earth angels art

Fairytale Art Exhibition

2012-02-06T03:25:00.001+11:30

I have showing The Tree people and fairytale landscapes showing in the wonderful i-2 Art Gallery from the 4th Feb. Other stunning art here too by amazing artists. This gallery is situated in a lovely town called Saffron Walden and the gallery is an 'Old World' building with big wooden beams, looking like a place from a fairytale story. If you are ever this way, please pay a visit. www.i2artgallery.com

The Tree people

2012-01-13T14:43:00.001+11:30

I've been busy painting the first new pictures of 2012 and wanted to show you the idea behind them. It may seem a little strange but so are my favourite fairytales!

Inspired by the 'Old Masters' with these renaissance kind-o-style paintings. I didn't quite know how these were going to turn out. Painting in acrylic with a subject that has taken months to paint in oils was a little tricky. These were painted as small paintings on board, some with added mica.

I feel that these should have a deep and profound fairy story behind them....based on true and ancient beliefs. Maybe one day I will write about them properly but here is a beginning. I had to start off from somewhere........Once upon a time, the tribes around the Earth had a magic man or women, a Shaman. This was the tribes King or Queen that they would come to see for healing, guidance, insight and wisdom for the times and journeys to come. Long before the Egyptians the shamans wore crowns on their heads with symbols, feathers, stone and gems, so you can see how our kings and queens still have these crowns (?).
The fae have the best crowns. Are they the shamans of old still on this earth plane? Of course they are!!!.........

Please feel free to add anything to the story. This could get very interesting! I'll keep close to see how the story goes. Good luck. X

2011-12-27T10:17:00.001+11:30

I've finally managed to post again after a little problem with my server and just in time to wish you a magical and wonderfilled new year. Here we are already, 2012! I feel this coming year is going to be filled with new doorways of creativity. My plans for this new year are already nearly full with joys of painting new paintings, new workshops, books, teaching Megan, veg garden planning, flowers, herbs and dreams to grow, and even more love to give.
So, a gift for 2012 for you all, there are free ebooks to share. Tell your friends and who ever you want to share this love with.
These are all of the four books I have illustrated for the author Robin C Clark, my brother.
Love to you all and thank you for following my blog page.
Here is the link to the amazon link and another to view the books http://amzn.to/uRLZf7 www.peliguin.com

Have a beautiful new year!!!

Creative Art Classes

2011-11-09T12:03:00.001+11:30

I have finally decided to teach the mysterious ways of the artist. I'm gathering an assorted amount of materials for the first theme of 'Old Fairytales', first sketching and creative drawing techniques and different ways of seeing. Do you remember when you were a child when shadows in your room sometimes looked like something to be a little concerned about? Maybe shadows under the curtains or shadows your clothes made in the closet? I remember vividly the shadows under the window that my curtains made, mostly strange profiles of faces but some were also quite beautiful. These are the imagination of children that as we grow older we sometimes loose this magical ability. We may get a glimpse at angels in the clouds or a dryad in the bark of a tree that can bring back, even for a moment , the magic of this special sight. This with the fairytale theme is what I want to show and drawing skills and experimenting with watercolour paints.

I love all of the illustraters of the 'Old Fairytales'. Kay Nielsen, Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac are but a few. Their paintings and illustrations of beautiful landscapes and colorful characters for these timeless tales have let us carry these treasured images into our adult lives.

Illustration from East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Kay Nielsen.

Cinderella. Kay Nielson.

Dreamer of Dreams. Edmund Dulac.

Edmund Dulac.

Undine. Arthur Rackham.

So, with a good stack of cotton paper, graphite, and watercolour paints, we will see what magic can happen! I will show you the work of these wonderful creative souls in my classes...if they will let me.
Later, next year, I will be teaching at full day or weekend workshops along side the classes with all kinds of inspirations. Artists journal making. Drawing from life. Decorative painting. Healing art and Abstract painting. If you would like more details, please contact me.

Here are more of these wonderful places to see more of these illustrations.

http://www.arthur-rackham-society.org/
http://windling.typepad.com/blog/
www.surlalunefairytales.com/illustrations/index.html
http://www.childillustration.blogspot.com/

Art Exhibition

2011-10-30T05:51:00.000+11:30

I'm so thrilled to be exhibiting around 10 of my paintings here at the beautiful i2 Art Gallery in Saffron Walden. This is a beautiful gallery! Please go and see for yourself, or at least the i2 gallery website. http://www.i2artgallery.com/.

Manifesting beauty!!

2011-10-20T04:35:00.000+11:30

Midway through October and the warm and sunny English Indian summer is over. I will soon be lighting cosy fires and I'm thinking of sewing an art quilt of sorts, and cuddle up in and read a few books. I feel I need a rest from the busy summer and Autumn and re-stock inspirations and dreams for the new paintings ahead.

Night Bearer

by Amanda Clark 2011

A dear etsy friend told me about a book called The Wood Wife by Terri Windling, 'a book I must read!' she says. My paintings reminded her of the story in The Wood Wife. So I ordered it two weeks ago and have just finished this amazingly magical story . I have read a similar story, but told in a completely different way by Charles De Lint, Memory and Dream. These stories tell of a magic that these artists had within to be able to create a portal for these mythical and enchanting creatures to be able to pass through into this world, exactly as they painted or wrote poetry about them. A must read for anyone that loves fantasy, fairytale, and I feel, a connection to Carlos Castonada books.

Imagining through the paintings I have created over the years, did the subjects already existed here or in the ether or maybe even on another dimension? There's so much talk on manifesting these days, if I ever had this kind of magic, I would choose to only bring more beauty into our world.

Home schooling Megan (Pixie)

2011-10-11T12:00:00.000+11:30

Over the last few weeks, I have (what it feels like) taken the big leap of change and started to homeschool my daughter Megan. She had just 4 days at High School of her choice and hated everything there was to hate about public schools. Megan is a sensitive soul and I've always given her the choice for home schooling.
Sooooo...... everything she is learning is through creativity of some sort and how you can be creative with every moment that comes to you. No matter what comes your way you can change it for the better. As she is 11 years old and coming into her teenage years soon, I feel this is important to learn now and hopefully something she will not forget completely while in times of heart ache and wild emotions. God knows, I wish I knew all this when I was her age!
I feel I'm just beginning to really know my little girl. I know it sounds crazy, but really, what time did I actually spend connecting with her soul and dreams. Every day now I can let her guide the day. Whether its art and crafts, natural science,the cosmos and stars, creative writing, book binding, doll making, watching music videos, playing music, designing clothes and there is still so much to explore!! Megan still loves to learn as much as she can about the world and maths is now becoming one of her favorite subjects as she has learnt where the possiblities are for using such a subject. Sciences especially! We have found an amazing book by Floris Publishers called 'Maths in Nature, Space and Time' I've ordered so many wonderfilled books from this publisher lately and our days are filled with learning and creating together.
A list of books I have already are listed at the end of this post.

Please let me know about any of you homeschooling or have been homeschooled yourselves. I feel that I'm starting over again with the things I should have learned as a child, but we never stop learning do we.

We hunted around a few second-hand shops for more cupboards and bookcases, and this is what we found!! I had to divide it in two with the bookcase separate. Our ceiling in just 1'' too low!

Flowers from our garden.

Beautiful little soul, Megan.

http://www.florisbooks.co.uk/

Geology and Astronomy.
Mathematics in Nature, Space and Time.
Muscles and bones.
The age of revolution.
Botany.
The age of Discovery.

http://www.hawthornepress.com/

New eyes for Plants - for observing and drawing plants.
Colour Dynamics.
Words in Place - Reconnecting with Nature through creative writing.

http://www.steinerbooks.org/

Soul Development through Handwriting.

http://www.northlightbooks.com/

Keys to Drawing with Imagination

With all the books I already have on art, mythologies, fairytales, crafts etc. We should have a couple of years worth of learning ahead. But always looking out for more!

Megan will have her blog page up and running soon, so I'll let you all know about it soon.

Postage free on these three! (In my etsy shop.)

2011-09-30T23:31:00.000+11:30

Meeting Damh.

Moonlit Hare

I'm going to see if sales improve on these three prints with postage free for a while, and maybe add or change the prints later. Think I'll give it one month from now and see what happens.

Winter Fairy Tales in August!

2011-08-28T14:14:00.001+11:30

East of the sun and West of the moon.

This month ...still in August I know. I have been reading wintery tales and folklore and one of my favorites has got to be a Norwegian tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Even the title of this story brings amazing images to my heart and mind. Some how it reminds me of winter and the cold feel of the North wind. How did I ever miss this one as a child! The young girl in this story saves the prince!
I have seen many illustrations for this fairy tale and I wanted to try to capture the feel of the story as a painting. I have the perfect frame for it too. Chunky white wood with an inner frame of icy soft gold.

Shaman Flight.

Ok, so we all know that 'Santa' is a shaman in folklore, right? Usually the rein deer would fly with him after both eating the mushroom, 'Fly Agaric' . So if this mushroom did give the rein deer visions and altered states of their usual rein deer happenings, maybe they would see themselves as unicorns as well as the magical ability to fly! Anything is possible. In any case, shamans must know about the unicorn and all matter of magical, mythical creatures so who knows where the rein deer must have taken him!

Winter's Dream.

The inspiration for this painting is from the fairy tale of the 'Ice Queen'. Another tale I seem to have missed as a child but seem to remember images somewhere down the years. Winter is a time to go inward to a creative and meditive space of which I'm really looking forward to. This Summer has been so busy with all the running around and crazy fun. Autumn isn't far away. It will soon be time to slow down and dream those far away dreams.

Celtic Festivals

2011-08-07T08:33:00.002+11:30

We are into August already and the berries and fruit trees are ripening early this year. Soon I'll be getting ready to gather as many empty glass jars as I can for jams and pickles to last for the 4 or 6 months ahead. Already there are black currants, plums, crab apples, tay berries and in a couple of weeks the elderberries. Last year we make hedgerow jelly with rosehips, haw berries and black berries. Pear and cider apple chutney, and a few others that I can't remember the wonderful things we put in. The veg garden is growing in abundance and all around us countryside is bursting with wild food for foraging.
Sitting in the garden drinking mint and lemon balm tea from the wild knot of herbs, I wonder what adventures our family blackbirds have had this summer. Always meeting me at dawn with their song and never far away during the day. Their beautiful singing balancing the energies of the new day.

Early last Spring I started painting the Celtic Festivals and have finally finished all 8. I love the colours of the seasons here in the UK. The warm bronze and rusts, golds and earthy browns of Samhain to the gentle yellows, greens and violets of Ostara. I will soon have all of these ready for prints and I'll be making card sets for the 'Wheel of the Year'.

Inspirations and illustrations

2011-07-18T23:57:00.002+11:30

I've been thinking lately of a book to create of the inspirations for my work. I need your help.
What would you most like to see in this book, paintings, illustrations, fairytale, folklore, tree moons and goddesses? Information on animal totems and meanings? Ideas of sacred, healing gardens for your own use and meditations? All of this and the 'wheel of the year' associations and the tree ogham.
Here are a few illustration for this book. Looks like I'm gonna be busy for a while, but I will keep you posted on my progress.

Sacred places.....this time.

2011-06-23T01:47:00.000+11:30

When the sea mist rolls in from the cornish sea, there is a deep feeling of mystery and magic. Filled with stories of mermaids, shipwrecks, myths and folklore. The salty waves unchanged and our footprints in the sand have other stories to tell of this time, one day to be a myth too.

Sea Witch. Amanda Clark 2011.

Secret Cove.

Ancient megalith stones. New secrets unfolding all the time. Who were we then and how much of the old wisdom have we lost.

Upon Rough Tor. By Amanda Clark 2010.

Beautiful colours of Rocky Valley near Tintagel. If you follow the path here you come to an old mill and 2 labyrinths carved on the stones of the valley wall. Then follow somemore and you reach the ocean.

If you follow this same path the other way, you can walk through the most enchanting wood I have ever seen to the sacred place of St Nectan's Glen. A sacred waterfall.

' The Picture Parlour' art galley in Boscastle. A beautiful little gallery. They have some of my original paintings and prints for sale. There is also a 'Witch Museum' in Boscastle.

Glastonbury Tor at Summer Solstice 2010. There is an art gallery in the town. Glastonbury Art Gallery also stock my work.

Summer Solstice Blessings!

2011-06-23T00:10:00.000+11:30

We have honey bees!! I will have photos soon.

Dreams, shadows and rockpools.

2011-05-14T05:45:00.000+11:30

While in Cornwall, we spent alot of our dreamy days on the beach. Trebarwith Strand is one of my favorites.

The sea was still icy cold from the winter and I could just bring myself to paddle up to my knees in the waves.

The rockpools were so deep with the most fantastic colours of blues. My little girl Megan managed to get a wetsuit and imagined herself a seal or mermaid on the rocks then jumping into the pools.

Waterfall and stream running into the waves of the Atlantic.

Waves of the Atlantic Ocean at Sunset.

Dancing waves rolling in.

Running in the pools and watching the sunset as the tide goes out.

Gull Rock in the distance. I imagine a wonderful place for mermaids to dwell.

This is such a magical place for inspiration and some stories say, a healing place for the heart.

A panel of paintings in the Shire Hall , Bodmin.

2011-05-03T07:47:00.000+11:30

A set of burgundy paintings and panels of paintings that are on show in my solo exhibition. Shire Hall, Bodmin, Cornwall. Just a sample of the paintings for this Exhibition. Starts tomorrow and ends 27th May 2011.
We were hanging the paintings on the last day of our holiday. Every day was beautifully sunny except this Saturday, which turned cloudy with heavy rain....much needed for my poor garden!

Many of these paintings are inspired from my time in Cornwall....such a magical place.

Beltane

2011-05-02T10:22:00.000+11:30

Hoping you all had a beautiful sun- filled Beltane.

Solo Art Exhibition in May

2011-04-21T12:28:00.000+11:30

Paintings by Amanda Clark (c)

I'm making my way to beautiful cornwall this weekend getting ready for my solo exhibiton at the Shire Hall in Bodmin. We are staying in a wooded valley, surrounded by bluebells! Exhibition starts 1 May until the 30 May. If you are around that way, please come and see! There will be larger mystical landscape paintings on canvas as well as my smaller pieces of work.

The Shaman, the Honeybee and Legend.

2011-04-16T12:17:00.000+11:30

If the bee disappears off the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than 4 years to live.
Albert Einstein.

We are going to keep honey bees this summer, our garden and hive is nearly ready. I have planted all the favorite flowers and herbs that I could have the space to fill. Even our lawn is going to be a wild flower mini meadow. We have apple trees, plum, greengage,grape vine, pear, berry and many flowering vegetables that the bee can have a love affair with. It's so exiting to hear of so many others that are taking up the protection of this wonder filled creature, and to think without the honey bee here with us on this beautiful Earth, we may not exist, nor much of any of Mother Earth's creations.
A sacred and adored feminine princible long through the ages, the honey bee has been on the Earth for around 20 million years.

There is a legend told that the bee was to have been created from the tears of Ra, the father of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Mead or honey wine is the Ambrosia of the Gods. In Greece bees were thought to be the surviving souls of the priestesses who served the Goddess Aphrodite.
Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, called herself 'Melissa', the Queen Bee, and her priestesses were called the Melissae. See the link below for the wonderful book 'The Shamanic Way of the Bee.
http://www.sacredtrust.org/the-shamanic-way-of-the-bee.php
The Melissae, were accompanied by priests called ' Essenes ' - meaning drones, which are the male bees of the hive.
The honey bees were Aphrodite's sacred creatures who Pythagoreans worshipped, created their endless perfect symmetry of the hexagons, and this suggested the underlying order of the Cosmos.
Demeter is also known as the 'Mother Bee' for she governs nature's cycles of life.

A Poem by Pablo Neruda.

Let the wax raise green statues,

Let the honey drip in infinite tongues,

Let the ocean be a big comb and the Earth a tunic of flowers,

let the world be a cascade, magnificent hair,

unceasing growth of Beedom.

Clay faces singing lullaby's for the bees and crab apple blossom in the garden.

Bees have been believed to have secret knowledge and are divine messengers. Celtic cultures say that bees have the secret wisdom of the soul and the 'Otherworld'. They made a drink called 'Mead' - a honey wine that was drunk to bestow the gifts of wisdom, creativity and immortality. Indeed a mythical drink!

The Melissae were said to be prophets and oracles that entered a trance by taking a secret recipe which included honey and pollen.

Here is a swarm of honey bees being introduced to their new home by a lady called Heidi. My partner went to Heidi's beautiful Kent home for a course in Natural Bee Keeping.

Our new bee hive! Nolan makes these to order and I can also paint them for people. These are Warre Hives.

Is this a bee's eye view?

For to the bee the

Flower is a fountain of life

And to the flower a bee is a

Messenger of love

And to both, bee and flower

The giving and receiving is

A need and an ecstacy.

Kahlil Gibran.

Power Animal - Honey Bee

Power Honey Bee's wisdom includes, love, cooperation, giving back to the Earth, sweetness.

This totem also says to forgive yourself and others, have compassion. Honeybee carries sweetness to those in need of love. Sit beside a field of blossoming clover-and listen to the humming mantra of love's fertility.

Loren Cruden.

( The Spirit of Place )

The message of the honey bee tells us to go get your dreams, you can make your dreams a reality. You can create anything you put your mind and heart to.

Some of the favorite plants for the Honey

bee;

Spring- Old species of tulips, snowdrops,violets, crocuses, forget-me-nots, dandelion,helleborus,and trees; hawthorn, blackthorn,hazel,lime tree,oak,willow, sycamore, and all fruit trees and bushes.

Summer - buddleja, anise-hyssop,bergamont (bee balm ), melissa, catnip, red clover, heather,majoram,thyme,joe-pye weed, motherwort,milkweed,poppy,basil,borage,clove-pink,germander,horehound,lavender,mints,nasturtium,alliums,sunflowers and all daisy shaped flowers.

Coriander is useful - helps the bees rub off mites.

Sage can be a spring cleanser for bees. A feed of 5kg of honey with a tea brewed for 20 mins in 5 ltrs of water, 14 tsps sage, 4 tsps thyme, 4 tsps chamomile. warm this to around 65. c.

To help with the bee's health, it's important to have growing in the garden, anise-hyssop,catnip,purple loosestrife,majoram, motherwort and mint.

These help with honey production to feed the bees throughout the winter months. Ivy is also good to have around for pollen in late Autumn.

Well, I will let you know when we have our bees and hopefully a few photos of the wild flower mini meadow! I will be raising a glass of honey wine to the bees while sitting out in the garden, watching them collecting their gold. Here's to the Honey Bee!

Links.

www.naturalbeekeepingtryust.org

www.Milliande.com

www.biodynamic.org.uk

www.sacredtrust.org

Books.

The Theory and Practise of Natural Beekeeping-encompassing the Biodynamic Perspective.

Bees, lectures by Rudolf Steiner.

The Barefoot Beekeeper by P.J Chandler.

The Shamanic Way of the Bee by Simon Buxton.

Magazine feature of Amanda Clark's art. The Magical Times Magazine. Issue 8.

2011-03-31T09:31:00.000+11:30

http://themagicaltimes.com/

Helloo Spring Equinox!

2011-03-22T01:18:00.003+11:30

It was such a beautiful warm, sunny day yesterday. I planted more flower and vegetable seeds for our garden and worked a little on the village school eco garden. The birds were singing and keeping busy, especially the little robin that kept me company and watching for any stray worms to eat.

Flowers and shoots are pulling themselves out of the earth as the light and dark are at equals. Now the longer days are on their way back to us and we can look forward to warm spring days and the glorious summer.

Spring Equinox by Amanda Clark 2011

The Divinity is all around us now,
in the leaf, bud and early flowers.
In the bird song and their nest making.
In the cool breeze and the sprinkling of rain.
The new borns and new life.
The air, the delicate aroma and freshness,
kisses my smiling face.
It is in the light and dark of equals.
In the earth and the sky.
Planting seeds here and now, so welcome life!
Welcome warm and joyful light.
Welcome and blessings to you, our Goddess of Spring.

Mother of the Dawn. by Amanda Clark 2011
Ostara/Eostre

Goddess of Spring and rebirth. A Goddess of new beginnings. Eostre's sacred animal is the hare or rabbit and represents creativity and fertility. The moon, spring, magic and mystery are also associated with the Goddess.
One legend was thought to explain the easter rabbit who laid eggs in a nest. The Goddess Eostre saved a baby bird from the cruel, harsh winter by turning it into a hare. This magical hare was able to lay eggs and would forever more decorate the eggs as a gift for the Goddess.

The Norse Goddess, Freya, is also associated ( as with many others) with Eostre. She wears a magical necklace that represents the fire of the sun. She is also attended by lantern holding hares.

Land of the Hare. Moon, Sun and Earth. by Amanda Clark 2011.

Eggs and the equinoxes are linked to the folk legend of being able to balance an egg on end during these times.

Naturally dyed eggs is something to make for a symbol ,used for this celebration. They can be dyed with onion skins. Give this a try:

Collect some brown onion skins and cover the eggs with a couple of layers, then wrap this with paper towel and secure with elastic bands.
Boil these bundles for 20 mins - for a light bronze colour.
Or for 2hrs or so for a deeper bronze or mahogany colour.
Rinse with cold water and carefully unwrap and dry the eggs.
You should have beautiful marbeled patterns that you can coat with a little cooking oil to bring out the colours and make them glossy.
Another way to make more patterns is to soak a leaf or flower in a little water and then place this onto the egg befor covering with onion skins. It may help if you soak the onion skins in cool water aswell to help stick to the surface of the eggs.

Spring Light. by Amanda Clark 2010.

There are lots of ways to decorated a totem egg, and you can bury these in your garden or favorite woodland after a few days, as more potent charms of re-newal.

Happy spring equinox! XXX

Moon Dreams and Fields of Jade

2011-03-19T11:16:00.000+11:30

Here is another version of the Earth and Moon, titled 'Moon Dream'.

Moon Dream by Amanda Clark 2011.

The meanings of moon dreams.
Dreams of the moon can symbolize romantic feelings and hopes, but also silvery reflections of intuitions, creativity, developmental stages of the self, fertility, the awakenings of the unconscious and alchemy or metamorphic changes. These dreams can sometimes be a transition of the feminine principle working through the cycle of the moon.

As intuition is information from the higher self, the all knowing. The moon in dreams can be telling us to listen more to our intuition or our souls guiding feelings.
The full moon can indicate a higher level of intuitional strength. A crescent moon can indicate the beginning of trust in yourself and the feelings of the heart, this starts to bring messages from the unconscious into the light.

Fertility and creativity are associated with the feminine. The full moon may have the meaning of potent creativity, and full fertility.

When dreaming, if the full moon is close or touching the earth, it can mean we are completely connected to our intuition, feelings and creativity. A small moon in the night sky, or further away from the earth, seems to mean have become distant from our emotions and intuition or creativity.

Sea Mist and Moon by Amanda Clark 2011

Fields of Jade by Amanda Clark 2011.

In folklore and myth, Luna was regarded as a giver of dew and moisture. A secret silver dew of life.
Luna and Mercurius sprinkled the dismembered dragon with her water and restores him back to life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_rabbit

The Hare or Rabbit in the moon is called 'The Jade Rabbit' in chinese legends and myths. He was the maker of the elixir of immortality. The Aztecs also have legends of the hare in the moon, and various stories from the Americas. Read the link to discover the Aztec legend of the God Quetzalcoatl and the Native American legend about the hare/rabbit and the moon.

I wonder if there is any meaning with the moon being at it's closest in nearly 20 years and this year being the chinese year of the rabbit........umm, something to wonder while I'm creating new pieces of work.

Earth and Moon.

2011-03-17T06:56:00.000+11:30

On the 19th March, the moon will appear unusally large in the night sky as it reaches a point of 'lunar perigee'. The moon could appear up to 30% brighter in the sky, especially when it rises on the eastern horizon at sunset. This is called a 'Super Moon'.

It's a beautiful misty March morning. Up at 7.30am. I sent the children off to their village school, fed the chickens, ducks and nearly tripped over 'Bamba' my cat, on the black and white rug in the hallway. Who's silly idea was that to get a rug the same colour as the cat anyway?......Ok, so it was my idea. Bamba just seems to melt into the labyrinth of the shapes in the rug.

Bamba sits by my feet while I make a fresh pot of coffee.He's just waiting for a sip of cream that I always save for him. He doesn't much care for the chickens and ducks when they are freedom planning in the garden. Whenever he wants to go out on one of his adventures, he slinks away around the edges of the veranda into the bushes of rosemary and lavender, then through the ivy and tree trunks into the next garden. Then where he goes for the next few hours, I have absolutely no idea at all! Sneaking up on white hares and black crows no doubt.

Well, I had a very late night painting the collection of fairytale pictures, so this pot of coffee is very much needed to wake my dreamy head. I could so easily go back to a warm cozy bed and carry on with the wanderings of my soul; but painting is also a wandering for the soul for me. Not asleep, but somewhere inbetween. Only a place I can go. Very much a healing place where insights and imagination meet.

'Earth and Moon' by Amanda Clark.

The inspiration for this painting 'Earth and Moon', was from some interesting writings that I read a few weeks ago about the moon at this time is the closesr to the earth in every 18 years or so. This is when the magnetic pull is at it's strongest.

Emotions too must be very strong at this time. The interconnectedness of all the celestral and human life is truly amazing. The insight of 'all is one' is at it's most clear. How this effects the animal and plant kingdoms I'm not sure.

I try to plant seeds at the right time of the luna cycle. http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/lunarfacts.html.

I will be watching how the seeds grow in the next couple of weeks and months to see if there is any marked difference.

It is also said that the 'super moon' could sometimes create earthquakes around this time due to the magnetic pull. New Zealand and Japan has had some devastating earthquakes and tsunami this month . Lets hope there's no more and the moon will lessen it's strength on the earth. This painting tells of the unconditional love we all must try to feel and be in hard times and to send it out to all who need it most.

2011-03-05T15:50:00.000+11:30

I've always loved this fairytale of The Six Swans by J.L.C and W.C. Grimm. Having three older brothers, I feel empathy for the Swan Sister and her quest to bring back her brothers from separation. Variations of this beautiful tale are; The Six Swans, The Children of Lir and The Wild Swans.

The name of the swan in Scots Gaelic is - Eala.
Irish - Ela.
Welsh and Old Celtic - Alargh.

In the night sky, the constellation Cygnus, depicts a swan gliding through the Milky Way.

Swans have many different meanings in myth and folklore. They symbolize freedom, fidelity, love, companionship and loyalty.
Swans are also connected to the arts and mystics, dreamers and the Fairy Realm making them a wonderful totem animal for children.

In Celtic lore, swans can mean inspiration from the Otherworld, an enduring love and a symbol of transformation. The white swan is associated with the sun and the black swan with the night.

England and Celtic traditions, the swan is a powerful and ancient power animal. Here the swan is associated with goddesses of healing waters. They are connected with music, love, purity and the soul. They have mastered the three elements of earth, air and water, and are often fairy depicted as women in disguise who helps us to the Otherworld.

At certain festivals, such as at Samhain, Beltain or Summer Solstice, a swan can transform herself back into human form.

Native American traditions, from the Mayan to the Cheyenne, there is a story of a swan that tells a dragonfly that he has learned to surrender his body to the power of spirit and was taken to where the future lives. He saw many wonders high on sacred mountains and because of his faith and his acceptance he has been changed. He has learned to accept the state of grace. http://www.medicinecards.com/

Swan is the bird who may enter the Dreamtime and bring back knowledge and healing to the tribe.
(By David Carson and Jamie Sams. page. 192 - 195.)
In the Medicine Cards, the Swan teaches us to be at one with all planes of consciousness, and to trust in Great Spirit's protection. The Swan tells you ''accept your ability to know what lies ahead. Pay attention to your gut feelings and intuition''. Swan often indicates a soul level experience is about to commence.

Reversed - the Swan tells you to be more grounded and to pay attention to the unseen. Notice your surroundings and touch the earth, be still and focus on one reality or the other - the Dreamtime or the Mundane World. Stop the clutter in your mind and listen, or focus on a physical activity that will ground you. ( Medicine Cards. page. 195.)

The Druid Animal Oracle - by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/druid-animal-oracle/

Wonderful Blog by Surlalune Fairytales.
http://surlalunefairytales.blogspot.com/

Prints will be available in my etsy shop soon.

Collection of paintings and spirit art dolls.

2011-02-23T03:48:00.000+11:30

These are a few of the new paintings I've been creating over the winter months for a solo exhibition at the 'Shire Hall' in Bodmin this May. These are smaller paintings to be shown with the larger landscape canvases.

My little girl, Megan has been helping me to make spirit art dolls with painted calico. Sewing tiny crystal chips and beads onto these dolls to give them extra specialbility. A few rag dolls inspired from people we meet at the summer festivals. We have yet to make more clothing for them from recycled fabrics and found treasures. I will be selling the spirit dolls soon.

Artwork by Amanda Clark 2011

Re-newing from the old.

2011-02-23T03:24:00.000+11:30

Rediscovering the ideas of past paintings.

Looking back at the artwork I painted about 15 years ago has given me the inspiration to mix up the old with the new. Extending the body of work of the last few years.
The warm coloured paintings of the 'Old World' interiors are places of the heart and home with secret places, doorways and stairs leading the viewer on mysterious wanderings and things to explore; artifacts, sacred objects, candle holders and cupboards.

'Morning Light' by Amanda Clark

Within these works of art I began painting doorways and windows connecting directly with the outside world. Contrasting landscapes and views of the natural world with folklore and fairytale, stories and journeys, another world of mystery and magic. The windows and doorways connecting us to our soul's journeys. Secrets being revealed at every turn on our path.
Every new day brings along with it some beautiful new bird song, light and wisdom.

'Persephone'. An illustration from the book 'The Miracle of Flowers'

2011-02-07T12:15:00.000+11:30

'Persephone' by Amanda Clark. 2010.

Snowdrops are here! Spring is on it's way and I want to write a little about the Greek creation myth and the Goddess, Persephone.

Beautiful Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter ( Mother Earth ). Persephone is the Goddess of Spring and helps Demeter tend to the plant kingdom.
Hades, lord of the underworld, snatches Persephone away and makes her Queen of the underworld without Zeus's consent.
Her mother Demeter is broken hearted and thought her daughter had left. Demeter stopped tending to the plant kingdom and went in search for Persephone. Animals and humans began to starve.
Demeter insisted to Zeus that Persephone was found and returned to her. So Zeus went to talk to Hades and begged that Persephone leave the underworld before everyone on earth starved to death. Hades protested. Zeus with all his power declared that Persephone's marriage will be void as long as she ate nothing from the garden of the underworld. Hades managed to woo Persephone with a pomegranate and she ate this fruit from the garden of the underworld which consummated her marriage to Hades. So as the story goes, Persephone must return to Hades and the underworld at the beginning of every winter but her return to Zeus and Demeter marks the beginning of spring.

I love to see the earth come to life again in February. The catkins on hazel, daffodil bulbs pushing through the earth. Birds are getting busy and their songs are floating in the crystal air. I can feel the winter lifting and my time of introspecting during the long nights are ending to bring new energy and creativity into the light once again. Time for sewing seeds.

Habondia. Goddess painting in my etsy shop.

2011-01-26T00:23:00.000+11:30

Habondia by Amanda Clark 2010

Habondia is said to be descended from a Germanic Goddess of the earth. The Anglo-Saxon Goddess of abundance and prosperity. In Medieval times she was a special divinity of witches, teaching the work of herbs and their virtues.

Myths, fairytales and ancient stories.

2011-01-23T03:23:00.000+11:30

http://www.endicott-studio.com/jMA06Winter/index.html

This link is to the most cherished fairytales,and sometimes more adult myth stories.
There is a wealth of knowledge and art passed down through the other worldly years.

'Oldy World' Interiors.

2011-01-20T04:49:00.000+11:30

I was inspired by mysteriously old world interiors early on in my career. A fragment of pre-raphaelites. I must have painted nearly 200 . I loved the way the natural wood tones created a warm and cozy light and how the trinkets told a story of the people and how things were past down to them, usually handmade. Maybe I'll paint a few new ones with a 'twist' this year.

Artist Rima Staines. Illustration of Baba Yaga.

2011-01-18T10:46:00.000+11:30

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66108854/baba-yaga

Strange how things wander across your path. I 've been reading the book 'Women that run with the Wolves' and the latest story/myth was of Baba Yaga. Rima's illustration was shown to me today. I love the strangeness of old fairytales and vividly wild women artists!

power animals

2011-01-17T05:21:00.000+11:30

A painting for Emma and Chris.

Power animals and guides are with you through out your life time and its the shamanic way to speak, dance or become one with your power animal. Whether its through journeying or working through your dreams while you sleep.. You can have many guides through out your life time depending on what attributes the animal brings and what it is you need at any moment of time. There's one very special power animal that will be with you always.

Owl attributes are clear sightedness, intuition,wisdom, messenger of omens, comfort with shadow self, freedom and moon magic.
If owl is your power animal or guide, it can pierce through illusions and look past blocks to find the truth. The owl can also teach us to see the darkest parts of our psyche and learn with great wisdom about that which has become hidden. The owl flys so silently through the world it can teach us how to do the same.

Commissions for power animal paintings are always welcome.
Email: amandaclark@hotmail.co.uk

Sleepy Winter

2011-01-14T10:00:00.000+11:30

Time is passing by so quickly these winter months, where does the time go!
Today the sky was heavy with fast moving smokey clouds that seemed to make the hours rush past me as I draw and paint my new ideas and recipes of magic colours and patterns. Weaving a dream carpet of story and myth in painting.

The last week I find myself looking out for the first signs of Spring. Snowdrops beginning to push up through the leaves, their white flowers contrasting with the rich dark earth. Shining beacons of the first flowers and imbolc quietly approaching as mother nature breathing her children awake and bringing new life after the sleepy winter.

Sacred Hollow - Sam's portrait.

2011-01-10T20:47:00.003+11:30

Exhibition at the Skye Healing Centre in Dorking, Surrey. Until January 2011.

2010-12-01T12:40:00.000+11:30

A few more new paintings.

Driving to Outwood Windmill.

2010-11-15T22:32:00.000+11:30

All of the 42 paintings were taken to Outwood Surrey to the wonderful souls of 'Slippery Jacks', Sunday afternoon. We were driving in the darkest rain clouds we have ever seen! The exhibition space is in the most enchanting little windmill called 'Outwood'. Now we are back home, sitting by the fireside drinking mulled wine with a splash of brandy. All the clouds have revealed the most stunning starry night, crystal clear cosmos, shooting stars and quarter moon. The air so still with the calling of the owls in the oak tree. Think its going to be a sparkly, frosty morning. I love these early mornings, light is silver and gold with ribbons of mist weaving between the trees.
A preview of a few of the new paintings...... 'Angel' has the silver and gold light.

Solo exhibition Invite.

2010-10-18T05:22:00.000+11:30

My solo exhibition in November.
In a beautiful windmill in Surrey.

Thank you 'Slippery Jacks'

20th and 21st November
from 10am to 4pm.
Outwood Windmill
Outwood
Surrey

Paintings and Poems

2010-07-20T13:36:00.004+11:30

The Woods

Covered and buried in leaves,

Under the trees, under the wispy sky,

The earth, she whispers and breathes.
My ear to the ground,

Her heart beat a deeper sound,

Then matches with mine. My light shines.

Slowly the trees move and sway above me,

Moving patterns of sun light brings more life.

Connecting my soul with the heavens,

Bringing peace in, bring love in.

Moving, spiralling to a place I remember,

Beyond the womb of time.

Prayer

Think this was me as a little girl.

'Crow'

Ever seen a white crow? This painting is called 'Souls'

A painting called 'Freedom'.
I feel my heart in flight when
I'm painting and wandering in
nature, by the sea, and early
mornings at dawn.

and sacred spirals

'Follow'

'The Hare and Crow'

There's beauty everywhere, just have to choose to see it.

The White Hare

2010-06-23T10:21:00.000+11:30

Chalice Well and Indigo Night

These paintings were finished for the visit to Glastonbury. Fairytale in nature, Avalon myths(truths) Celtic wisdom and legends of mystic England. Inspired by our Mother Earth, sun and moon. Dedicated to all of nature and her beauty. They are also to compliment the books by Robin Clark. See my links.

Solstice Moon and Mystic Night

Spirit and Spring Light

Solstis at Glastonbury Tor.

2010-06-23T02:11:00.000+11:30

Enjoying the view of earth and skyAdd caption

Amber and gold. Colours were so amazing

Sky photos for paintings and colourways.

Friendly face

Brother and sister, playing hide-and-seek in the long grasses and rolling down the hills

Wind swept!

BLISS!!!!

A beautiful day to be gazing at the sky

Inspired for painting!

We spent a weekend here to watch the sunset from the Tor. The light was so magical!

Lullaby o Awakening by Phil Dale

2010-06-09T13:46:00.000+11:30

Lullaby o Awakening by Phil Dale

New paintings of Goddesses and Devas

2010-05-31T11:08:00.000+11:30

Goddesses and Devas

Astarte

Demeter

Gauri

Niamh

Psyche

Water Deva

Amaterasm

Cerridwen

2010-05-16T12:18:00.002+11:30

2010-05-16T12:16:00.000+11:30

Early morning, walking in the woods .Founds these incredible trees and ivy. The crows were calling over head in the tree canopy making this walk very mystical . I spent a while just sitting here, listening to all the sounds. The air was so still as I made a few sketches for new paintings.

2010-05-12T20:29:00.000+11:30

Summer. I take this walk to my friends home. It's so magical here, and I feel it takes me back in time. The cottages around here haven't been changed at all in hundreds of years and it's very peaceful.

2010-04-19T11:47:00.000+11:30

2010-04-19T11:37:00.000+11:30

Planning workshops very soon. Felt, ceramics, art, decorative painting, mandalas, textiles.... maybe a mandala with all these things!

2010-04-19T11:17:00.000+11:30

Inspirations are from nature folklaw, surrounding, sacred countryside.

2010-04-18T12:27:00.000+11:30

The beginning.

Open studio.

2010-04-16T00:20:00.000+11:30

We can only, truly know each other with our hearts not our minds. To follow your heart will lead you to dreams that thought can have no dominance.....the mind is image making unfounded, and limiting. The heart is the true master of your beautiful world. We can be in our hearts always and truly love.......

2010-04-11T10:59:00.000+11:30

Here comes the dawn. 4am mid summer last year. This is such a magical time of day, when the blackbirds are the first to sing and then theres a huge chorus of bird song. No other sound at all! I love the soft light waking up the flowers and diamonds of dew on the grass. This is when I walk bare foot in the garden to feel the energy renew all around with the coolness of the morning air.

Celebrating the morning

The colour contrast of the gold light of the candles with the indigo light of the dawn

After a few hours of dream time. The brightest orange opens its petals to the sun. Californian Poppy.

Where Bamba goes at night, I do not know........

The weekend before I had to leave this place for a new home, a rainbow (it was so close!) gave me a cheery farewell. The sweet doves, that are always sitting there, so content.

2010-04-09T12:21:00.000+11:30

I'm having an open studio this Sunday - 11 April and Sunday .18 April. Working hard changing the hallway and living room into an exhibition space. Its so much more relaxing when you can show your work at home, with all creature comforts around you.

Painting at Dawn in June last year.

2010-04-04T10:29:00.000+11:30

A little company while I'm painting in the Garden!

Magical colours just as the sun begins to rise, the deep blues and purples glowing in the mid summer sky. This is my best time to paint. Everything is awakening from the starry sleep.

2010-04-02T01:41:00.000+11:30

I've been teaching a little girl called Issy. Painting with some amazing swirly, moving watercolour paints. She is so creative. Making a magical space in one of the rooms to inspire me and all the people who join the workshops. This is my favorite place in the house, to dream, to connect and to be creative with every moment.

My new blog for the springtime.

2010-03-27T03:24:00.000+11:30

Spring is springing to life! I can feel the serge

of energy and exitement of nature after the long winter sleeping.