Thursday 29 August 2013

Recommended Read: The Lore of the Land


'The Lore of the Land' by Westwood & Simpson is a real gem of a book for anyone interested in English folklore, particularly in your local area. It's an absolutely fascinating book and is the sort of thing you can dip into for inspiration every now and then. You'll always find something that sparks an idea.

The book is organised by county, so you can learn more about where you live, or if you're like me just have a look at everything and see what takes your fancy. There are so many interesting local stories to be discovered. Unfortunately the area of Worcestershire that I live in didn't get a mention, but we have many faerie stories surrounding the area too. The book is a fantastic resource to have on your bookshelf though.

I'd love to hear any local legends you know of from your area.

Friday 23 August 2013

What I'm Working On: British Wildlife Illustrations

I'm currently working on some animal illustrations I thought you might like to see.

Today I have been drawing a hare hiding in the grass. I love folklore surrounding hares and think they are absolutely beautiful. Rabbits are a bit too cute for me; I like hares for looking a bit gangly and out of proportion.



Yesterday's drawing was of a fox. Foxes always remind me of 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'. I remember watching the cartoon film version around Christmas time when I was little, then going on a family walk just as it was starting to get dark. We saw a fox and I found it quite spooky but thought there was something very magical about it.




Wednesday 14 August 2013

Coughton Court

Our arty visit this week was to Coughton Court in Warwickshire. There is a sculpture trail on in the gardens at the moment which has hundreds of fantastic sculptures to see.

We had a lovely day but got rather soggy in the rain. My very glamorous handbag poncho made an appearance!





There were so many artists that I wasn't able to collect all of the names. It's well worth a visit though and there is a guide which gives you information on all of the artists and pieces of work. Here are a few pictures from the day:





























Monday 5 August 2013

Charlecote Park

I'm trying to take my mum somewhere inspiring every week. This week we visited Charlecote Park, where Mum is hoping to show some of her work later this year. It's a beautiful Tudor house with lovely gardens and its very own herd of fallow deer that has apparently been in the park since the Tudor period!

Here are some photos from our day:


































On the way home we also stopped at The Arter in Stratford. This is an absolutely lovely shop full of handmade gifts and treasures. Mum's ceramics are in the fireplace there. I'm currently burning the gorgeous scented candle we bought while we were there. It's definitely worth a visit and there is a really nice tea room in the same building too- what more could you ask for?!