More Seashore Treasures

I woke up early on Saturday to this beautiful view, the sun rising over to the east.  I gazed out of the window just to enjoy the moment, as I watched the white line of the aeroplane moving across the sky, people travelling high above in the early morning light.  A few birds are singing. I need more sleep so return to my warm cosy bed. I realise more and more that it is the simple pleasures, the moments which make life special.

 I looked at the view out of the front of the house. 6 am and it is going to be a beautiful day.  

Saturday morning view of the estuary.

 There have been some high tides and I have enjoyed some more collecting trips along the shore.  More feathers, a new collection of mermaids purses, some seaweed, a snail shell and red berries. So I spent the day washing all my new treasures and letting them dry in the sunshine

all my collection still in the bag from Wednesday

The butterflies were all happy as they landed on my last flowering  buddleia , with a really sweet scent drifting in the air it soon became covered with many different butterflies.  Bees and several wasps buzzed around the flowers near to the kitchen door. Here I sat with a dish of soapy water and washed and sorted and examined all my  finds from Wednesday.

Thoughts of that day drifted through my head.  It was a really quiet day, low clouds as the tide crept into the estuary.  It  looked grey and green,   one of those days where the sky just meets the grass and no view of the hills.  The pale grey water slowly covered the wide expanse of sand,  flat lines of water and sand as you looked out to sea.  After the tide turned it left the tell tale wavy  line on the green grass, which was two shades darker after being sea washed.
I felt like there was an invisible pull on me, a need to go and see what the sea had left behind.  It was like the sea was whispering to me, Come on you know you want to,  it is all here waiting for you.

Quite shocked to see this huge chunk fallen, more erosion in the last week!

So armed with a big bag I wandered down to do some collecting.

The still silence of the shore, all wrapped in clouds which muffled the sounds.  The birds flew, white against white, huge sea gulls soaring above. A train came into the station and seemed to abide by the rules of the quiet day, gentle brakes, soft banging of doors and then very slowly and silently stole away along the tracks.
I wandered along to the line of promised treasures and found a perfect feather,  it looked like it might have just floated down from the sky.  It was pristine and as I picked it up examined the colours and the round dot on the tip.  A herring gull and another one to add to my collection, each one slightly different in size and shape.

a close up of 13 beautiful feathers I have painted 

I found five mermaids purses, a snail shell and a brown nut, twin sycamore seeds and lots of pieces of seaweed with fat bubbles.  There are always lots of different pieces after the big tides and I limited myself to just smaller pieces, one green, a length of browny orangey tones, some delicate black strands and a black bubbly twisted shape.
It was the many brown and white tiny striped feathers which really stole my heart.  The smallest feathers from the Curlew, or perhaps young birds as they were all so tiny.  I found so many and again in perfect condition, so clean and brand new,  as if they had just floated in for me.

If I  had found just one I would have been happy. They seemed to be everywhere,  each one was so beautiful,  I had to have them.

 My bag was pretty much full except for the berries.  Yes it is red berry time and you know me, I always collect the red berries, my unwritten rule. I have more than enough and maybe it is time to just enjoy the walk.  The clouds were lifting and it started to show glimpses of blue sky, so quickly the days can change.
It seems that I never tire of the same objects. I have been planning some little drawings  in my mind, the objects all look so well together. We found this tiny half eaten fish, an interesting little subject for me trying to capture it in inks.

 I enjoyed this little study, using my own handmade oak gall watery brown ink, playing with a dip ink pen and lots of drips!

 My feathers are slowly drying,  they always make me feel so inspired.
Meanwhile I have been busy working on my Lords and Ladies Zig  Zag book, have been loving this project.  Each year I see the glossy berries, they fascinate me and I just want to capture them.  My book tells part of the life cycle, maybe I will add more next year.

I had a little visitor on Saturday, delighted to see her crawling by my kitchen door.  I just watched her as she walked along my hand. Then proceeded to wander up my sleeve, a lovely lovely moment.

She is the first one I have seen this year in my garden and it was a pleasure to have her walking up my arm and then across my book.

I feel that I must cling on to the lovely warm days of sunshine, watch every evening sky as I see the autumn colours creep into every hedgerow, knowing  it will  not be long till it turns colder, grey days and the dark evenings .
My head is full of  ideas and projects,  beautiful objects surround me and I want to draw them, also to sew, to knit, to print and to use my hands and feel that sense of simple beauty in making.  So I slow down, take the time to decide, listen to my heart.  I have so many things I want to do and often it is hard to know what to do first.

  It is in those moments when I feel happy to just sit quietly drawing or sewing and feel total contentment.  I know then,  that I will create something beautiful, something I really care about and I can share with you.
It takes me so long to put all this together, if it gives you pleasure I would love to hear, leave a comment as I do appreciate it and love to read them, thank you.                                                       Millyx

Long shore walk

 I have been washing and sorting out my bag of finds from a lovely long walk on the shore. I said before we left home that it was going to be a walk, not a collecting walk and I didn't even take a bag.  It was a heavy sky full of grey and darker grey clouds, it looked like rain but we often have  such a sky when the tide is coming in.  It was quite a high tide and the gullies were all filling up with sea water and it was going to be an energetic walk.  Energetic as you have to jump across the gullies and water filled pools which cover this flat marshy shore, definitely a chance of wet feet and muddy parts.
We packed a sandwich and fruit and snacks and plenty of drinks.  Not really a picnic but I need to refuel on  such a long walk.  It was actually very warm and the breeze from the incoming sea was welcome on my face.  So off we go jumping over water, often smelling pungent green or brown filled pools of stagnant water.  There was, as always, all manner of washed up objects, some remains of a kill  looking unpleasant, sadly with  feathers, the wings and  carcase of one or more decaying birds.  A skull and selection of white bones from an animal fill a hole,  now all that remains of a drowned sheep.  The tide line and the fences gather a huge tangle of all that the sea washes up on to our shores.  I see  feathers, seaweed, bottles, ropes, crab shells, balloons from celebrations final resting place,  plastic objects,  ragged pieces of lost clothing, odd shoes and  plastic wrappers and toys and balls from humans at other places, all washing up here on our shore. As they cling to the wire fences so do the  young black and white calves, all tagged and numbered,  clambering to the fence to take a better look at us.  Behind them about twenty geese sat in the field, it seemed a strange combination.

The geese did not like the visitors and with much wing flapping and even more shouting  and shrieking took flight.  I usually hear this calling through my bedroom window in the morning and suddenly realised just how loud it is.  The photographer quickly captured some of the birds in flight.  All their heads facing the same way, so beautiful to be this close and watch them flying.

Little tiny tiny ladybirds resting on pieces of dirt on the ground, we counted thirty and kept seeing them along the way.  As I have barely seen one this year I was intrigued to see them, but really needed my glasses to have a better look.  A piece of grey coloured holly was home to one,  I picked it up but the breeze blew it from the holly.  I have the image in my head,  thorns wrapping around this miniature orange baby like a cradle.
The erosion of the land is quite shocking to see. years ago we would have walked straight across this sandy area as it was part of the grassy shore. Huge chunks of the banking have collapsed and  wider gullies are forming as the sea pours in and the damage will only get worse as another Winter takes its toll.

As we reached near to the stone outcrop the water had also crept up and reached up to this little island and had left a tide line shattered with feathers and leaves and seaweed and grasses.  I saw a lovely feather, I had to pick it up, then another and too late now to resist...my collecting had begun.  I felt that, ooh feeling,  a pull to so many objects and I was thrilled to find the blackened sycamore seeds with the contrasting green.  I know I don't need to collect another feather ever,  but I felt such an attraction to seeing such beautiful and interesting things, blue and white shells, skeleton sycamores, amazing brown and white striped feathers and black and white patterned pointed feathers and some orangey red berries.   They are all similar to others I have found in the past but I listen to how excited I feel when I find such objects and feel so inspired by them.  I loved the spotty leaf, everything I collected was chosen from the hundreds of others washed up and  begging me to take them home.

Food tastes so good after a long walk,  sitting in the fresh air listening to nothing only the sound of waves and bird calls and the sun joined us for lunch. It was a chance to take in the views, looking backwards to home  and feeling nearer to the hills as they seem so much bigger here.  I wandered along the edge of the grassy banks and along the stone outcrop looking at what was trapped between the stones, more feathers but also a thick bubbly brown foam everywhere.  Quick look !  A blue dragonfly flew passed us. It was not so surprising as we are  close to the peat marsh,  home to many beautiful butterfly, moths and dragonfly.

work in progress

 The walk home was through the marshes, a long thin strip of road, it is wild and mostly untouched, the board walk is where we often venture to see the dragonflies.  Blackberries are ripening,  red Rowan berries brighten up the hedges,  tall bull rushes grow from the ditches at the side of the road.  Perhaps the only thing I dislike here is the thought of a snake, having been told that a friend had encountered an adder the  other day.  There was still high cow parsley and tall pink spikes of wild flowers that flourish here.  A kestrel hovers above and the cool shade was welcome as the afternoon heat was making me feel tired.  Butterflies flit from plants and dance in the sunshine.  The brown patterned  fritillary butterflies match the colour of my snack of ginger oat biscuits which I take from my pocket to enjoy.  Every so often a huge dragonfly would dive across our path, yellow and blue flashes of these  mesmerising creatures.
The ditches have been cleaned out  and wild flowers cut back in preparation for winter, earthy smells of peat and moss and green stagnant water, but all looks tidy and organised.   A rest as we lean over the gate and glimpse into the wood under the shade of  the huge old Oak tree.  Can you see the Rowan berries in the hedgerow?

 Still a walk across the marsh,  through lanes to reach the roads.  My house looks a long way off,  the sun is hot and so are my feet.  Thank goodness I have plenty of water to drink.   As we reach home the view is lovely,  in the distance is the little island and I can trace my journey and see where I have been,  no wonder I am feeling a little weary.

The tide coming into the estuary

Later I washed and sorted my finds and this is how they looked.  The feathers are beautiful,  my drawing of the striped feathers was done for my folder of cards in 2009.  I never tire of finding and drawing the lovely natural objects I am lucky enough to have here in this amazing estuary and countryside.

I chose the sycamore,  spotted leaf,  feathers and the red berries for my drawing.

my finished drawing

It is on an A4 sheet of cartridge paper and I used acrylic inks with a fine paintbrush and a dip in pen.

A lovely evening to end the day.  Hope you are all enjoying your Summer days.
Thank you for the lovely comments which I always enjoy reading.  Hope you enjoy my walk .
 See you soon  Millyx

thank you to my husband for all the outdoor photographs x very much appreciated xxx

Feathers and Shell

We had a long walk on the shore one evening.  It was a hot day and the cool breeze was so welcome as we wandered along the edge of the water.   It was alive with birds,  the many bird calls echoed across the estuary.  And to my delight lots and lots of feathers.  Of course I had to collect some and so many to choose from.

We sat and watched a heron dipping his head into the water and  saw him catching an eel.  A second heron came and they seemed to argue,  eventually one flew off and left the other to fish alone.  It always fascinates me to see the huge wings take this tall bird up and fly with such ease through the air.  There was a lot of water about  and the birds were feeding after the high tide.   The ducks gathered together and swam in circles on the large pool of water formed by the tide,  a new attraction as they usually prefer the open sandy area further away.   Oyster catcher wander along the waters edge  and seem to stay in their pairs.  As we move on along we see the swifts  and swallows fly high above, then suddenly  dive  down almost touching the ground and  just as quickly swirl around as they fly  displaying their effortless acrobatic skills.   A curlew and crow or a rook  squabble in the air,  perhaps the black bird is too near a nest for the curlew to feel comfortable.  The oyster catchers are equally alarmed if a bird gets too near them and call out a loudly,  frantically warning of danger.

We had a little danger ourselves, as the sand was wet and very slippery.  With a hand full of my finds I was well aware of the wet sinking sands after quite a high tide and keep away from it.  The tide line was full of beautiful  pieces of seaweed and  many crabs of all different sizes  and we saw some small jelly fish washed onto the grass.  I had decided to just collect some feathers.  I had  plenty to choose from and gathered  a black and white one from the oyster catcher, and some brown and white striped curlew feathers, assorted gull feathers and a delicate white and brown patterned feather to name a few.

  I already had plenty but collected the three brown and white patterned gulls feathers as I knew they would make an interesting ink drawing.

Two of the feathers which I sketched with sepia ink using a dip in pen and a paintbrush. I sat outside in the garden as I worked on this, balancing the sketchbook on my knee and kept blowing away the tiny insects which landed on my page and wanted to walk across it.  I also had this blue shell from the same walk, it was really out of reach in the sloppy sand but I spotted it and knew it was  going to be interesting.  The low evening light was somehow catching all the detail as it cast shadows across it and revealed the patterns and textures. My husband balanced on a slippery mound of the grassy banking and reached with an outstretched hand,  as I stood safely on the bank and held onto his  other arm.  Suddenly his foot slipped, he wobbled and slid into the sloppy muddy sand,  resulting in one very muddy shoe but not before he managed to grab the shell.  I had to hopefully prove it was worth getting muddy for!

Needless to say I felt  huge pressure to make some nice drawings of the shell after ruining his shoe.  It is an interesting shell with lots of bumps and growths of smaller sea creatures attached to the shell.  First I sat outside on a lovely day and used the fine black ink pens.

Hope it was worth getting muddy for ?

I really enjoyed drawing the three feathers, in a new eco book with recycled paper.  The two together were drawn outside and  the third feather was drawn indoors on a different day using my acrylic inks and a paint brush.  They are three beautiful feathers and I will be giving them some more of my time with some careful drawings indoors and insect free.

Last week on a really wet day  I decided to also use my new soft Lino and tools and used the feathers as the subject.  I  did not plan or draw any image, I just cut freehand with the tools and this is what happened.

  I printed it in green printing ink and was pleased with this first attempt.   It took several hours of carving and gave me a better idea of how it feels to use.

 I also been giving more of my time  recording the colours  of the blue shell.

                                                       I used acrylic ink to paint the shell .

                                           Love the colours of this evening sky and the clouds.

The weather turned to rain and it was chilly again.  I enjoyed the sunsets while I could.. During the wet days we cannot see the hills some days, the view  is all hidden  by low clouds as it rains all day.
  Then how beautiful to see the hills again.   Every day is different,  the views are from my window towards the Lakeland hills.

Hope everyone is having some nice days.  Hope you enjoyed seeing what I have been doing.   Thank you for your visits and for the lovely comments which I love to read.         Millyx

Heron photograph by my husband.    All other photographs by me on my ipad.

Sunny Days

We have been enjoying some beautiful sunny days.  I have taken every day and made the most of it by being outside.  We have eaten outside and it has been so lovely to sit and listen to the birds and read a magazine and do some drawing and enjoy it all.  After the long winter and cold springtime the conclusion was to enjoy every nice sunny day, as tomorrow it might be raining and the weather forecast gives showers for Tuesday!
We have had walks along the shore and of course I collected some feathers and shells and mermaids purse.
 A beautiful walk this week to the marshes where the board walk takes you across the raised peat bogs and into another world.  It was the dragonflies which captured my attention as they tantalised, each time I crept up close they flew off. I managed a photograph of a damselfly on a fern and my husband captured the second red one on the reed.

The wild flowers seem more colourful this year, more abundant and just beautiful as they have filled the hedgerows.  I loved the combination of pink campion and bluebells and white cow parsley.  The fields are full of buttercups, bright yellow fields  and the grass looks so fresh and green everywhere.

  It all looks so idyllic , brown cows in the fields and buttercups and daisy.  One evening we walked through the old cart tracks through this sea of yellow flowers, I felt like a child surrounded by something so breathtaking and to see butterflies darting from flower to flower.  I am curious that I have not yet seen a ladybird.  Each day butterflies dance through the garden, yellow tips and white seem to be abundant.  The bees and daddy long legs and all manner of other creatures are very much part of our life.  Each night moths bump against the windows and the daddy long legs dance around the bedroom ceiling.  I love having the windows open as I can hear the oyster catchers and other birds on the shore. The first sound I hear in the morning is the birds singing  and we watch their antics all day long.

One day on a walk I found a blackbird egg on the road. It had been taken from the nest and the thief had eaten the contents.  I brought it home and washed it and had to draw it. The large hole was stained with yellow yolk and it was interesting to see two holes on the other side too.

 A little record of bird life, as we have been watching "Spring Watch"  we have seen it is just life in the bird world. I am pleased to see the blackbirds and their young in our garden,  the nest in the ivy fledged safely, so it would be lovely to think they are the same family.
The sepia ink I made last year has been strained through a piece of fabric and I have been testing it,  my oak gall ink looks interesting and will be used soon.
Meanwhile I have been working with the Sepia ink and little handmade paper book drawing some insects.

 Last year I completed two pages and have added another five, so only three to complete this little book which I bought on my holiday last year from my favourite shop.   I used a dip in pen and a paintbrush with the sepia ink. I photographed it in the garden as I was enjoying working on it outside.

 I have been continuing to work on the large fern, see my last post.

 Drawing it first in pencil and now with sepia pens on a roll of paper, which is actually baking paper but why not?  It was the right shape, a long roll for my fern.

I held it up to the light so you can see the whole fern. I still have lots to do to finish it, but really like it.

a tiny snail on the fern

I  love the shape of the curled up tip of the fern.

The evenings have been so lovely with pink, yellow and red sunsets. Tonight the setting sun appears as a red ball and the sky is pink.  I am glad I watched each one and  I really do believe you must enjoy each day and take the time to look and see.

  A magical moment every day seeing the colours.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I have been doing while I have been away,  as unfortunately I have had some unwanted attention in the form of adult sites which have tagged my blog, so I have kept away and not posted for a while!      
 Thank you for your lovely comments.
Hope everyone is enjoying some lovely days too. I will be back soon.                                     Millyx

Beautiful buttercup fields and damselfly by my husband, thank you x,  all other photographs on ipad by me.