The new paintings by Amanda Clark. Miniature is the latest inspiration.

Some of the new paintings that I have been working on during the late Summer and Autumn have become smaller, and with a black chunky frame, they look so inviting and mysterious.  Like little snippets of dreams.
These are a few images that I have to show you for now.  Many more to come!

Emerald Fields by Amanda Clark.

Polar Bear

Sleeping Hare

The Badger

The White Hare

All hand embellished with gold leaf.

Bluebell Wood and new paintings.

The beautiful days of mid Spring warms my body and soul for the blissful Summer ahead and as the days become longer we can spend much more time enjoying walks through the woods and along the edges of meadows.  Bluebells fill the woodland floor creating a carpet of blues and new leaves of ferns uncurling. The jewel like greens and creamy pink blossoms are gifts from the trees for the birds that are singing their celebration of Spring time once again.

Natural archways and tiny bridges over streams take me deeper into an emerald and sapphire dream.

 Images and sights of this magical world start to manifest inspirations for new paintings.

Bluebell Moon by Amanda Clark.

A Blackbird's Tale by Amanda Clark.

Moon Light Wood by Amanda Clark.

Company of a Blackbird by Amanda Clark

Amber is full of joy on her walks. Leaping around like a deer.

The Woodland Edge by Amanda Clark.

New Giclee prints of fairytales and folklore

During the long Winter months and icy cold nights I created a few new paintings inspired by folklore and fairytales.  By the end of February, I longed for the first signs of Spring after a beautiful 'Snow Queen' english Winter.  The first snowdrop flowers and crocus arrived, showing their faces to the sun.

Crystal and Amber by Amanda Clark 2013.

By the Blue Moon by Amanda Clark 2013.

Moonlit Tale by Amanda Clark 2012.

Luna by Amanda Clark 2012.

The First Snow by Amanda Clark 2012.

Shea by Amanda Clark 2012.

These original paintings are for sale and giclee prints will be available very soon . I am working on a new website for my original paintings and giclees so you will be able to see these and more in a few weeks.
Please contact me with any enquires, email:  amandaclark@hotmail.co.uk.

Home schooling Megan (Pixie)

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.

Winter Fairy Tales in August!

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.