My First Ever Painting!

I'm surrounded by talented artists at the moment. Mum and dad both paint and attend art classes; they are getting really good. My sister is picking up her brushes again; she did A Level art at school. She has a great eye and a natural flare. I've never painted (beyond dabbling with the poster paint you get in school). I can't draw either. My doodles tend to be either eyes or leaves all basic and from my head. So when they all sat down to paint and asked if I wanted to join them, my response was the usual "I can't paint, it would be a waste of canvas".

I can take photos though, and with a bit of persuasion I chose one of my photos and gave it a go. I needed a lot of guidance, I didn't really know where to start. But around 5 hours later I finished my first ever painting - acrylic on canvas. And I'm really rather proud of myself. I won't say I can't paint again, I'll now consider myself a beginner painter!

Christmas in Cumbria

I love this time of year. Getting back to Cumbria truly signals a break from work and brings me right back to my childhood. The garden is alive with birds who squabble and shout over the fat balls and peanuts, but are bold enough to come very close if you have the patience to stand still a while.

This year there is snow. I'm missing Molly, this is the first time I've been back here without her. She'd be hating the snow though.

I love the smell as you walk through the front door of the house and the tick of the clock. The log fire is an added bonus. Happy Christmas to all.

 

 

 

 

My Little Wildlife Sanctuary

I recently had a visit from a council tree surgeon regarding the big Leylandii trees overhanging my garden. He concluded the trees were fine and healthy, so I'll have to live with them. However he was also quite taken with my garden. He liked the willows and commented the garden was 'lovely and a haven for wildlife'. A few days later he was proved right. This beautiful bird sat in my largest willow for long enough for us to see it, exclaim, run up the stairs for a camera, take a photo and watch it some more. I'm not yet convinced of the species of bird. We think it might be a sparrow hawk, but I welcome other suggestions!