* Snow returned this week. Starting on Saturday with rain turning to sleet, and sleet turning to snow. Thick fluffy flakes fell from the sky, rapidly covering the rooves and paths. The showers continued through the weekend, drifting on the shady sides of the valley, decorating every twig and branch with a sprinkle of white. In […]

I have begun a new watercolour. All the walking I’ve been doing roundabout recently has given me a passion for the density of green; living, dying and dead layers of plants, grasses and the occasional flower. So I’ve been drawing and practising building up leaf and petal shapes. Nearly forgot to mention today, 1st March, is […]

I’ve been mooching about in the city of Toulouse on a grey wintery day. December and January have been noted as the wettest months on record for 50 years in France. It’s not difficult to understand why after so many wet days here in the south west . And yet, there is always the beautiful […]

I took an early walk this morning along the lake edge, the weather changed dramatically. I took these pictures to try to capture the change in mood. The sky clouded over but there was still enough light for the scenery to be reflected in the water.

and Toulouse is a beautiful city – sunshine or rain.  Starting at pavement level with the cobblestones, in an array of fifty shades of conglomerate, cobble comes from the word cob, ‘a round lump’, and is officially sized between a pebble and a boulder.    

I’ve been clearing, cleaning and tidying the atelier before the darker days of autumn set in. Just couldn’t throw away a pot with lily of the valley flower; although it’s atrophied to a crisp, I still find it lovely in death. I’ve also straightened odds and ends, stored cut out letters and pegged papers for […]

I went to a firework display and saw these enormous diamond studded dandilion heads shooting upwards, maybe 20 of them, just effortlessly opening up, one after the other, so elegant against the night sky. Then came colours, lots of colour, sometimes separately or as a huge mix. Probably the most splendid fireworks I have ever […]

I’ve been crow watching and have created a card to celebrate the beauty of their plumage. Plumage : a covering of feathers,  from old french Plume meaning a feather and, in turn, is derived from the latin Plūma to mean covering of soft downy feathers.

I live beside a large school building and on its roof is a squabbling, squawking flock of crows. They clatter on the tiles and guttering, bicker over twigs and nesting places. and generally make a lot of noise. Even during the night, there is a shuffling, and a scuffling of discontent amongst the roosting birds. But they […]

  I’ve made 24 metal birds which are going to be sewn in place as the bottom edge border. Each one has a different embossed feathery pattern.