Home of the Dryads
The dryads are female spirits of nature (nymphs), who preside over the groves and forests. Each one is born with a certain tree over which she watches. A dryad either lives in a tree, in which case she is called a hamadryad, or close to it...
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Alder
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas with metal leaf
30 x 30cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' Alder was produced for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 'Yew & Others'.
Alder is the fourth tree of the pagan calendar and falls during April, the time of the spring solstice when night and day are of equal lengths, sun and moon in harmony. The pagan festival during this moon is Oestra (Eostre or in Latin, Ostara). Indigo and deep blue are the symbolic colours of the alder moon. The hare is known as the 'messenger of the moon' and also associated with this time of year (mad March hares), as are rabbits and eggs.
Ash
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas
30 x 60cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' Ash was produced for
Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 'Yew & Others'. The ash moon is known as the 'moon of waters' and associated colours are cherry pink and amber. This is the third moon of the pagan calendar and Valentines Day falls within it. In Irish folklore it is claimed that shadows from an ash tree damage crops, and in European folklore snakes are said to be repelled by ashleaves or a circle drawn by an ash branch. The World Tree, Yggdrasil in Viking mythology is an ash.
Autumn Badger
Painting in acrylic on box canvas.
60cm x 30cm
Black fox in the pear orchard
Painting in acrylic on box canvas.
60cm x 30cm
Black fox in the apple orchard
Acrylic, silk paper and metalisc paint on box canvas.
20cm x 20cm approx
This painting is inspired by West Country tales of a black fox which haunts the orchards and has no shadow.
Copper tree with deer
Acrylic with copper leaf and glitter on a narrow edged box canvas.
50cm x 40cm
Fox and silver birch
A fox in his winter coat, shelters
from a snowstorm beside a silver birch. In the pagan calendar, the birch moon is also known as the moon of inception and it arrives after the winter solstice.
It is symbolic of rebirth and regeneration.
Acrylic, handmade paper, metallic paint and glitter on box canvas.
60cm x 30cm
Hare moon tree 1
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas
20cm x 20cm approx
This image was painted as a wedding present and shows a blossoming hawthorn tree, March hare, and moonrise over a spring tide - all symbolic of new beginings.
Hawthorn
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas with metal leaf and glitter
60 x 60cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' Hawthorn was produced for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 'Yew & Others'.
The hawthorn moon falls in June and is the moon of disenchantment symbolised by the colour pink - which I have used for the petals of the blossoms. In pagan lore this tree is the one most likely to be inhabited or protected by the fairy folk.
Holly
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas with metal leaf and glitter
30 x 60cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' The holly moon, said to be the moon of encirclement, polarity and rebalancing, is the eighth moon of the calendar and falls at the begining of harvest time when the pagan festival of Lammas (also known as Lughnasadh or Luna) - a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest/the first picking of corn. The word Lammas means 'loaf mass'. In European mythology the holly tree is associated with the thunder gods Thor and Tavanis and in British tradition the holly tree is known for its protection against lightning strikes - hence the thunder clouds in the painting.
Ivy
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas with copper leaf
35 x 50cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' Ivy was produced for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 'Yew & Others'.
The ivy moon falls towards the end of the year, and symbolises resiliance as the plant is able to withstand even the most servere frosts. Not technically a tree, I know, but climbing up one!
Silver leaf tree
This painting is in acrylic paints with handmade 'silk' paper and patterned tissue paper. The leaves and hailstones are painted with silver paint. On deep edged box canvas.
30cm x 30cm
Lonely Bunny
Acrylic with glitter and metal leaf on a deep edged box canvas
30cm x 30cm
Oak
Deep edged box canvas with gold schlag leaf sun
20cm x 20cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' Oak was produced for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 'Yew & Others'. The oak moon falls in July and is symbolic of strength and security. This painting depicts the trees of the legend of Gog & Magog -
In Somerset stand two very ancient oaks named Gog and Magog (reputedley named after the last male and female giants to roam Britain), which are said to be the last remnants of an oak-lined processional route up to Glastonbury Tor.
Rowan
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas
with a little silver schlag leaf
60 x 60cm
Part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' Rowan was produced for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 'Yew & Others'.
The 'rowan moon' falls during February and is the moon of vision and astral travel, symbolised by the colours pink and gold. The pagan festival of Imbol (meaning 'ewes milk') falls during this time. The tree is said to protect against witchcraft and enchantment.
Resilience
Acrylic, copper leaf and glitter on box canvas
20 x 20cm
Inspired by my series of paintings made for the Red Hen Artists Brighton May Festival exhibition 2006 on the theme 'trees of the pagan calender' this image shows "Ivy", which is connected to the 11th moon of the pagan calender and is symbolic of 'resiliance'. This beautiful plant is able to cling on to its home tree when others shed their leaves, braving the autumn gales and withstanding the most servere of frosts through the winter.
Silver birch
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas
with copper leaf and silver schlag metal leaf
30 x 60cm
Silver Birch was produced as part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 'Yew & Others' 2006. The silver birch tree, known as 'lady of the woods' is the tree for the 1st moon of the year which falls around Christmas time until about 17th January. Witches brooms were traditionally made of birch twigs and it's an old custom at this time of year for bundles of birch twigs to be used to 'brush out' the spirits of the old year to make way for the new.
Small copper tree
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas (with copper leaf)
15 x 15cm
Small copper tree was painted for part of Red Hen's Brighton May Festival 2006 exhibition 'Yew & Others'.
Willow
Acrylic on deep edged box canvas
(with metal leaf moon)
20 x 20cm
Willow was painted for red hen's exhibition 'Yew & Others' in 2006.
The painting is one of a series on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar' and shows a willow tree growing on the banks of marshland, with a Beltane (May Day) balefire (bonfire) burning in the background (it is a pagan custom to light a bonfire at sunset on Beltane eve). The colours purple and lavender are associated with this time of year.
