Unfurling

There's an English Maple tree outside my office window that has, in the course of a week, begun to glow.

Each day the green tinge has become just that little bit brighter and the shapes more defined. It is Spring! Now, if the sun would just come out...

I am slowly unfurling this morning too. Pulling myself out from the blanket of a cold virus and attempting to dislodge the thick layer of down in my head. After two months of exercising nearly every day, a week without and I feel like my joints are rusting.

The new me had felt like she had a full tank of fuel on board and was ready to hit the road. I was bursting with energy and drive ... until POP! Flat tyre!

Be gone runny nose and tickly chest - you are no longer wanted!

I took the photo this morning (in my PJs - to give the neighbours something to talk about as I haven't done anything eccentric outside for a while), and was rather pleasantly surprised to see a little friend hiding among the leaves. Can you spot her?

Spring Showers

Crash Bang Wallop - it's May!

Spring has finally arrived as a green haze wraps itself over the shrubbery.

This mixed media piece was inspired by April showers but finished on a sunny May evening with a crisp and cold Chablis running through my veins to welcome in the season.

Now that I've finished with my romp through the A to Z of blog posts, it's nice to catch up with a few artistic challenges. This one's for the Artists' Playroom as we explore spring showers and flowers.

Dripping onto the page is a mixture of inks, acrylics, oil pastels, coloured pencil, acrylic pen and rain!

Primavera

I have to say I am absolutely chuffed at how this came out and, as is typical with my creations, it wasn't quite what I intended at the start - which is kind of me all round really!

This is actually two pieces layered digitally on top of each other.

You might need to enlarge her to see all the details. Background is made from collaged papers layered with acrylics, watercolours, alcohol ink and glimmer mist.

Girl is a mixed media piece on old book page.

I was truly inspired by Priti Lisa's post on Inspiration Avenue this week. She invited us to investigate:

The allegory of Spring

Something with a hidden meaning

Something from your soul

When I draw these girls they do truly come from the soul. There's a magic in creation. Willow is a daughter of the Spring, born under a sap moon. She brings light and life and is bursting with energy, but also spends time in quiet focus nurturing the seeds within her.

Here's the background on its own.

May June be here soon!

We've been wrapped in the dark blanket of winter for weeks. Today, the sun has broken through the bits that were getting a little thin, where the fog had let down its guard. Can I really spy the shoots of bulbs? Is that a bird singing?

Of all the months, I love May and June the best and would be hard pushed to decide between the two for first place in my heart. For me, it's all about the nature - the endless possibility of summer stretching out its welcoming path. The lush gardens and hedgerows, the baby ducklings paddling down stream - I'm going all squishy and romantic. The promise of all those warm and balmy days ahead (before a damp July and August keeps us indoors sulking!).

Of course, these two months don't bring pleasure to all. The end of the football season is something to bemoan for a certain man in our house. May and June used to be the time of exams too.... ugrhhhh... and let's not forget hayfever! Oh dear, I am destroying my own dream with a nasty attack of the cynic. Kindly show him the door.

So, where were we?

While it's cold and drear outside let's dream of fragrant meadows that don't irritate delicate nostrils, crickets chirping in the long grass, and make hay while the sun shines.

A journal page - of sorts - for Inspiration Avenue's favourite month prompt. Layers of colour to represent the abudance of colour in the garden and field.

Ooh I've been getting all creative...

Wasn't today just beautiful? It felt so great to be alive and out in the spring sunshine with life bursting forth all around. I spent most of the day in Milton Keynes which has beauty everywhere if you just look - from hidden public gardens, to blossom-weighed trees and an abundance of green everywhere. Admittedly, it wasn't quite as attractive as the tiny village of Shalstone which we also visited which felt like peace personified but it was none the less inspiring.

My garden is likewise full of the joys of the season and I captured some of its splendour on camera with the intention of letting go in Photoshop. Hours of fun later and I've built a complete portfolio of potential stationery items - Paperchase watch out. The pleasure I feel from simple creativity is actually uplifting and I feel a real high. Sounds silly perhaps? My only worry is that tomorrow I have to go to work and get creative about satellites and spectrum to a highly educated audience of which I fear I am currently the lowest denominator. Am I up for the challenge? Ha! Of course I am!!