Walking in the clearest night...

 Black Cats

are princely cats.

doodle/drawing.

x

Hildegard

Hildegard

 Digital painting.

x

What lives on the other side of the mirror...

Sometimes I am only half here

Balthus

Photomontage/illustration

Madeline lives in a rather tiny appartment with her father and a cat called Balthus. There are other creatures of course, which are the product of Madeline and Balthus' imagination who have taken up residence amongst the shadows, behind the curtains and drapes, whilst the more bashful ones take to nestling inside the small cracks in the skirting boards or beneath the tattered remains of Madeline's great grandmothers Persian carpets. Madeline's father tries very hard to pretend that he cannot see them. But Madeline's father is a clever man, who understands the spaces between words and the messages whispered on the night wind that so often take the form of small birds and translucent butterflies, or the songs which have been serenading Madeline ever since she was very small. Madeline knows that her father knows, but they never speak of it. Balthus collects dove's wings and small balls of his own fur which have taken on a life of their own. They are occasionally rather troublesome.

Madeline now has her own Gallery set.

x

Bunting

Bunting

For the Fairytales series.

So, this is a somewhat faithful remake of an older work from 2007 titled Ribbons. I had begun to rework her as part of a commissioned project, but the client decided to ultimately go with something else. She has been entirely repainted, which is mostly visible in close up: the older image had a collaged tutu, whereas this one is digitally painted in the same style. I chose to alter the theme to bunting as a variation on ribbons, so nothing too metaphysically poignant going on there, just enjoy the cuteness, it is simply neccessary on occasion!

This image, and several new pieces ought to be arriving at the Art&Ghosts shop very soon.

And thank you to the readers who have recently sent me such lovely email messages. They mean such a lot to me! There doesn't tend to be quite as much dialogue passed around within the creative community these days, so it is always nice to hear that people are still enjoying the blog.

xxx

Marchpane

For Sandra.

Digital painting and collage.

For the Specters and Dreams series.

Will write more later!

And later: The images were inspired by a fictitious portrayal of the young life and conflicting nature of Katherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII. I have recently finished reading a deeply moving story concerning her (fictional) life at court, her marriage to the king, and her subsequent downfall - a very beautifully written book which I was delighted to be able to create several illustrations for (I will be able to give a clearer description and details about its release soon!).

These images represent Katherine's dual nature, or her conflicting emotions as a lover and a queen. The Katherine to the left symbolizes her integrity, tenderness, her emotions, whilst the Katherine to the right enjoys the distractions of merriment, dancing, feasting, weaving intricate webs of mystery around herself, and indulging the attentions of her admirers. Personally I am quite taken with both sides to Katherine. Although my images are not entirely descriptive of Tudor fashions, I simply wanted to create my own impression through my own working style to represent her. The stain around her neck in the first image is supposed to suggest her future, her fate, whilst also alluding to her love of rubies and luxurious jewellery. Here she amuses herself with kittens instead of her beloved dog, holding onto her precious letters to Thomas Culpeper (her secret lover), wearing the key to her heart as a brooch, and her frock adorned with fresh roses, which harks back to Henry's pet name for her 'a rose without a thorn'.

The ravens/black birds are concerned with the Katherine on the right. Her fate in the balance once more.

And concerning the title - a word which really resonated with  me whilst reading the story. Marchpane, (the old English word for marzipan) consisting of almonds, sugar and rose water was a luxurious component of medieval cuisine. I should love to create my own now, with gilded quatrefoils around a crowned Tudor rose! Easy peasy;)

xxx

Kaleidoscope

Digital kaleidoscopes created from a mixture of my own works and paper patterns.

xxx

Sparkle and Sleep...

Silly me left the tungsten setting on my camera. A few of my favourite things: soft, soft pillows and throws, pompom garland scarf, childhood guitar, beaded cat purse, doll mirror, fairy art by Henry maynell Rheam, glittering star mobile, H&M scent, Tintin books, shimmering lights and my kitten.

Watching Harvey with James Stewart. Again.

Listening to Future Days by Can.

Reading The Bell by Iris Murdoch.

Dreaming of an escape....

xxx

silver

The Star Maiden

Silver

 Digital painting, acrylic, watercolour, photomontage, charcoal.

Inspired by Russian folk tales.

We are knee deep in snow here. Pretty, and cold!

xxx

Ghosts in the valley...

For the Singing Tree series.

Digital drawing/painting.

Will title later.

xxx

Late November..

Creature by Fern Animals

Urban Outfitters catalogue (I need the kitty purse!)

xxx