Tag Tuesday-Mad March Hare

Tag Tuesday's theme this week is Mad March Hare.

For my tag I have drawn a hare onto Indian paper and

added it to a collaged background of trees and grass from an old clothing catalogue.

(I knew my stash would come in handy!)

Here he is sitting in the grass, ready to go leaping off!

Tag Tuesday-Birds

The subject for this week's Tag Tuesday is Birds. 

For my tag, I immediately thought of the set of bird stencils that my mum bought me when I was about 9 years old. I remember going to the art shop with her to choose them. Little did I know that I would still be playing with them all these years later!

I used Koh-i-Nor paints on Indian paper, which gives a nice blurry effect. I wasn't sure which birds they were supposed to be, so have made up my own colours.

Tag Tuesday-Books

I made a concertina book for my tag. The book I used for inspiration was Knitting For All Illustrated.

I used collage with images of knitting, sketches and photos from the book

February Sunshine

We had more wonderful weather at the weekend, so took the opportunity to go for a walk by the river at Benson, where we sat outside and enjoyed our coffee in the February  sunshine.

Bees in February

I don't know what happened with the weather yesterday, but we suddenly had a heatwave here. It was 15 degrees, and felt great! I went down to the river and found the crocuses out with bees on them!There is a bee in the second photo, if you look hard!

Texture Trail in Canterbury

In Canterbury at the weekend I went on a texture trail.

Tag Tuesday-Poetry

This week's Tag Tuesday theme is Poetry .
I have chosen to illustrate a poem by C19 English poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. I studied his poetry for English Literature A Level and enjoyed his beautiful  language. Hopkins was a Jesuit priest who used the beauty of nature to show his devotion to God.
For the base of my tag I took some pelmet vilene and coloured it with
Inktense paint blocks and watercolour pencils. Then I machined over in random straight lines with various colours, including some glittery threads. I highlighted it with nail varnish, then added the kingfisher , ribbon and text.

As Kingfishers Catch Fire 

BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;

As tumbled over rim in roundy wells

Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's

Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;

Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came.

I say móre: the just man justices;

Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces;

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —

Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places,

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his

To the Father through the features of men's faces.