Autumn Snapshots

So much happening in our home… days that are so full that overflow into the next, pouring easily into the following days. Autumn is trotting in quickly here: the evenings get so cold so quickly: we have the stove lighting every day now, there is something so comforting about it crackling in the background and that warm, solid heat pumping out. We find ourselves gravitating towards the living room these evenings; as I write, boys are reading, little ones are playing on a blanket before I bring them to bed. These darkening evenings always bring a sense of slowing down, of closing-in, of comfort. I like the sense of hibernation at this time of year!

The days, on the other hand,  are bright and relatively warm: James and Grace are finding ladybirds everywhere. James is completely fascinated by these little creatures, he runs in shouting for me a few times a day to tell me of a new find: “Bitty-boh! Bitty-boh!” (ladybirds are “bitty-boh”, butterflies are “Butta-bees”)The red leaves are slowly disappearing, leaving bare branches; rosehips and the last of the blackberry flowers hang on… although, we are still getting a handful of raspberries from the polytunnel every day (which James stuffs in his mouth as soon as I pick them)

My studio gets more and more chaotic: I’m not getting much time in it at the minute, and feel even less inclined to tidy and sort when I get a few precious moments out there! I am doing most of my painting and collage work in the kitchen, you know the way it is: fending off little helping hands from every angle!! I recently had the enormous pleasure of meeting one of my blog-readers: Annika won my Facebook Painting Giveaway a few weeks ago. I was so delighted when her name came out of the random number generator: she had emailed me a couple of months previous and had been so sweet, kind and complimentary about my blog, and in person, was simply as lovely. I hope the painting brings you great joy Annika 🙂

• Facebook,
• hibernation,
• ladybirds,
• Painting,
• polytunnel,
• raspberries,
• studio