Sometimes, when I am feeling blue, a variety of humorous characters pop into my mind. They like to wear theatrical costumes, and pose in comical positions as if they are trying to cheer me up. As I doodle them in my sketchbook I can't help but giggle and smile. Here are two of them which I have recently put into one of my Moss Forest/Garden settings.

I've just heard that two of my paintings have been included in Linda Ravenscrofts' new book "How to Draw and Paint Fairyland" and that the book is now available. I can't wait to see it! I'm sure it is an absolutely fabulous book, as  Linda's artwork is wonderful and fantastic!!

I've also been asked for images for a new book about contemporary illustration due out next year.  I've sent off the CD of those initially selected by the author and it's all now in the editing process - will post further details when I hear whether any of mine have been accepted.

The summer has sped so quickly...I haven't got around to blogging much. The weather being far better than last year I've been outside sketching a lot more in the surrounding fields and forests. My son and I have been exploring the forestry tracks by bicycle and found a new site of  Ringlet butterflies which was a new record for Highlands of Scotland in the butterfly atlas database. Here's a photo I took of it - a bit out of focus as the butterfly was quite flighty and I had to get right down among the tall grass heads despite hayfever!, but it was a lovely delicate creature.

Have you ever planted a moss garden? It's something I used to do as a child and then later with my son when he was small....he's taller than me now but we still have a couple of moss gardens outside inhabited by assorted miniature dinosaurs, snakes and lizards (all plastic, but you never know! A few years ago he did catch sight of a rather large lizardy leg disappearing into our coal shed....)

Moss gardens don't need much space and are quite fascinating, there are many species of moss.  Of course, you may not wish to uproot moss which is already growing happily but I've found that birds are always digging it up in search of insects, and it's fairly easy to find uprooted clumps needing a new home! You can use a seed tray, sprinkle a little soil and arrange a few stones in it  and then plant your moss. Mosses don't need deep soil and will grow even on stones and walls. Just remember to sprinkle with water fairly often if the weather is dry as moss likes to be damp.

I love looking at the miniature landscapes among "moss forests" and often use these forms in my artwork. Here's one of my recent fairy images "In the Moss Garden"...I was delighted that when I submitted this image recently to Epilogue.net  it was chosen as an Editor's Pick.

This Midsummer week I have been working on a faerie image inspired by the wild rose bush which is in full flower outside my window...Celtic Rose first started as a presence I felt smiling from the rose bush while listening to the magical music of Neil H "Secrets of Faeries" especially the track "Secret Garden" - thank you Neil for your wonderful, inspiring music! So here she is standing at the window of her secret garden...the Celtic motif border was designed by stippling with fine-nib pen, and the image is coloured pencil.

As Midsummer approaches the grasses are growing tall and deep green in the wild corners of the garden, woven with a tapestry of wildflowers. Golden Buttercups, white Daisies, blue Germander Speedwell and pink Willowherb glimmer like a constellation of stars in the verdant shadows beneath the trees.

Here's "Celtic Oberon"...Oberon is a pen and ink design I drew a few years ago.   Recently  I've been designing  Celtic patterns by stippling with fine technical pen and olive green ink, combined some of my motifs with the Oberon drawing and coloured in Photoshop Elements.