Easter in Cumbria

We spent Easter in the Lake District of England, a wonderful place full of cold pure streams, ancient stone circles, high valleys and peaks.  We had spring lamb, farm eggs, local honey.  We made bread with our sourdough (brought from London, like a pet - it needs to be fed!) and the local water-milled stoneground biodynamic flour.  The lovely mill is next to Long Meg stone circle and includes a café with chicken running free outside and the view onto the stream.  The region clearly has a love of huge earthy crumbly fruit scones.

At the Keswick market, we got some Benzoin and lemon-scented gardener's hand cream made by a local women under the name of  "Essential Spirit". 

The market lady sent us to Calbeck, a stunning village full of energy and streams, with a church named after the local Celtic saint St Kentigern ! Lots of amazing mystical stories attached to this saint, hard to imagine it is an official Catholic saint!  He is featured on the Glasgow coat of arms, with the main features of his legend:
Here is the bird that never flew
Here is the tree that never grew
Here is the bell that never rang
Here is the fish that never swam

 

 

 

Glorious Bees - A Beehive Watercolor

I love Bees. I love everything about them, their intuitive almost psychic way for each single bee to act as a whole.  The way they are so in tune with nature that they are barometers for the state of of it.  The delicious cakes and "pain d'epices" (spice bread).  The morning toasts slathered with dark chestnut honey.  The medicinal properties for sore throats of course, but also for disinfecting and healing a wound without scaring. 
Honey and bees are some of my favorites subjects to draw. Certainly, it is one of my life goals to keep bees.
Here is a an old-style beehive in Watercolor which I enjoyed making in sweet green, honey and rose colors.  I also added a cropped bit of the picture to show the granularity of the watercolor that makes this technique so sweet.  Enjoy!

FOR SALE - £50 original A4  - Contact us here.

Framed it could look like this:

 

Details of the granular Watercolour