Here in Ireland many people mark the 1st February as the official first day of spring, calling it either Imbolc or St. Bridget’s Day. I have to say that this year it has certainly felt as though the increasing daylight and sparkling sunshine has brought everything back into life very early. Then came this month’s stunning full moon, painting everything in brilliant silver light, heralding the change of season while keeping everyone awake in the wee hours of the morning. Living as we are right on the edge of the Atlantic, it’s with some trepidation that we now await the next of nature’s events which is the biggest tide of the century which falls on the 20th February. Sandbags and hot chocolate have been well stocked up on!
For me, spring is when life and artwork seem to jump into gear again after an inevitably slow and sleepy January. I start to get excited about seeing the first bunches of blossoms nodding on the trees, I listen for the blackbird’s dawn chorus and I welcome back our wild hares who seem to disappear to some other grassy pastures during winter. Although this is can be one of the greyest months aesthetically speaking, this year I have found colour and life everywhere I looked and it’s only a matter of days before the first of our spring flowers burst open making the lawns and fields look as if they have been gently dabbed with yellow and lilac paint.
Paint has also been happily working its magic on paper here at Little Cloggs and I am delighted to be launching several new lines of greeting cards next month as well as a new addition to my hand painted ‘Sugar & Spice’ collection and all will be on sale online and in shops in the weeks ahead. Spring is also a fabulous time for kid’s crafts and Jules and I will be making and posting as many ideas as possible as we get closer to Easter. Glue and colours at the ready!