Getting ready for Spring....

Its March already and at last the sun is starting to rise earlier, shine for longer and feel a little bit warmer in the early mornings when I'm out walking. I have been busy working away upstairs in the studio over the winter months on some new Collagraph plates,  a couple of the new prints have been travelling with me in my minds eye for quite some time so it's been really good to get them into print.

The first is Tentative Twilight Steps.

 

 

I have wanted to include a badger into my collection of prints for some time, and this will probably be the first of a few. Although I have never been privileged to come across any in the wild or whilst out hiking, I find them fascinating animals and have been deeply moved by their plight during the planned culling of recent years. They to me are a quintessential British mammal that we should endeavour to protect, the English Countryside wouldn't have the same sense of mystery at twilight if Badger setts became a thing of the past. 

 

The second image is concerned with the fascination I have of watching the Goldfish and Koi swimming and chasing each other, firstly as a child in My Fathers Fishpond and now more recently in our much smaller pond at home.

 

 

 

They suddenly start to re-immerge from the depths of the pond at this time of year after laying fairly dormant over the winter, its almost as if they too get the sense of Spring's approach as the days start to brighten and warm up and it's a relief to see them again and that they've survived the winter. Twisting and coiling around each other, breaking the pond surface and shyly taking food from our hands they are a joy to watch and many an hour has passed in the Spring sunshine enjoying that tranquil sense of calm their graceful movements give me.

 

Another of my favourite 'returnees' of Spring and Summer is the Swallow. Erratic and full of energy sweeping over our heads as they chase and catch their buglife prey, who could not stand in wonder and watch their playful antics. Swallows Return is my way of saying welcome back...

 

 



 



 

All three of these collagraph prints will be making their way to Gallery No 4. in St Abbs at the end of March for the Spring exhibition plus, more locally, Tentative Steps and Swallows Return will be joining others at Cannon Hall in Barnsley in April for the Spring is Here exhibition running until June.