Blackberry Flower and Moth

Bramble and Moth

There has been a grand crop of blackberries this year. A week ago I came across a man picking the fruits for blackberry and apple crumble, and at the bottom of Nun’s Walk  a rather a well-attired couple was wondering whether to risk wading into the centre of the bushes where the best  ripe fruit still glistened. Today, walking along the hedgerow coming up from the fields of stubble I can see where the berries have been picked, and where some are ripening, and some are ripe and still unpicked. But  many of the bramble stems still carry flowers, and I notice  that almost every flower is sheltering moths, some of them two or three insects. Tiny things, if I hadn’t been looking closely at the brambles I would never have noticed them. They pay no attention to my peering at them at all. Yesterday, walking by the river in the same spot I saw a flock of nearly fifty Canada geese on the water, making a terrific racket.  I didn’t have my camera with me, as it had been a dull day and I thought the light was not good for photography. Then a watery sun shone, and there were the geese. Hoped the birds would still be there today, but of course they had flown.

Close Up: Moth

Running Hare: All That Was

A hare painting for an exhibition entitled “Running With The Hare” at Harestanes Country Visitor Centre, painted two months ago but just finished now as it needs to be sent off to be framed. The mixed exhibition will be on from April 1st until May 26th, and will include painting, prints, sculpture, drawings, photography, 17th Dutch and new tiles, and textiles.