Spring

So happy to be writing a post . I hope you enjoy reading it.

  Hello.  I walked to the bottom of my garden to see what was growing and I was delighted to find my foxgloves flowering. I have scattered wild flower seeds and Woodland plants and letting it become even  more of a wild garden. This is going to be an exciting year watching what happens and seeing how many different varieties grow. The garden has been full of butterflies on sunny days. the birds sing each morning and it is so lovely to know we have birds nesting in our garden, two blackbird nests with eggs all safely hatched and playing in the shrubs and hedges.  Our bird box has also attracted a great tit nesting and raising a family,  We were delighted after hanging the box  three years ago, we have seen the two adults busy feeding the young.  One day as I was hanging the washing out I saw a little head peep out !

natural colours from my eco dyeing. Eileen Postlethwaite

My washing line has also been used to hang up my experiments with natural dyeing. These are some of the lovely colours from plants hanging out to dry, from last summer.  I have also been using lots of different  berries and plants to make my homemade inks. 

One of my favourites Blackberry.Eileen Postlethwaite

I really love working like this, collecting the berries and making the ink and then drawing with my homemade colours.  It is so exciting drawing blackberries with ink made from my own village hedgerows.  I will share some other colours and drawings using my inks over the year. 

 

found acorns in ink and dip in pen. Eileen Postlethwaite

During the last few months I have been recording some of my finds.  I have been drawing leaves and acorns and my favourite Magpie moth. the moth was painted on a recycled box, our porridge box which has lovely parchment coloured card once you turn it inside out!  I can't think of a better way to recycle than use it to paint a beautiful Magpie Moth. 

Some of my finds...A recycled box adorned with My favourite Magpie Moth. Eileen Postlethwaite

Last year I contributed to a wonderful project by printing over a hundred Moths for the " Moth Migration Project" by  Hilary Lorenz , you can read about it HERE  .I carved and printed my designs and posted them to the USA .  We  received a certificate and personal thank you from Hilary Lorenz from the USA, who is exhibiting over 20,000 Moths.  I was just one person along with so many others from around the world who contributed,  so pleased I did.

collecting shells at the beach .  Eileen Postlethwaite

Walks on the beaches have been blustery and cold during the winter months.  Just the thought of going to the sea inspires me.   I always find so many natural objects, then I arrive back home and  get out my big box of coloured pencils to record the pretty pastel shades.  A rainbow of colours on a winters day. they are tiny simple shells but I love collecting them and drawing them.  Of course I never  stop at shells....feathers, seaweed, mermaids purses, oak leaves, pieces of blue china, sea glass......all sit in dishes waiting! 

Amazing sunsets, evening sky in the  Duddon Estuary, 

Waiting and dreaming of Springtime and the thought of my beautiful Snakehead Fritillaries filling the garden.  And once again the snowdrops push through, then the daffodils and primroses and violets.

violets in my path make me smile

 And then they arrive, fragile and so beautiful, hundreds of tiny chequered heads, the Snake head Fritillaries,   everyone planted over the years from tiny white bulbs. I wander down just to sit and look at them and then choose one to draw.

my beautiful fritillary garden

  A study of one of the flowers,  each one seems to have different patterns.  I had pink shades and lots of white ones too and even some with double heads.  I love their elegant shapes and the way they droop their heads and the leaves create movement.

drawings by Eileen Postlethwaite

beautiful patterns on my favourite flower

Time seems to pass so quickly,  but gladly it seems a slower pace here in our little village.  The  other weekend we were reminded of a different time when things were slower and handsome steam powered trains travelled along the railway lines and passed through villages and people waved at the train and the passengers waved back with smiles from one to another. I think everyone would agree for a few moments we captured the spirit of  that age, as I also captured some photographs to share with you. I  hope my blog makes you smile and you find the time to send a little message back, it would be lovely to hear from you wherever you are.

The Steam train approaching our village station. they always pull the hooter and spit out the steam to delight us all.

Train whistle blowing. 

And I will leave you with another beautiful sky...the colours of my pink foxgloves.

Have a wonderful weekend.

see you soon

Milly x

Eileen Postlethwaite