PHOTOS FROM LAST SATURDAY AT CBNR

I've shared these photos from Bruce's post on the reserve's blog as I didn't have my camera on the day. The print which is propped up by the big river pebble is my latest woodcut featuring a Sandpiper flying over Widdop Reservoir. This was its first public showing, unlike the Pennine Twite that gets everywhere. Glad to be able to show some of Alan's beautiful butterflies.

AN EXCELLENT DAY AT CROMWELL BOTTOM

Annoyingly, I forgot to take my camera to the open day at Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve today so am making do with this photo of the cards I had made recently from my reed pen drawings of the reed beds and river during the late winter.

Lovely weather and lots of interesting people to chat to. Highlights were being able to look at Alan's large display of (ethically collected) UK native butterflies and moths - so beautiful and intricate, plus handling some very exotic creatures from Madagascar - Hissing cockroach and Bearded Dragon Lizard! not at all scary or slimy, very friendly and clean looking. The Dragon Lizard did seem to fancy having a chomp on the cockroach though. Another highlight - the home made ginger cake, far more tasty than cockroach I would imagine.

I think people enjoyed viewing the reed pens I made from reeds growing in the reserve and the resulting drawings. The reeds have to be controlled and its very hard, cold work clearing them in the winter; so pleasing to see them being put to a positive use.  They just need an army of reed pen loving artists down there.

If you are local to Calderdale and haven't been to the reserve I can heartily recommend it as a good place to visit for a day out. Easy to get to and free parking.

Many thanks to the volunteers who work so hard to make things happen there.

SWEET LITTLE BIRDS GO TO THE NATURE RESERVE

I haven't forsaken art for photography and have been working oh so long and hard on a whole range of different projects. Lots of events happening close together and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the workload and remembering all the detail.  No matter, its what I signed up for when I chose to be a visual artist.

In less than a week, on June 21st I'll be going to the Open Day at Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve with some of my work for sale and of course the reed pens I used to make drawings. In the meantime I've revamped my naive style cards from original woodcuts -  The Sweet Little Birds. I'm hoping Print Bureau in Hebden Bridge will get them printed for me in time...

GROUSE V CROWS

Here's a Red Grouse nest for comparison with the other moorland nurseries I've photographed. I don't know why there's only one egg in it when there should be many but in the spring you see lots of Crows and even Gulls going over the moor searching for nests to predate. In May we watched Curlews and Lapwings flying around madly trying to fend them off.