While unloading some shopping from the car this morning I had to shut my young male cat into their porch because he just loves getting in among the food bags (I say "their" porch because that's where the two males sleep in their old armchair). I saw that there was some post on the floor, a couple of large plain envelopes, but left it to collect later....well I just went in there to get the post and found it SHREDDED all over the floor! One large envelope had been ripped right open and parts torn off. It looked as though the cat had tried to get inside it after ripping it open...the contents, this year's Tax Return form, were scattered across the floor though fortunately the form only has a couple of tooth-marks in one corner...The other torn envelope still contained it's contents fortunately intact, the contract for permission of use of three of my images in a Faeryland calendar due out in October. Both cats looked up at me innocently from their armchair...

This is another reason why only my quiet little tabby female cat is allowed in my bedroom at night, while the two black males are banished to their porch. Of course I love them all the same really.

The story behind the two boys is that they were originally brothers but one got run down in the lane outside a couple of years ago. Though much saddened by the loss I had this idea that he would return to us in a new body....I waited a few months, and then one day as I was in town I had the sudden feeling that I should call in at the animal rescue centre on my way home. We didn't even have a carrying-basket with us but we called in all the same... And there he was among a litter of near identical black kittens...it may sound irrational but I just felt I knew which one he was. When we got him home, tiny though he was, he seemed to feel at home right away, getting along boldly with his "former" brother immediately, and has displayed all the old mischievious traits of the "original" self!!

I often work in pen and ink using fine-nib technical pens though recently my favourite finest nib got blocked because I left it too long before cleaning it..."Moonflowers" is worked partly with technical pens but completed using an old fine-nib dipping pen I've had for ages. I sometimes also use quill-pens I've fashioned from sharpening sturdy discarded feathers - although not very precise to draw with, they can produce interesting lines of varying thickness!

I started this painting, Mystic Wood, back in the winter but set it aside for a while when other commitments came up, then dug it out again a few days ago and have just completed it today.

Painted in watercolour on acid-free Windsor and Newton 300gsm NOT/CP paper, it underwent various stages of glazing (and sponging if the colours became too intense!) until I was satisfied with the whole scheme. Fine adjustments were added with Derwent watercolour pencils.

I've just come across an absolutely beautiful book "The Age of Enchantment" by Rodney Engen. The book was published to accompany the exhibition of the same name on Fantasy art in Britain 1890-1930 which opened at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London in November 2007 (exhibition now over though). The book is all about some of my favourite artists/illustrators from the 1890-1930's such as Beardsley, Dulac, Nielsen etc and some I've never heard of before so it's absolutely wonderful to come across these fantastic artists!! I'm supposed to be working but I'm sitting here flicking through the book going oooooh, aaaahhhhh!!!

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter weekend,

Here's a recent wee sketch "Crowned Crane Faery" (inspired by a photo I had taken of the bird at a wildlife park a while ago).

The buds are bursting on the trees in the garden, on Birches, Hawthorn and Willow; and the daffordils are unfurling their yellow skirts. I've just been out for a bike ride round the lanes - I try to get out most days for some fresh air as a break from the easel, but I've been a bit lax over the chilly winter months and waistbands have been feeling a bit tighter than normal...clothes must've shrunk in the wash.... 

It was a wee bit blowy but refreshing. At one point a gust blew across a nearby field and a flock of dried leaves all took off into the air like startled birds. They flew high in a swirling cloud right up into the treetops above and dispersed further down the lane in the wood. I'm sure the leaf faeries were in among them riding the gusts!