my wee studio & an art trail . . .

There has been a hustle and a bustling in my studio lately.

My muse has returned, oh joy! 

 I'm spending happy hours nestled in my creating space.

I  love my studio,  it was a dream I held for many years

to have such a place and now at last i do  . . .

folk who visit say it fascinates them with so much to look at!

 That makes me smile,   I'm usually such a tidy soul, 

yet this space of mine is overflowing and i love it!

It isn't a space i " put" together, rather it has grown about me

like a comfortable blanket, familiar & cosy & comforting.

When i step through the door I enter into another world.

A world where  i dream & plot & paint & sketch,

listen to  endless stories & magical music.

This wee haven fills me with peace & inspiration.

It's almost time for the next Kirkcudbright Art Trail 

A whole year has passes since the last one see here

  A wonderful event held from Friday 3rd to Mon 6th August.

The wee town of Kirkcudbright will be filled with a hum of activity

as local artists & crafts folk show their wares.

You can find lots more info, a brochure & map here on the website.

My dear Mom Jean Redden & I will be there again this year

We will be downstairs in Rhubarb, Castle Street  again 

if you are about do pop in, its always lovely to meet folk.

Above is my piece donated for the a canvas wall, 

a fab idea that allows folk to pick up a piece of art for £10!!

I do hope to see some of you there x x

An allergy & a magical cure . . .

Hello treasures ~ I am back at last, with such a happy sigh.

for this last long while I have felt just like rip van winkle!

or frodo baggins in the sleeping grove!

Now i'm back with a tale . . .

Silently & slowly over many moons a great weariness, heaviness, 

a bone deep tiredness had crept up and settled upon me,
I had other odd & annoying symptoms too.

I thought, for a long while,  it was just me ~ getting older ;-)

 Then by chance my  knight in shining armour (my Mr O)

 consulted with a wise man who pronounced a magical cure.

My ailment ~ foods that really shouldn't be passing my lips

things that did daily ~ wheat & dairy, sugar & caffeine!

 So i set too and (though often tempted) I have banished those baddies

and at last miracle of miracles ~ after months and months

I feel I have woken up from the longest  hibernation, 

I have energy again, which in turn means I can do things again, yay!

A huge change from a just a few short weeks ago.

I was exhausted by the slightest of things, all i felt i could manage was

to read, pottet in the quiet garden, look at loveliness on Pinterest

and sleep on and on and on lol

Who would have thought it had so much to do with diet! 

Celtic connections, an album & a logo

I am so excited to be able to share with you at long last
a project I was working on back in Summer 2011.

About that time, Mr O (my musician) was recording a 2nd album
of traditional Celtic music at Unit7 studios, Bladnoch,
with his sister, renowned composer & fiddle player, Marie Fielding
and their long time friend, accordionist Duncan Black.

 I was asked to design the logo for the label Rumford Records.

Marie wanted a celtic feel for her newly set up record label,

from the many designs I produced, and I did get a little carried away,

the design below was the final one chosen and used.

I also had the fun task of taking cover shots for the album.
At the end of a long & tiring session in the studio,
these 3 inspiring musicians caused endless laughter
as we tried out different poses outside the cottage.

 and finally after all their hard work, the headaches & the smiles
I am pleased to present the end product
Tribute's 2nd album.

For more information Rumford Records has a facebook page here
the album itself is for sale over on Maries own website here.

Owen also has his own reverbnation page  here 

 & facebook musicians page here.

All in all a fun project to be involved in

& fascinating to see the creative process of an idea coming to fruition.

waiting & watching in the bluebell woods

 Step by step through the bluebell woods,

from the beginning of March we trod the same path

watching & waiting for Mother Nature to do her magic,

little by little, step by step, so that an eye could hardly tell

 untill this last week, week 8 . . . here they are,  the bluebells! 

I wish you could walk with us, the air is sweet with their scent

and the colours & hues are just beautiful.

Others over the years must have waited to for this wonderful display

but maybe for very different reasons.

* During the bronze age bluebell sap was used to glue feathers to arrows for hunting.

* The sap of the bluebell was used, in days gone by, to bind the pages of books.

* The bulbs were crushed in the  Elizabethan age to make starch for cuffs & collars.

* It is thought that the ring of the bluebell is a call to the faeries, 

so do keep to the path through them unless you want to make the fae cross ;-).

Have a wonderful weekend one and all x

Merlin's owl, a midnight walk & a book or two . . .

My boy took me on an adventure a wee while ago,
we donned woolly gloves & hats  & set off into the night. . . .
on a mysterious midnight exploring of the deep dark woods

(My boy loves his photography & most of these above are his)

We lay on a tiny bridge watching trees sway & shooting stars.
and heard the deer moving through crunchy dried autumn leaves.
The little stream below us burbled its song into the cold night air.
and the soft call of the owls told tales we could only guess at.

As we wandered there out of time and out of place
my imaginings conjured knights of old & wise wizards.
Camp fires with their curling smoke hidden amongst the trees
& storytellers of old sharing their words around the warming flames..

I thought of the all the stories i have dipped into over the years
of Merlin, King Arthur & tales of the round table & its Knights.
As I listening to the owl & watched the moon shine through the trees
a misty picture began to take shape before my eyes . . . .
I knew it was the makings of a new painting my brushes just had to make
 and at last tis ready to share, my

"Merlin's Owl and the moon"

Prints of this painting can now be bought in my "Mythweaver" store  here.
or the original here.
*    *    *
I do so love to dip into other places & times, I always have  2-3 books on the go at a time, I shall share some of my most favourite very soon.
Have you any favourite books to share here that pull you back in time?
*   *   *

 (Oh and guess what else I heard this last week, my first cuckoo of the year)