Bumblebee

Posted on March 23, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bee, bug trap, bumblebee, buzzing, Environment, Insect, Life, Nature, Released, Wind, WindowLeave a comment

The wind is howling and making the window in the kitchen buzz… But I heard a different buzzing this morning, and not from the window. I looked and in amongst the foliage and there was a large bumblebee trying to get out. I grabbed a cup and some paper.. But I just could not reach and the bee kept falling down. Then. I remembered, I’ve had this bug catcher for years. It still took a few goes, you have to place the catcher over the creature with the sliding door below it then swivel it so the door is above. You give the trap a little shake and the door should slide down. In this case the door stopped part way so I had to get a knife and tap the top of the door so it closed. Then I released the bee outside (you turn the trap round so the door opens up again), so happy to let it go safely. Glad I remembered the bug trap, now back under the sink.

Lesser Celandine

Posted on March 22, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged daisy like, Environment, Gardening, Lesser celandine, Nature, Plants, Spring, YellowLeave a comment

One of the plants that appears in Spring, this is lesser Celandine. It has mid green shiny leaves and yellow and white daisy like flowers. This plant is one of the things that used to be on a website where people recorded when things appeared in the Spring, like butterflies, moths, flowers, tree blossom for example. It was a citizen science project. I don’t remember what it was called.

Lesser Celandine spreads by little bulbs (bulbils) that can stick to shoes or animals feet. It’s pretty, but if you get it in your garden it can spread like mad. I’m not sure if animals van eat it, it just looks cheery in Spring.

Fairy Wren

Posted on March 16, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Drawing, fairy wren, Felt pens, Life, Nature, Pretty, Prompt, Sketching2 Comments

PNCO posted about the Australian Fairy Wren a few days ago and I decided to use the photo they posted as the subject for Sundays prompt pretty. I finally got round to doing this today. Sunday seems a long time ago. Still got to catch up on Tuesdays and today’s prompts. Felt pen drawing.

Buds required

Posted on March 6, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Air, Buds, Bushes, dry, February, Garden, Gardening, Life, Nature, Snow, snowfall, Spring, Trees, Water1 Comment

Come on rain, its been the driest February for years. The trees and bushes need a good sprinkling of rain. I can see tiny buds on our willow tree but they aren’t opening. The branches and twigs are bare. We may get some snow this week. But I didn’t know that ten centimetres of snow is equivalent to one centimetre of rain? That’s because fallen snow is mainly made up of air (think of how snow flakes are crystals that branch and leave gaps and air pockets). Let it rain, for a while, water the trees, please!

New ideas?

Posted on March 5, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Daffodils, Environment, Flowers, Helibore, Ideas, Life, Mecanopsis, Nature, Painting, Spring, VincaLeave a comment

I’ve just been to the gallery where II have some of my paintings today. I thought they would be asking me to take some of my paintings away because they have been up too long, but they only wanted me to take one of a poppy field. But I do need to do some new paintings, to swap out with the ones I currently have there. I’m trying to think of spring images, maybe flowers? This is a Vinca. I was also thinking of doing a painting of a Blue himalayan poppy (mecanopsis) or other similar ones like Helibores. Also maybe snowdrops or daffodils. We will see.

Spring Helibores

Posted on March 4, 2023March 5, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, Colours, Gardening, Helibores, Leaves, Life, Nature, Overlooked, Plants, seasonal, Spring, subtleLeave a comment

I think of daffodils and crocuses at this time of year, or snowdrops and later tulips. But an often overlooked plant is the Helibore. The flowers tend to droop their faces towards the ground and they have larder five lobed leaves. There colours can be a mottled grey green, white with green splotches or a greyish pink. This is a manipulated image to show how interesting they can be. Lift up a flower and be captivated by its hidden subtle beauty.

Fushias

Posted on March 1, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bushes, Flowers, Fushias, Life, Nature, Petals, Portmeirion pottery, skirts, Spring, SummerLeave a comment

Six months ago these were still flowering. The bushes are outside Portmeirion pottery and always cheer me up when I see them. Now we have reached meteorological spring they should start to transform again from dry looking sticks to flowering stars.

Fushias are beautiful hanging flowers. They can be simple like these or delicate like ballerinas with swirling pink or red skirts or double flowers like flamenco dancers. You can get all sorts of varieties of them. I think they are called F1 hybrids?

Out on a limb

Posted on February 17, 2023February 17, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged branch, Growing, Life, limb, Musing, Nature, Thoughts, Time, Tree, Weather, WindLeave a comment

Growing out and up… A long limb of a tree scrambles to escape the shade of its companions. Thinks, I’m not going to be hidden by all your leaves. Give me light and I will grow into a tree in my own right. I don’t need holding up, I will sway in the wind with the best of them! What’s a bit of tension and torsion to a limb like me? I’m only slightly cracked, that split in my bark will soon heal over, I’m not weeping sap. Oi! Don’t you bring that chainsaw near me! I will survive!

Chocolate and oatcakes

Posted on February 12, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged bird flu, Birds, Feeding, Food, Geese, Hot chocolate, marshmallow, Nature, Oatcakes, Westport lakeLeave a comment

Afternoon tea, a couple of cheese ant tomato Staffordshire oatcakes with a dab of brown sauce and a hot chocolate with squirty cream, marshmallows and a tiny jammy dodger biscuit with a ram heart at its centre, presumably for valentines day? (which I have hubby). We had this at Westport Lake visitors centre. We sat on the balcony in a slightly chilly breeze, overlooking the lake. The geese were calling, I think they wanted bird food. But we couldn’t feed them because there us bird flu in the area and feeding a flock can help spread it. The latest news is that it has jumped species to small mammals which is very worrying. Anyway, sorry to put a downer on this post!

Sold, Heron

Posted on February 9, 2023 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Bird, Colour, Fine Art, Heron, Life, Nature, Painting, Reeds, Sold9 Comments

Got a nice surprise this morning, I’ve sold another small painting (long and thin). It had been for sale at the Arts and Minds Gallery at Harper Street in Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent. As usual it’s lovely to feel that someone has taken it into their heart.

This was a playful piece. I started by painting some weeds and rushes, and only decided to add a bird, this Heron, because it fitted in with the shape of the canvas.

Next? I might paint some gentle landscapes or flowers, but play with the style again, not forgetting the industrial heritage of the area.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Nature