A Shed of One's Own

After my recent post about needing a place to paint, Creativity Ensconced, I took the plunge and spent all my savings on a rather fancy garden shed.  Of course I fell in love with a slightly unusual version with a Dutch barn roof. This gives extra storage space above and makes it feel a lot bigger and more airy, as well as being very attractive.


For me it is more than simply a space of my own; it is a commitment to my creativity, a way of honouring that deep need to connect with the inner worlds of my imagination, a refuge from day-to-day life.  The timing was perfect, the pieces of flat-packed 'shed' heavy in the rain arrived on Beltane, the time of burgeoning growth and the flowering of potential.  

It took a couple of weekends to build because we dug the base ourselves, which was exhausting, but once that was done the actual build took a warm sunny day. Then the extra bits such as fascia boards and corners, hooks to keep the doors open and electricity finished it off a couple of weekends later.

Still some things to do such as cutting out a second window and putting in some old carpet, but for now, here are some photos telling the story of it's coming to fruition...

From foundations...

...to floor...

...to walls...

...and walls...

...to roof...

...to felting...

...to fruition!

Regal Fox

I painted the picture at the bottom for an exhibition called 'Tribal' at the gallery I run. The idea came from a doodle...

Regal Fox © Amber Caspian, 2012

...trying to express how majestic I find Foxes.  Sitting in a patch of sun, with their thick winter coat just glowing like wildfire...

...and I'm interested in our past, our ancient English tribal culture. In asking questions, such as - what is my tribe and where are its native symbols? Have we really lost all the old songs and stories from this part of our land? 

Our beautiful English countryside

I realised that I believe these things are encapsulated in some of our indigenous animals - Fox, Hare, Deer, Crow - in the way they still roam free despite the destructive changes to our countryside...

 Spinning in the Holistic garden

...and I also looked for patterns and markings in local crafts that are still with us, if we choose to look...

Pargetting Patterns

...such as patchwork, weaving, and pargetting...so that my Fox could wear his own cloak of regal colours and patterns...

...and I surrounded him in gold, so he glows like a Russian icon and we can revere him in a patch of sun or by candlelight...

Rauðr Foa Rogg © Amber Caspian, 2012

...so I named him in, probably very bad, Old English to celebrate his old English story - Rauðr Foa Rogg, which means Red Fox Rug (shaggy tuft). And so was born my 'Animal Icons'...

Cat

One Year Old

I've been blogging for one whole year!! Time to take stock...

This was never about having lots of followers but I am very grateful for the 3 I have so far, thank you.  I am one of trillions but I have found many very interesting blogs that inspired me to do this. It took a while to get used to the idea of blogging, it felt exposing and a bit vain to start with... However it has turned out to be a very enjoyable and amazingly helpful experience.  

The aim was to gather together the things that interest and inspire me, become braver about sharing my paintings, poetry and ideas about creativity, and connect all the different threads of what make up me into something I can wear with surety.

Now I do feel that I have achieved this and begun to weave together the elements into something very positive.  I have even done things especially for it, which would not have been done otherwise.  Yet another avenue for creativity to wander down...

So here’s to the next year, filled with poetry, painting and promise J

Witches Fly-By

Today I opened my Etsy shop!  Where I am selling giclee prints of my artwork along with cards (to come soon).  Click here to see my wares....

Rocking Chair Witch (c) Amber Caspian