Tuesday 9 March 2010

Mystery tracks

We have been lucky to have experienced some lovely bright sunny days. The sky so blue and the perfect days for walking. It is still cold and things seem to be on hold, nothing much is growing along the hedgerows. The snowdrops are everywhere and the village churchyard is beautiful with a carpet of snowdrops and blue crocus.
I have been out walking most days. I find a few sycamore seeds and oak leaves to add to my on going projects. Then I see lots of empty snail shells in the bare hedges. I like the lovely pale blue shades, as they have changed from their brown colour over the winter. How many other people have a bowl of snail shells on their kitchen sink that have just been washed!
I saw this branch, on the long thorny briers of the Blackberry brambles. It has the white tracks of some insect, I am not sure what makes it. It caught my eye and so It came home with me. Just as we were near home I stopped to look at my favourite Hawthorn. This tree is where I collect most of my red berries. It was bare, no leaves but the new tiny red buds are appearing. Green lichen is growing on lots of the branches and it is interesting to see the twisted shapes of the bare tree. Then I spotted some berries, they now appear in my drawing with the three leaves.
Another page in my square book, painted in Acrylic paint. I even managed to pick a little of the green lichen. Hope you like it.

10 comments:

Michelle Palmer said...

Each work of art, more beautiful. Loved your post... took a walk with you from across the water~
We're enjoying a gorgeous blue sky and sunshine, too. Snow-pack is below my knees... so I know spring will arrive soon!
Hope you day is wonderful~
Michelle

Ann said...

I love the grey/greens of those leaves. Lovely painting!

Frances said...

Milly, that square book of your is really filling up with treasure.

Your eye is so discerning on those almost-springtime walks.

Our New York temperatures are definitely on the rise ... several days have had us in the mid 50's F. Sorry that I cannot quickly do the C conversions!

xo

Carolina said...

I think blue crocus don't exist around here, I had to check how it looks on the net (loved it!). I can't believe it grows when tere's still snow... it's got to be somehow 'magical' (I checked for 'snowdrops' just in case: they're also flowers, not a word to depict tiny amounts of snow, nice! :)
I hadn't noticed the thorns on the branch, you're right, there they are, it looks so different to the other leaves you've done before. Great page!
Big hugs,
Carolina

Pondside said...

I love the look of the decay, especially when we know that the plants that bore the bits and pieces are working hard to produce new, fresh flowers and leaves.

Susan Scheid (Raining Acorns) said...

Magical, Milly--and I love the delicate shadows. I am so pleased, also, with my purchases from your shop. I am using the feather tag as a bookmark at the moment, an extra pleasure when I am reading.

Acornmoon said...

The touch of shadow works so well on all your nature studies. Your book will be a little treasure!

It is so nice to see the blue skies on your previous post. I am familiar with that coastline a little further south, around Lancaster with views of the mountains in the distance.

Let us hope that the frost soon departs,we are having frost most mornings still.

Ruthie Redden said...

It made me laugh to hear of your bowl of snail shells, and reminded me of my mom, as we walk around th garden i come across little piles of snail shells ( the bain of her gardening life!), she says she is collecting them to paint wonderful designs on their shells & put them back in the garden where they can be of use in the decorative sense ;-) Wonderful drawings as always x

Dreaming Woods said...

over a week a go i was at my parents seaside home, up from the ocre hills i gathered lots of shells which birds had been brought. Now they are waiting for me and when i go there back on sunday i shall gather some more shells.

Delila

Dean Grey said...

Milly!

I don't like it....I LOVE it!

-Dean