Celia Hart's blog about what's going on in and around her studio.
Art, printmaking, inspirations, gardening, vegetables, hens, landscapes, wild flowers, East Anglia, adventure, travel.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Twelfth Night

Our Christmas decorations have been taken down (not yet packed away) and the festive time is at an end - it's Twelfth Night. In some parts of England there are still Twelfth Night traditions, but no Green Men and Mummers around here; if there were it would be a very very cold night to be cavorting around in ribbons, bells and branches of holly.

There's been no further snow here since New Year's Day morning, unlike many parts of the country which this evening have the heaviest snowfall for at least thirty years. The snowstorm is heading our way but may not reach us, we'll have to wait to see.

I remember at school we put on a production of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' as the school Christmas play. It was set in modern dress - that's 1970's modern dress, which aptly suited the girls dressed as boys plot-line - trouser suits, shirts with floral prints and big collars or silk ruffles. It was the first Shakespeare play I actually enjoyed being part of (even if I only sewed shirts and painted cardboard trees).


So what happened on the twelfth day of Christmas in my corner of Suffolk . . .

• I cooked a hot breakfast for the under-gardeners - porridge with chopped apple and marrow.

• I drove to the feed stores - the animal feed merchants for mixed corn for the under-gardeners and to my favourite local butchers for venison, lamb, chicken and vegetables for us. I also found out that the person I stood behind in the butchers' queue before Christmas, who thought was one of my favourite travel journalists, was indeed him! But I'm not telling you who it was.

• I drove home very very cautiously as the road back into the northern end of the village was covered with icy compacted snow.

• I discovered that Tarragon our Araucana cockerel can jump. In fact he jumped right over my head (I'm 160cm) which gave me a shock I can tell you.

• Ginger Spice also got a shock when Tarragon showed her what a virile young chap he is - Ooooo, I say!

• And I managed to get down to work on designs for new linocuts inspired by the walks we've been doing recently.

12 comments:

  1. Celia,
    love your new addition to the family, Tarragon looks great!
    Happy new year
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your fox picture - it feels like something I might see from my window in the moonlight.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also went to the feed store. I bought one bale of hay for the goats, who refuse to eat it (meh! too coarse! meh! too timothy-ey) It is now expensive bedding in their stall. Back to the feed store tomorrow. Hens, at least, are not fussy eaters!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Think that we will be hearing more about that Tarragon.

    Your new lino design looks grand. Will you print it in one color? That would do it just fine.

    Be careful driving in the snow, and stay warm when at home.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have a feeling that the snow will be on its way to you soon. I hope that your feathered friends stay warm.

    I always love to see your works in progress, they are so inspiring. My son has made off with my wood engraving tools and a few pieces of lino so I will have to wait for their return.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just a thimbleful...

    I love your leaping fox - I couldn't sleep last night and was looking out of the kitchen window at 4 a.m. with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand hoping to see a foxy friend in our garden. No luck! We've got some snow just south of Cambridge but my headache says more is to come ...

    ReplyDelete
  7. The snow is just beginning to fall as I type this Celia - so you may have it already!

    The new linocut is looking very topical - I like it in b&w ...

    Take care in the snow and stay warm.

    Jeanne x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Chicken lover - Thank you, let's hope the neighbours like hearing him crow!

    Hi Elizabethm - I'm looking forward to cutting the block this afternoon.

    Hi Terry - my hens are fussy!

    Hi Frances - Everyone is hearing more of Tarragon! I'm thinking one colour, then I might experiment...

    Hi Acornmoon - no more snow here yet.

    Hi Mavis - we must be in that little bit of Engalnd that's between all the bands of snow.

    Hi Cottage Garden - nope! no snow yet, I hear that it's reached Royston, Huntingdon and now Bury - surrounded on all sides but still snow free.

    Celia
    11am Wednesday

    ReplyDelete
  9. The new picture looks like it would be a great companion to my leaping hare - with the metallic sun behind it.

    So, Tarragon knows his job then?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Veg Heaven - Tarragon is loving it!

    The new print could go in a number of directions. and I'll probably do a different versions of it.

    Celia

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm so enjoying your blog!
    What a magical design! It's snowing in the South West and we're looking forward to a delightful -7 degrees tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you for visiting PPPs Jules - hope your still warm and cosy despite the snow and cold.

    Celia
    x

    ReplyDelete

I love reading all the comments (except for spam and advertising which I will delete) and I'll reply here in the comments under each blog post, it may take a few days if I'm busy.
You don't need to have a blog to leave a comment, you can select the name/URL option and fill in just your name instead of a blog link.