Tree Challenge

 Caroline from Art Jewelry Elements gave a challenge at the beginning of September - how time flies as now we are at the end of September! - for a Tree Themed Challenge and I said 'go on then I will play', then promptly did nothing for two weeks.

Panic set in last week and I realized that the month end was dawning and I had no ideas so I picked up my doodle book (most people call it a sketch book I just doodle in mine....) and was flicking through it and found this doodle...obviously it fit the theme.  

I LOVE eyes, I doodle them all the time and this one morphed into the finished doodle is now.

The other night I sat with doodle book on my lap watching the TV and this fellow arrived in the bark of a tree trunk....

...another evening doodle this time I was thinking about my dog walk and the ancient woods I walk through, a corridor of trees that can feel very spiritual and very ecclesiastical and I was reminded, during my doodle, of many Sundays spent in church listening to the organ and so doodled some music notes.  This doodle is actually quite flat and I really couldn't get  a good feel to it so was a bit disappointed but all doodles should be for pleasure and we shouldn't judge ourselves too harshly....

Before glass I used to do much more fine art, mainly pets and their portraits but sometimes I did trees too.  I was once told that to become more able to study a face, be it human or animal then practise 'seeing' trees as each one is different like a face they have unique lines.  Both of the drawings below are artist grade coloured pencil and ink.

This has to be one of my favourite paintings and it hangs in my bathroom.  It is approx 4ft wide and is painted with acrylic.  I am not a painter my use of the brush can be quite messy and I end up with more paint on me than the canvas, I prefer pencil, but I went through a stage of painting and produced many paintings, most of which featured a tree or animal.  This one was inspired by a wonderful trip with friends to Symonds Yat near to me on the River Wye on the border of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire within a few miles of Monmouthshire and the Welsh border.

Even in glass the trees, or more the spirit of the woodland, finds its way into my beads and small sculptures.  The first two beads are my take on the Green Man.

This one is supposed to represent the bark of the tree...

Oddly in glass my muse is whimsical, I suppose really my drawing is now too, being too serious doesn't suit me and I am known for my beads with bums.  This little chap was inspired by my love of everything whimsical, he is the Tree Spirit or Elemental and came about after my looking at the work of Brian Froud.

...and.. this is Trevor and Trevor was inspired by the Tree Theme Challenge....   It is time for all good squirrels to start collecting nuts as Autumn descends the leaves turn golden brown  and ruby red and Trevor here is told by his wife to buck his ideas up and start contributing to the family's stash of food for the Winter and to out into the driving rain and collect enough acorns to stock the larder. Poor Trevor is seriously hen pecked, in fact it has been known that Trevor is a frequent visitor to the hen house just to get some peace for an hour or so!

So after thinking I didn't have a single idea about using trees in art it turns out I have been immersed in a forest of ideas for a good few years!!

I am looking forward to reading all about those that took part in this challenge and seeing the ideas that others have come up with, if you want to blog hop with me here are the links....

AJE Team

Jennifer Stout Cameron

Lesley Watt

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Laney Mead

Niky Sayers

Cooky Schock

Cathy Spivey Mendola

Caroline Dewison

Guests

Brooke Bock

Karin Grosset Grange

Merja Sundström

Cindy Martin Shaw

Allison L Norfleet Bruenger

Melissa Trudinger

Kathy Lindemer

Gloria Allen

Shai Williams

Tammy Adams

Mona Arnott

Terri Del Signore

Turf Wars - one short story a day

Another short story from my walks with the dogs.  Taking something that happens once a day and turning it into a story.  Today the squirrels get their own back on Defi.

Turf Wars.

'Coo – eeeee' called Colin 'enemy in sight.'

'Right men' said Simon, strutting up and down resplendent in his camouflage suit 'on my mark...wait for my mark....Steven I said WAIT for my mark'

'I am not a man' grumbled Suzie 'just look at this fabulous tail, you don't get a fabulous tail like this being a man, oh no, all the men's tails have burrs in them and need a good wash, but this is a girls tail, just look at how all the hairs lie flat against each other, they shimm....'

'Shut up Suzie' growled Simon 'this is not the time to be a girl, its time to man up and take back the orchard.'

Suzie lowered her big beautiful brown eyes and her bottom lip trembled slightly, everyone around her hurried to their stations; there was a frenzy of activity as the small army scuttled about getting themselves ready to fire the enormous pile of acorns that were stacked against the old Oak tree. Simon held the telescope to his eye and from his vantage point in the Crow's nest he could see right across the apple orchard.

'Pay back' he muttered 'no more chasing us up the trees, no more barking in the early morning sunshine, oh yes' he chuckled to himself 'you are going to get it this time dog.'

Defi and Iz were strolling along happily, tongues lolling down to their knees, sniffing all the badger and rabbit holes and pausing occasionally to sniff the air above them.

'At the old Lime' called Colin from his perch in the midst of the bramble hedge, hidden behind the almost ripe blackberries.

'On my mark men...' whispered Simon through the branches, the leaves rustling slightly in the early morning breeze.

Defi stopped to look through he chain link fencing that surrounded the apple trees, 'NO DOGS ALLOWED' read the sign.

'Shame' thought Defi, 'wouldn't mind a bit of a sniff around all that sheep poo.'

He could just see the sheep in the distance, they were busy eating the long grass and not paying any attention to anything around them.

Iz had walked ahead, she turned and looked back.

'Come on slow coach' she grumbled 'the faster we get to the river the longer we get to swim before the swans get there and we have to get out'

'Coming' smiled Defi happily, 'Iz was always hurrying him along, still it would be nice to chase those ducks' he thought.

'ON MY MARK' came the call from above 'NOWWWWWWWWWWWWW'

Poor Defi didn't know what had hit him. The acorns pelted down on his head with the jeers from the jubilant squirrels as each acorn hit him squarely on the nose.

'Take that you beast' yelled Stephanie, 'you won't chase me again' she threw the biggest acorn in the bunch, and laughed loudly as Defi ran to hide next to Iz his big wagging tail between his legs.

'My brother lost his school bag because of you' shouted Sandy

'My mother nearly had a heart attack because of you' growled another voice from the top of the tree

'My dad wants your tail to hang above the fire place' yelled another angry squirrel

'Best run' said Iz quietly 'keep up Defi and don't stop until we reach the river'

Defi flew like the wind behind Iz, both of their tails straight and long, pointing out behind them as they dashed through the wooded walk and into the church yard before charging down the steep hill that leads to the river bank.

There was much singing in the trees behind them as the Squirrels jumped up and down in delight and Colin Pigeon coo'ed from his position in the hedge.

'..and keep your nose out of my burrow' called a small voice from beneath the old Oak, long whiskers and ears poking out from behind the muddy mound 'thank you Mr Simon.'

'My pleasure Mrs Rabbit' said Simon, strutting up and down the long branch that was the path to Mrs Crow's nest 'we taught that flea ridden hound a lesson all right'

'If you have quite finished with your petty squabbles' said Mrs Crow grumpily 'this nest doesn't keep itself you know.