A Walk on the Shore

Last Saturday I woke to a glorious sunny day.  As I scanned the view across the shore I saw three swans on the tidal river, two swans with a younger one.  A woman was walking with her dog running free, it started to run in the  direction of the water.  I watched and saw how the two larger swans turned and came together to guard and protect the smaller one.  They sadly flew off,  because of the dog, and as they circled over the estuary I hoped they would return. I dressed for the shore and knew it would be lovely. With my camera in my hand and a huge bar of chocolate in my pocket I set off for my walk.

    The sheep had been put onto the grass and as I crossed the railway line I could see them all grazing. The ground was wet and muddy and I turned left and walked towards the boulders and the open sea.

I photographed the banking to show the erosion after the high tides causing more and more of the banking to fall away. Huge chunks collapsing into the sand.  I continued walking alongside  the Limestone barrier protecting the railway line where all that is left of the grassy shore  is a few feet wide.

I glance back and admire the view, such a beautiful clear day, after so many grey gloomy days with stormy winds and rain, that came with the high tides.  The rain has cleared all signs of the snow from the hills.

 Looking across the estuary at Black Combe.  I sat down for a while on a large boulder and just took it all in.  It was so still and quiet, so peaceful and not another person to be seen. I could see little clusters of white gulls on the sand. Time to just sit and think, thoughts of what I might find to draw.  I captured a few more views out to sea, it was so crisp and clear today.

If you look to the right you can pick out the offshore wind farm.  It is hard to believe how the sea sweeps in and covers all this vast expanse of sand.  As I wander back towards the village I am aware this was my Sea Shore project route,  collecting is second nature to me and I am constantly bending down to look at objects, little bits go into my bag.

 The sheep watch me with interest,  some look annoyed as I disturb them from their sitting positions, others just stare.  I tried not to scare them with their back to me by quietly whistling to let them know I was walking near,  they all got up and started following me.  Oh dear, they think I am going to feed them.  Then I suddenly remembered my chocolate, yummy I had forgotten about it, so swiftly took the rather large bar of fruit and nut out of my pocket.  As I opened the foil wrapper to eat my chocolate,   Suddenly I turned around as I am aware I am being followed. All the sheep are in a line behind me, eyes fixed on the chocolate bar!  Sorry, it is all mine.

I collected several items which I later arranged on my paper, a silvery grey holly leaf, a pale shell, and a black mermaids purse with rusty coloured markings and a long strand of black sea weed. As I passed the Hawthorn tree I could see lots of sheep wool caught on the branches and I thought I would see if any berries were still clinging on.  I snapped off the little branch covered in lichen with a berry still attached,  and also gathered leaves and berries from under the tree.  I walked along the rest of my old route, no swans, but a few white feathers.  During the walk I saw two dead birds, a duck that had been half eaten and the remains of a gull. There was also a huge circle of feathers, the evidence that a bird of prey had found a smaller bird and eaten it! This is nature, the food chain.  Many animals and birds live or visit here and it is natural to see such things,  as it is to see the remains of plants and  sea creatures.

Close up of the Mermaids purse.

All the real objects and the finished picture. I used the acrylic inks and used a piece of smooth bristol board, which took the ink well.  I had a little accident and dripped two black blobs of black ink,  they blend in fine, can you see them?  I have spent all week doing this piece as I used a fine number 4 brush and worked slowly and carefully recording the details.

Hope you enjoyed  the walk and like the drawing.  I will leave you with a little bit of spring, some flowers in my garden. Snowdrops and a primrose.

Thank you for the lovely comments.  Keep Warm and see you soon.              Millyx

First drawing this year

 On the first of January I went for a walk on a gloomy grey day.   It was a high tide and as I looked out of my window I could see the wind was whipping up huge white waves against the banks on the shore and no doubt causing more erosion.  Although I would have loved to have taken a walk on the shore  it looked so wild and windy,  the ground so wet and muddy and with the tide coming in too,  it seemed much too dangerous.   So I kept to the road.   I soon realised I had made a serious mistake and left my gloves behind,  it was icy cold and my fingers were tingling with the cold and turning red.

The view was shrouded in clouds and the dampness seemed to cling to everything.  I stopped to look at the hawthorn trees, just a few blackened berries remain and I noticed how the green and grey lichen had grown on the branches this past year.  A few red berries were on the ground but in a poor state as they had been squashed or just rotted with all the rain.  Yes the rain,  it seems to be dominating our weather and has been  relentless.

 I was glad to have a walk,  it was fine and I really needed to blow the cobwebs away.  The chance of it pouring down was very likely but I didn't have much choice and it felt  good to be outdoors.  I  decided I would  enjoy looking and observing  as I walked along with just my thoughts for company.  I saw one person with a dog and wished him a happy new year as not another person was out walking.

It seemed such a grey day,  grey stone walls,  grey mist, and  I was pleased and cheered up to see the bright red glowing post box.  I glanced over the wall at the hens scratching at the muddy ground,  they ran to the wall expecting some bread but were disappointed to find I had nothing.  The red comb on the heads of the beautiful black and white speckled  hens was a wonderful flash of colour to my eyes.  

As I watched the hens I decided I would pick the rose hips from the bush hanging above the wall.  I reached up and snapped off various little stems and was careful not to cut my fingers on any thorns.  When I started to look at the berries I realised they were all different shapes and colours,  all in different stages of decay, the reds had changed to black bruises, brown, even greyish shades.  I collected more and knew this would be my first drawing of 2013.  Some of the berries had turned to a soft mushy state which just squashed in my fingers.  With a hand full of rose hips I quickly made my way home but it would have been a miracle if I had made it without a real soaking as the heavens opened and  I arrived home rather wet but my treasures intact.
So here is my drawing, I lined the stems in a row according to their state, with the decaying ones at the end of the row,  as I wanted to record the changes to the rose hips. 

I used my acrylic inks and painted with a fine liner brush number 3.  The painting has been difficult with such poor light and also explains why the photographs are not the best quality. Hopefully you can see what it is all about.

I have spent a little time each day working on it and now it is completed.  Yesterday we had a lovely walk on the moors and I have collected some treasures so hope to get started on my next little picture. 
Hope you enjoyed seeing my rose hips.  Thank you for all the comments with help and advice! I am  reading and  researching ideas.                                                              Bye for now    Millyx

The End of the Year

The last day of the year.   It has been a high tide and a blustery day,  as I watched the estuary quickly  fill up with the  rough sea water.  The angry looking sky threatened rain but instead the clouds lifted and the hills glowed a red orange colour for a brief moment and then once again the heavy clouds sank low and the hills are gone from our view.   Looking out  from my window I like the way it highlights the shapes of the twisted branches and the dried seed heads against the pink sky.   Little sparrows fly in and out of these woven stems and I can quietly watch them from inside my living room.

I picked some of the seed heads to put in the drawing.  The bare trees, branches, plants  and hedgerows all  have this same skeletal feel.  It is what happens every year, the end of the cycle and  the seeds for a new year have been scattered.

The drawing is done with a black fine line pen and a paint brush and sepia ink .

As the new year approaches we look back and we look forward.  I have been looking back at my year and thinking,   I have been eagerly awaiting the new year and planning.  Having this blog and sharing my drawings has been such a wonderfully rewarding  part of my life,   by reading the lovely comments and knowing how much pleasure my drawings can give to other people.                        
Now I would like to have a published book of my work, a permanent record and another way for other people to share and enjoy my art work.   I have been thinking this could be my new year project.
Of course I do not  know how this is going to happen yet,  but I have the feeling that this is the next logical phase of drawings from nature.   Anyone with any  ideas or suggestions or experience or contacts, please feel free to comment, as I would be grateful  for any help or input on this subject of agents and publishers.

 The little sparrows play all day outside the window, singing and catching  insects and sometimes just resting and admiring the view.  In a couple of months in the springtime they will be building their nests  using bits of these dried plants.  I love watching them each day as they fly in and out of this adventure playground and chase each other around the garden.  So that just leaves me to send you all my best wishes for a

"Happy and Healthy and Creative  New Year"   to you all.                      Millyx

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Thank you to everyone that visits " drawings from nature" and for all the lovely comments you write,  which  I really appreciate and love to read.  It seems to have been a busy time here. I made some presents and have been busy knitting, book making and sewing.
My daughter has been visiting and it was lovely to spent time with her, we celebrated Christmas and had our turkey dinner on Sunday.  Another lovely day with my friend and her family on Saturday. Today is a quiet relaxing day. I might even have some drawing time.

 So I hope you are all  enjoying  your day, where ever you are.

Best Wishes To Everyone,                                                        Millyx

December Days

Now that December has arrived it has brought with it some bitterly cold weather.  The birds are coming into the garden and feeding on the red berries. The ground was littered in the half eaten fruit.  A very tame  blackbird prefers to hop by the kitchen window,  it seems to know we will instantly throw some bread outside.  I would like to think this was a blackbird who was born and raised in our garden and he knows it is a safe place to be.  We had a nest in the ivy and it would be so nice if it was our blackbird.
We heard the birds singing early today,  as it was such a lovely morning and the sun was streaming into the back of the house.   Outside it  was cold and frosty but such a beautiful  bright day,  and as we drove up and over the moors we admired the sight of the snow covered Lakeland hills.  The view looked spectacular, huge white shapes and a clear blue sky.
 The December landscape is now stripped bare and it is easy to see the patterns of the stone walls and the dark linear shapes of the trees showing their structure of trunks and branches.  We passed lots of little woods where we could glance through the tall trees and see the dead and dry woodland floor, everywhere in pale shades of browns and  then the bright rusty coloured bracken which glows in the sunlight.
It was bitterly cold as we wandered around the market town, as the market traders blew into their hands and danced from foot to foot  trying desperately to keep warm.  Hats, scarves and gloves were essential and everyone seemed to move around quickly doing their business and avoiding staying out longer than needed.  Our journey home was so pretty in the sunlight, as the sun was so low in the sky it cast a pink glow and made the dark trees stand out even more.  As we reached home it was almost sunset and we witnessed a deep pink sky  on this clear frosty evening.  It was lovely to return to a warm fireside.

   My drawing is a simple collection of some of some of the  berries off the ground,  a red leaf found  alongside them and a twin sycamore seed.  I really liked the dark edges of the red leaf and the way the sycamore is also turning darker.  Six red berries in a line just felt right and completed the composition.
I chose red, yellow ochre, sepia and black  and all of the shades were mixed from the four inks.
 I used the thin brush and every tiny line was made slowly as I meticulously painted the objects.

I wanted to really capture the delicate qualities of these winter objects and their colours and shapes.

I used red and yellow ochre for the leaf, red and black for the darker shades at the edges. Sepia and yellow ochre and a little of the dark edge mix on the sycamore.

The finished drawing.

I had a little helper.
I have been knitting a tiny cardigan and some warm blankets this week for a little birthday girl. And of course the mouse wanted to help paint!                                                              


Thank you for your comments. Hope you enjoy seeing what I have been drawing and knitting for my little friends birthday. Hope you are all keeping warm and cosy.                  
Best wishes to everyone.    Millyx

Colours of Autumn.

It has gone cold here.  The day started with a frosty morning and I have been happy to stay indoors and finish my drawing of the little branches that I collected from the garden.  The birds have eaten many of the berries but there are still many hanks left.  As I selected the branch it was the three coloured leaves which caught my eye, three leaves in three colours, green, orange and yellow.  A  lovely example of Autumn colour and how nature loves to surprise.

  I decided to record this branch and the berries. So I sketched them in pencil

And then I thought for a change I would use acrylic paints. I squeezed some brown, yellow, red, and green onto my saucer.  It felt strange using the thick acrylic paint after using the inks.

 I started with the leaves,

                                         and then the browns on the branches,

Then the red berries, as I carefully painted the red making sure the paint is put on and leaving the white paper for the shine. Then the little branch of cotoneaster added to the page, such tiny leaves and the red berries that the birds love. And we are finished.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the work in progress, and the finished drawing is here.

 Give away Winners. Thank you for the 24 comments , including the four emails and you were all entered into the give away. All names folded and placed in a bowl.

I asked my husband to pick the winner from the names in the bowl.  The winner was ALISSA DUKE who will receive the copy of the drawing and goody bag.  Two others will also receive a folder of my artcards, they are Gill and R H Carpenter, also drawn out by my husband.  Please can you leave me a postal address and I will post them to you.
Thank you all, it was really nice to read all your comments, and useful to hear your thoughts.          Millyx
The photographs were taken after dark, sorry for the quality, it is dark at 4pm.

Hares and Red berries

I have been collecting some branches of red berries.  You know they are a favourite subject for me and they look so bright and shiny on the gloomy grey days.  We have had our first little shower of snow and it brought the frosty mornings and a drop in the temperature.  This is when I love to sew and knit and I have been making some little lavender cushions. I picked the lavender and dried it by the fire and then had the job of sorting out the seeds from all the other bits of stalk. The whole house had the smell of lavender drifting in every room and so I decided to use my lovely Hares again. I made one for me and then one for my friend and it is hanging in her house in Wales.

This hare is now in Wales

   I am a huge fan of handmade things, baskets, knitting, sewing, patchwork and cross stitch are some of my favourites. I have made many special gifts over the years using these crafts and  wish I had more time to sew.    The stash of fabric is ready and waiting for some lovely patchworks. In the meantime I can start and finish little projects like the lavender cushions and  I so enjoyed using the fabric knowing it is my drawings of the hares, makes it even more special.

My hare drawings on the lovely "peony and sage" linen  which I sewed into a lavender cushion

I came home with the branches of red berries and some dried seed heads. I felt they were a reflection of my walk as I kept seeing images of the tall sculptural plants along the hedgerows.

They are here pictured in my hand. I tried to capture that feeling of the dried cow parsley seed heads and the branch of  bright red berries.

 I used a dip in pen and sepia ink for the seed heads and then painted the red berries with a paint brush and acrylic inks.  It feels rather like a lino print and a little different from my usual work but I enjoyed doing it and had fun.  Red berries tells me it is getting near to the festive seasons, and i will let them dry and use them for decoration later in the year.

Hope you like the picture.  I bet you all like the Hares more!  Thank you for your lovely comments. Next time it will be  my 200th post so  I will be having a  little give away, so please join in and some one will win a prize by me.                Millyx

The fabric with my hare drawings, made into lavender cushions by me.

They are lovely and smell wonderful  around the house.