New paintings and regular art updates.
The snow has gone for now
Warm winds blow from the south
Clear frosty mornings
Left behind
Rain and showers
Water the blossom and flowers
Cold chill twigs
Now wet with buds.
Birds collect bugs
and think of lining their nests
With moss and fluffy stuff
Warm and snuggled
For eggs and chicks
Farewell Winter.
See you later in the year
As the seasons turn.
Not this years ones, they haven’t opened up yet. But they are starting to grow up. I just can’t wait. I’m used to waiting for spring but sometimes it seems to take an awful long time to get here. A couple of weeks ago the temperatures were in the high teens Celsius, last week they dropped to freezing or below, and there was a snow in a few places across the UK. We didn’t get more than a bit of hail and snow here. Meanwhile the daffodils and snowdrops are up. We haven’t had much rain though, so the buds on the trees are not fully open yet…
I went to our Orme Art group today and as I only had limited time I decided to draw from one of my photos from yesterday. It had to be a patch of snowdrops. So evocative of winter. It’s a felt pen sketch. I drew the light areas first then filled in around them. Probably took 90 minute’s.
Big wet flakes of snow. Its too cold to open up the back door and film it. I’m shivering and cold so I’m wrapped up. Our heating system is on but our house isn’t well insulated so it doesn’t retain heat. I would like to get it done but I don’t have the money and I can’t get a grant….. Life. We live in a small victorian end terrace house with a small extension of a kitchen and bathroom. They are the worst bit because I think they are only a single layer of bricks and the flat roof is not really insulated either. I should just shut the door, but then how would the cats get in and out? So I’m sitting watching the flakes fall. They are only starting to stick now. It’s not supposed to fall for long then it should turn to rain. Whatever happens I don’t feel like going out in it. Keep warm….
Swanning around
The Swan swam
Peaceful and proud
Sheltered from the wind
On a cold lake.
We went out for a short walk locally as the sun started to set. The sky was very grey but there was a little patch of light in the south west, so I hoped it would possibly turn into a sunset. As you can see it did! I took lots of photos so I decided to do a sort of abstract compilation of some of them. I might try and line them up better later. So yes, this was the last sunset of 2021 here in my bit of the UK. In some places in the world midnight will have already been and gone. In others it’s probably only the morning. May your new year be good and safe. X
Christmas cactus flowering in the kitchen. These are a beautiful pale pink. I have some other ones that are red and dark pink.
How do they know when to flower? They always seem to come out around this time of year. As soon as the buds start to grow I start watering them and they soon grow and burst into flower. They are a lovely sight in the middle of winter.
Actually it was probably September or October when I took this. Now the leaves have withered, just a few cling on to life. But come the spring I hope to transplant some of these plants into pots. I think the fushias will have survived because they have woody stems. Then the hanging baskets will go to the local nursery to have them filled for the next season. It’s always at this time of year that I start to think about spring. That is until we get to the cold blast of January to March. That’s when hubby gets enthusiastic and plants all the seeds we bought and collected in Autumn. Sadly the plants either don’t emerge or die off because they are too cold. Or he puts a whole packet of seed in one small pot! It’s amazing we get anything to grow!
Oh for autumn
Gone away
Not to be seen
For another day
Plants die back
Leaves fall down
Winter comes
And freezes the ground
Warmth has seeped
Away from here
Brilliant sun
No longer near
Frosts and fogs
Are here this year
To chill your bones
Cold winds you hear.
So come back autumn
Come back spring
One more summer
To make me sing.
Before and after, the local Christmas lights switch on at the top of our hill. Everyone counted down and then… The gentle lights came up on the Christmas tree. Not overwhelming but restrained and pretty. We ate a mince pie that were being handed out. The local brass band played the carols and people sang along. As the Carol service continued children took their places as characters in the nativity. Two tiny. Little girls were the angels and there was a flock of shepherd’s. Well done to the organisers who created a warm welcome despite covid. X
Mallaband-Brown