishmoors #cornwall #moorland #wintermoor

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What a gorgeous sky on the way home tonight and because the sun was setting there were lots of birds (crows and gulls mostly) returning to their roost sights

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My Raven is calling to the world today I am not entirely sure what he is saying but I am sure it is important and I know it is intelligent! I have a pair of ravens who nested near my house they always call as they go over, their unmistakable deep croak, I am usually alerted to them by the sound of their wings before they call.

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Just returning to foxes this was the last page of a little book I made ... I really enjoyed working with just ink for a while .... . . . .#peopleandanimals #anthrozoology #bookmaking #contemporaryart #narrative #cornwallart #wildlifeart #art #illustration #wildlife #naturalworld #mixedmedia #contemporarydrawing #humananimalrelationship #inkdrawing

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This little rook is feeling on top of the world today ... Striding towards the end of the week ... When I put them on their boxes it always makes me think of box jumps in CrossFit maybe he should be CrossFit crow !. . . . #linocut.#printmaking #blockprinting #monoprint #reliefprinting #lino #utbanbird #farmlandbirds #contemporaryart #narrative #cornwallart #birdart #wildbird #artiststudio #art #illustration #wildlife #naturalworld #mixedmedia #contemporaryprintmaking #humananimalrelationship #get_imprinted #ukprintmakers #rook #printmaker #oneofforiginal #anthrozoology #crossfit #crossfitcrow

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I have a pair of magpies who nestef in my garden last year, I love to hear them chattering with their young... they have been instructing last year's next lately so I hope they will choose to use it again this year. . . . . #linocut.#printmaking #blockprinting #monoprint #reliefprinting #lino #utbanbird #farmlandbirds #contemporaryart #narrative #cornwallart #wildlifeart #birdart #birdartist #wildbird #artiststudio #f #art #illustration #mixedmedia #wildlife #naturalworld #mixedmedia #contemporaryprintmaking #humananimalrelationship #get_imprinted #ukprintmakers .#magpie #printmaker #oneofforiginal #anthrozoology

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