This week I have drawn a tangie. He is one of several types of known water horse faery. The tangie is definitely not the worst but will still take anyone who mounts him on a little spree into the sea! He likes to loiter at water mills waiting for passers by. The tangie can also take the human form of an old man.
My other faery art including sketches of faeries with their stories can be found here.
The Gooseberry Wife is the second faerie to come and visit me. I was just having a flick through that lovely Dictionary of Fairies by Katharine Briggs and the first entry I read happened to be a suprise – she is only to be found on the Isle of Wight where I live! She is the rather lovely named Gooseberry Wife and protects gooseberry bushes from children. She appears in the form of a huge hairy caterpillar!
My other faery art including sketches of faeries with their stories can be found here.
Hello everyone! I’ve been having a little break recently but I’ve got lots of new pieces planned! I’ve recently read “The Field Guide to the Little People” by Nancy Arrowsmith and have started “A Dictionary of Fairies” by Katharine Briggs and inspired by these I’m planning to explore and sketch a different faerie every week or so which I shall post about here. Don’t forget I have prints and cards available from my Etsy store here.
Here is the first faerie I have decided to visit and sketch, and one that has always fascinated me. Stray sods are small pixies which enchant pieces of turf to cause people to become suddenly lost (pixie-led). I think more of us have come across this pixie than we realise. Perhaps sometimes on the way home from the pub!
I discovered this little stray sod under a clump of violets and was very careful not to tread on her! But don’t forget, if you suddenly find yourself on the wrong track and feeling somewhat confused as to your whereabouts – simply turn an item of clothing inside out and put it back on!
My other faery art including sketches of faeries with their stories can be found here.
Hello and faery greetings to you all!
It has been a while since I’ve written a post. I’ve had a lot going on but now it’s time to get back to creating! I’ve had little time to paint recently but I’m feeling very inspired by all the busy spring time faeries out and about in the woodlands and high hills. Many are restless to see themselves on paper!
It has been lovely over the past few weeks to see the countryside spring to life. Walking along a shady lane recently, with all the cow parsley, ragged robbin, hawthorn and ferns looking fresh and green, I came upon this wonderful ash tree looking down from the side of the path. It is said that if you stand under an ash tree, troublesome faeries will leave you alone, but I have doubts as to this as those little hollows look like perfect faery hiding places!
I thought I would also share with you my little space I have for painting.
On my desk I have some of my mushroom creations and you might also spot Tip (holding a pencil) He is made by the wonderful Wendy Froud (her blog can be found here). I think he is trying to help me out! Also I keep a small selection of my many inspirational books such as the enchanting old copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Outside the window to my right, I can see over the countryside for miles – fields, hedgerows and the sparkling river where I love to see the changing weather and seasons.
Now I must go and let all this inspiration find its way on to paper and hopefully I’ll have some new art to share with you soon!
Hello!
Welcome to my first post. I’ve been really busy recently setting up my new business so I’ve had little time to write. Now everything is up and running I have a bit more time!
This weekend I attended my first event selling my prints and cards at Blackgang Chine’s Fairy Fling event. Blackgang Chine is a theme park on the south coast of the Isle of Wight. It waspened in the middle of the 19th century and is one of my favourite places! It has many fabulous and quirky features. I think my favourite is Rumpus Mansion – a lovely old house taken over by all sorts of unruly faeries, goblin and pixie! I even thought I glimpsed something very faery like flittering around then disappearing by the door as we were setting up on Sunday morning!
Despite the misty weather on Sunday the day was very enjoyable. Everyone there was so friendly and helpful. The weather on Monday was much better and it was lovely to talk to so many lovely people and see all the lovely faery costumes! There was even a unicorn!
Hopefully now I’ll be able to get back outside and get some painting inspiration from all the faeries I may see. I’m just off to help put up a squirrel feeder in a local woodland so I’ll see what I can see there. It is rather on the blustery side today though. If I was a faery I think I might be nestled away in a cosy tree root! I have had rather a queue of helpful creatures enquiring about portraits so if I don’t see anything today, I’ve got lots to be getting on with!
Right, I’m off out now, and if you don’t hear from me again, I’ve probably blown away!
