Over the last few years the swallows at Cae Rhug have steadily been declining in number. I can recall as a child all the barns and outbuildings were used for nests and often with birds nesting just a metre or so away from each other. Despite leaving these valuable nest sites for them to use freely, we have watched as each year less nests and then less buildings have been occupied by their delightful chatter and shimmering coats. For me their song heralds the arrival of Summer and their departure the arrival of the Autumn. This year, like last year, just one pair, this time with a younger bird in tow, came back to the farm, though much earlier than usual. At the time, we were very busy installing a pond at the front of the house and I can remember looking up delighted to see one on a wire overhead. Little did we know at that point the effect of that pond…

A few weeks later and the pond was filled with water and a few plants added. We were amazed almost immediately to see how bird numbers in the garden increased as the pond became a magnet for those wanting to drink and bathe. Then came the Swallows and the House Martins. As we stood just a few metres away we saw pair after pair of these birds fly in and scoop water to drink, then land and take mouthful after mouthful of mud from the sides. Within days these new arrivals had chosen sites around the farm and begun to build nests. The pond was filled with movement all day every day and we realised that every building was filled once again, and some with more than one nest. As a family we have been privileged to share some magical moments with these birds, and with such a fabulous Summer we have watched the majority of pairs rear three clutches of young. We cannot recall the skies ever being so cheerfully busy.

The pond activity quietened during August as nest building and repairing seemed to be over for the year but on one day last week the garden was filled with what felt like hundreds of Swallows and Martins in a frenzy of activity, drinking, bathing and feeding over the pond. I have never seen such numbers and as neither the pond or garden are very big it felt amazingly powerful to witness such frantic activity as they swarmed about together. They stayed like that for the whole day, the next, they were gone.

Just a few of this year’s young remain now. So, as I will miss them greatly, I painted the last few birds to keep me in mind of them until next year.

Clare Johnson! Thank you to everyone who donated to my friend Leah’s fund as part of this competition, the money will be going towards Leah’s treatment. Clare has chosen “Blue Leicester” which will be posted out to her shortly.

The competition is now closed.

After a very busy couple of days doing Helfa Gelf with the lovely bunch from Eurgain Studio last weekend, I am once again back with the Wild@Art bunch at Halkyn Village hall and Library on 23rd and 24th September. It is your last chance to visit our open studio event this year, so do call in and have a look around! I’ll be continuing work on my “Hedgerow Hare”, demonstrating how my unique work with fibres is carried out and I’ll be happy to chat about my art, as will my colleagues Ann Williams, David Wildblood and Wendi Trasmundi.

I love painting hares and even though they are always well received I have to restrict myself or I’d paint nothing else! I’ve been working with this composition in mind for a while, sometimes with a third hare (this will be just the two…I think!) and sometimes not. Then a little while ago, whilst enjoying the great outdoors with some lovely friends I hit on the possibility of using thistle seed down instead of my usual silk.

Now, this really excites me. I love gathering natural fibres to include in my work, so couldn’t wait to try it. I suppose I should have spent a good bit of time experimenting and checking they would look ok before I painted them in, but no! It’s a hare… every hare is loved….I’m not sure I could ever do an experimental hare as I get too involved and love them too much! So here he is my hedgerow hare in the making….

A very special lady and friend of mine has been having a terrible time lately and due to serious health problems is really missing out on time with her family. So I have decided that the best way I can try to help raise some money to help fund Leah’s treatment is to do a prize draw for one of my mixed-fibre prints.

There is a GoFundMe page (titled “Please help Leah get her life back”) already set up to take donations (where you can also learn a little more of Leah’s story), but we really need to raise money fast as every day the risks get greater.

So here is the deal. Win one of my Restless Hare prints (you get to pick which one!) by just taking the following steps……

Step 1: Go to Leah’s GoFundMe page and donate whatever you can (every little bit counts so please don’t hold back thinking you can’t give much). Write the words “Restless Hare” when you make the donation (important so I can put you in the draw!).

Step 2: Go to my facebook page “Restless Hare” and comment on the post that you have donated (also important so I know who to put in the draw!).

Step 3: Share the post to your friends, knowing that you have helped someone special and others might want to do the same!

Step 4: Finally choose a print and sit back to see if you will WIN it.

The prizedraw will end at 12 midnight on September 30th 2017, and on October 1st, I will take a draw from all the donators who have commented on this post. The winner will be contacted via my Restless Hare Facebook page, so make sure you comment “Restless Hare” on the GoFundMe page and return to comment back on Restless Hare’s FB. 



Good Luck…..

Prize draw:
Full terms and conditions
Promoter: Restless Hare, Cae Rhug Lane, Gwernaffield, Mold, CH75DY
Prize draw entry criteria: Donate money to the GoFundMe page titled “Please help Leah get her life back” and comment Restless Hare, then comment on Restless Hare’s Facebook post on the photo of the print you would like to win!
Restrictions:
UK entrants only
One entry per household
Prizes:
1 winner chosen at random with the prize of a limited edition print as shown on Facebook page at the competition date.
Sorry, cash alternatives will not be given.
Winners may be announced on Facebook and via this website. Exemption may be requested and granted at my discretion.
Deadline:
Prize winners will be notified within 28 days
People with no access to Facebook may enter by contacting me at rachel@restlesshare.com or in writing to Restless Hare, Cae Rhug Lane, Gwernaffield, Mold CH75DY

For the past few days I have been busy working on a sculptural piece of an otter swimming. For most of those days it has been a bit wet or windy so I have been quite content indoors but not today, with full sun streaming into the kitchen the chores can wait and it is far too sunny for the studio too!

There are lots of stages to these pieces and I have to be very patient whilst each layer dries and it has been quite a few days just getting this far. Making the most of natural fallen branches and drift wood and then combining them with other natural materials to create a piece of art starts right from when the piece of wood is spotted often by the children or indeed the dog. Then it comes back to the yard and spends many months drying out before I can study it some more, and discover it’s potential. Branches often lead to otters for obvious reasons but this piece was really unusual in it’s form and once complete it will be mounted so that this one is almost vertically diving. Once finished he will be given a protective coating so that he can be displayed outdoors.

I love walking along the River Alyn early in the morning before it gets too busy with other dog walkers. I’ll often see a little Grey Wagtail or Dipper and if I’m especially lucky the flash of unexpected blue as the kingfisher shoots out of sight. I’m lucky that Beltane doesn’t frighten the water wild-life away as he is far too afraid of water to want to go near, and so whilst he snuffles for rabbits I can make a few quick sketches. Having spotted this little Dipper dotting from stone to stone I knew I was going to be in for a full day in the studio – it was so dazzlingly sleek, feather perfect and just couldn’t keep still! I’ve been wanting to paint a Dipper for such a long time and this one was such a little show off – a complete star! So, here it is, aptly named “Seren”… my little Alyn Dipper.