'Kodama' (Tree Spirit) Pen and Ink Design

In Japanese folklore there is belief in tree spirits sometimes known as 'Kodama'.
  For me, sometimes, the sound of a particular word may spark ideas, images and feelings. So it is with this word 'Kodama' which has shaped itself into the image shown here.
 I used textured pastel paper with a light stone grey tone, and lightly sketched the main image, then worked freehand with my fine black technical pen. Colour was added using coloured pencils.

'Kodama' G.M.R 2015

Detail from 'Kodama'

Detail from 'Kodama'

Birds in my Autumn Garden

One of the pleasures of my art sudio is that it overlooks my little back garden, so as I sit by the window drawing ( or thinking about it) I can gaze out at the jumble of back yards and watch the weather, trees, cats and birds coming and going, and capture a few images with my camera. Some of these little birds will make good models for future drawings..

This is a useful back view of the female blackbird, showing folded wings, and tale feathers.

Pyracantha berries are very attractive to many birds

Female blackbirds have speckled breasts

This Blue Tit was attracted by honeysuckle berries

A House move and a new Studio!

 

 

One of my greatest joys since arriving in my new home has been setting up my new studio space in the tiny second bedroom, overlooking the garden..
  The light is very good, so the room is bright, and very cosy. I have arranged my small desk to sit by the window, where I can while away my time gazing out at the vista of back gardens, chimneys and alleyways..and become absorbed watching the cats slink along the tops of walls, the many magpies flying between rooftops, calling to one another, and birds gathering at bird feeders in neighbouring gardens...
  I have arranged some of my best loved books in a small bookcase, but need more shelving. I've unpacked my pencils, paper and paints. My pyrography machine is set up and I have wood. All I have to do now is await the muse. I confidently anticipate magical times ahead..

                  
              Welcome to my Studio!
              This space where new ideas may grow
              And shape themselves with heart and mind
              Until with gladness we may find..
              A piece of wood transformed in Art
              And pictures from The Lotus Heart..

    

               

My little desk

Inspiration...

I love the orange walls of my new studio!

A house move..and a new Garden!

Three weeks ago I moved from Derbyshire back to Nottingham, where I used to live ( in fact, my new home is yards away from the house I lived in before moving to Derbyshire!)
 The home in question is a small Victorian terrace situated in inner-city Nottingham, among hundreds of similar properties..yet I adore these red brick terraces set in rows with tiny alleyways leading between houses and brick backyards - they have a great deal of charm and beauty. In thundery weather the light causes rooftops and chimneys to glow vividly against the dark skies, and in wet weather the streets shine...
   My garden space is small, yet promising. Walled all round and paved with flagstones, but with a
beautiful Eucalyptus tree growing at the end of the garden, bewtween mine and the garden opposite, and a large fig tree two gardens along. I have a small raised bed planted with flowers and a stone wall. And trellis covered with Ivy, Jasmine , Honeysuckle and PYRACANTHA! Yes, my joy knew no bounds when I discovered Pyracantha growing in my own garden, as well as trailing through from next door! In time I hope to lift some of the paving slabs and gradually plant more flower beds..
  I'll be training and pruning the Pyracantha, which is quite a large specimen already..so in time I may be able to use a little of it in my work..

These Pyracantha berries brighten my garden and attract the birds..

I love the chimney tops of Forest Fields!

This Eaucalyptus sways and rustles in the breeze..

Applewood Decorative art Piece : 'Autumn Dance'

Finally I shade the Stag and add his features..he is now complete.
GMR 2015

I add subtle shading to the foliage, tree and foreground.

Background completed

I begin the process of burning the background, leaving the animal figure, background foliage and stars bare, to stand out in relief

Having sanded the wood to a fine smooth finish, I set my vertical line, then lightly pencil out my design.

Here is the first Pyro-art Piece created in my new home in Nottingham, following my recent move from Derbyshire.
  The Applewood slice measures 7.5 cm and features a stag in the moonlit forest as the leaves begin to fall...
   These pictures show the creation of the piece as I move through different stages..

Pen and Ink Miniature 'Ritual'

Pen and Ink with gouache 'Ritual' GMR 2015

This tiny painting measures just 7.5 cm, and was created using pen and ink and gouache on top of a watercolour wash, on watercolour paper. The mythical landscape mirrors the inner landscape through which we wander as we undertake our rituals and rites..

Birchwood Miniature 'Wanderers'

This little birchwood square measures just five centimetres. The design covers both sides and edges, with the main image of the boat upon the sea one side, and a small verse on the reverse. The verse reads : North, South, East, West, we sail in search of home and rest..'

'Wanderers' GMR 2015

'North, South, East, West, we sail in search of home and rest'

 

Small Watercolour design 'Three Bees'

Heres a small watercolour painting measuring just 8.5 cm.
   I began with a compass, and lighly pencilled out the overall design of lozenge and triangular shapes, and used this as the basis for the flower, leaf and bee elements, which were painted in gradually using watrcolours, and outlined for definition using an extremely fine brush.

'Three Bees' GMR 2015

Birchwood Miniature 'Wood and Stone'

The Birch square measures just five centimetres

I've been busy decorating this small birch wood square with a highly detailed woodland scene. The square measures just 5 cms.
  The scene, featuring a tawny owl flying in the woodland under the starry night sky, is conjured from my imagination...along with the words inscribed on the back : 'In the still of a velvet starry night..wood and stone receive soft flight'.

Runes of the Elder Futhark are inscribed along two edges

'Wood and Stone' GMR 2015

Pyro-paper Art - Uffington White horse

My framed pyro paintings make an unusual decorative art piece

I'm curently in the midst of the turmoil which comes along with moving house..with the result that it is difficult to find the extended periods of peace and quiet required to immerse myself in longer art projects...so I've been creating these tiny pyro paintings, which are exciting and fun to make without requiring too much time.

   I use small pieces of thick watercolour paper which I colour with an initial wash of ink, allowing the colour to spread in a natural way. When dry, the resulting colour and pattern tend to suggest a particular design, which I outline in pencil, then fill in using my hotwire pyrography tool. Finally I use watercolours to add a very subtle colour. I have used beading wire to thread the little pictures together, with added beads, then attached them to a small picture frame.

My homage to the 'Uffington White Horse' is paradoxically..tiny! It measures just 7.5 x 4cm..

Buzzard and mountains..pyrography on watercolour paper.

The Uffington White Horse is a well known and loved chalk hill figure..one of a number in Great Britain. The figure is huge, stretching across a chalk escarpement of the Berkshire Downs known by the Anglo-Saxons as 'Hringpyt' - the ring pit. There are a number of earthworks and areas of interest  here, but the horse itself is so large that it needs to be seen from a distance to appreciate the actual form. It is thought to be ancient, although the first written reference to'White Horse Hill' can only confirm that the figure was certainly present within the landscape by the year 1080.

  

Pyrography on Paper

My completed  Pyro -art

Having created my little pyro-miniatures, I attached jump rings to the corners and threaded them on beading wire to create an interesting and unique decorative Art-piece..

Recently I ran short of wood for jewellery making, so had a little bit of spare time just to play with creative ideas..One thing I had a go at was creating tiny pictures similar to my jewellery designs, but using watercolour paper in place of wood.
  Burning paper?!! Well obviously one needs to take a little care to keep the pyrography machine at a low setting, and I wouldn't recommend using thin paper - watercolour paper tends to be fairly thick..and

Tree design

Eagle design

Bumble bee

it works surprisingly well.
  I coloured my paper with an ink wash first, then pyrographed my design in the same way as I would when using wood. Then used a little watercolour paint to fill in and add a subtle colour.I really like the effect of the drawn lines being a brownish hue and lightly 'etched' into the paper. It looks sufficiently different from ordinary drawing to make the exercise worthwhile.