Honeychurch

This is a picture of the inside of the remote little church at Honeychurch, which is very aptly named for this tiny 12th century church is just so sweet. It has medieval wooden pews and a wall painting in the nave that is possibly the Royal Arms of Queen Elizabeth. It is a short walk from the village I now live in Sampford Courtenay.

December Daffodils

I was surprised to see these wild daffodils out in an orchard on a walk in the village of Exbourne, I don't think the Chickens were that impressed though! It has got a lot colder during this week and the tops of the Moor are today white with snow.

Redwings

There are masses of Redwings and Fieldfares about now, a real sign of cold weather. They are in large flocks stripping the hedges of their winter berries, I just wish more farmers would leave their hedge cutting till after the berries have gone. Here is a watercolour of mine of Redwings with Sloe berries.

GOLDCREST

There are quite a few Goldcrests about at the moment, they are one of my favourite birds, just so tiny. I have been watching them flitter amongst the Gorse bushes beside the Hunters path below Castle Drogo. Here is a picture of one of my watercolours of a Goldcrest

A Day in Cornwall

We had such a lovely day down in Cornwall this Sunday. The weather was great & really warm it was more like Spring than Winter with masses of Gorse in bright yellow bloom looking wonderful against the deep blue of the sea. There were plenty of Violets in flower, also Red Campion & Herb Robert. This picture was taken on a section of the coastpath near Nare Head which is near Veryan.

CASTLE DROGO SUNRISE

I managed to get up early enough to catch the sunrise on my walk on the hunters path below Castle Drogo, it lit up the windows as if the castle was on fire! I also managed to see a couple of beautiful male Fallow deer walking straight towards me on the path but unfortunately my camera was still in its case & I knew if I had moved they would have run away so I just stood still & enjoyed watching them.

DARTMOOR SUNSET

It has been very damp and grey here recently typical Dartmoor weather! So I was lucky to see this beautiful sunset over the moors on my drive home from the gallery, I managed to find a muddy field entrance to pull into and take this picture.

White Dove

We have a beautiful White Dove living in Chagford, it sleeps on the windowsills of the gallery and surrounding shops. We think it was released with another dove at a wedding here this summer, they were far too tame to realise about the danger of traffic so sadly its mate was run over. This one had no idea about fending for itself so we put out food for it each day and if I am late in doing this it scrabbles at the window above my door! It seems so happy now that after feeding it does a beautiful performance on the table outside my gallery, feathers fluffed it raises each wing in a balet like act!

Chagford, Autumn Morning.

The Autumn colours are now at their best on Dartmoor with the bracken a deep ginger colour which seems to glow in the low sunshine. Here is a picture of one of my Oil paintings of Chagford on an Autumn Morning. It is a view I know well as I walk along the river Teign most mornings & see this scene from the fields near Rushford Mill.

Sampford Courtenay, St Andrews Church

Here is a little watercolour I have just done of the beautiful church of St Andrew where I live in Sampford Courtenay. I wanted to paint it with the Autumn colours which are stunning at the moment. The church tower is covered in a bright yellow lichen which just glows in the late Autumn sunshine.

Fallow Deer Rut

On our recent trip to the New Forest we were really lucky in managing to find and watch a group of Fallow Deer rutting. The amazing sound drew us to the rutting ground and we stood transfixed till it was too dark to watch any longer. I managed to get several pictures of this magnificant male with his group of females.

Old Harry Rocks

We have just had a relaxing few days away and were so lucky to have some wonderful weather. Here is a picture of me on the dramatic and windy cliff tops above the Old Harry Rocks on the Isle of Purbeck.

Red Admiral & Wasp

We have had an abundance of both Red Admiral butterflies and wasps all enjoying the late summer weather and the fallen fruit, I counted 20 or more butterflies all sunbathing on the apple tree to warm up in the mornings!

CHARLESTOWN

Here is a picture of the quaint little harbour of Charlestown near St Austell in Cornwall which was built by local landowner Charles Rashleigh between 1790-1810. The tall ships moored here are often used in films and there was a film crew there on our visit. (the big black van)

Hare & Harvest Moon

Here is one of my recent oil paintings of Hares, I have called it Free Spirit. Earlier on in the year I saw this wonderful harvest moon and managed to get a nice photo if it which I put on my blog. This triggered off the idea for this painting which I have just framed. Hares are one of my favourite animals to paint and I have a section in my website http://www.devonsnatureinart.com/ dedicated to my Hare paintings. I also sell my Hare prints on the Hare Preservation Trust website and donate a percentage of each sale to their good cause.

HARE and FOX

I was watching a Fox hunting through the long grass in a field when I suddenly noticed a little way in front of it there was a Hare lying low in the grass. The Fox did not notice the Hare till it was nearly upon it and I feeling anxious for the Hare thought it would suddenly run for it. But to my surprise instead of running the Hare first sat up tall to show the Fox it was there and then stood up on its hind legs in boxing Hare position so it was taller than the Fox who seemed to have no further interest in it and continued on its way while the Hare soon went back to eating.

I managed to get several photo's but just wished I had a bigger lens on my camera to zoom in more!

PORT ISAAC

Here is a picture taken on a recent visit to the pretty fishing village of Port Isaac on the North Cornwall coast. It is the location for the TV comedy Doc Martin starring Martin Clunes. There are some dramatic walks along the cliff paths in either direction with Tintagel to the east and Port Quin and Padstow to the west.

SAMPFORD COURTENAY

This is a watercolour I have just completed of the village of Sampford Courtenay. I think it is one of the pretties in North Devon and is full of picture postcard charm. It is famous for the Prayerbook Rebellion which took place there in 1549. The elegant church of St Andrew is well worth investigating. It also has an excellent pub The New Inn.

Graylings & Small Heaths

The heather is in full flower and the bracken is getting its autumn colour, a time when I think the moorland looks its best. Here is a watercolour of mine with Grayling and Small Heath butterflies on heather and bracken as I have so often seen them.

FISHING AT THE SALMON POOL

I took this photo early this morning as I crossed the river Teign on the little wooden bridge that overlooks the Salmon pool just below Castle Drogo. It looked such a perfect picture in shades of green with the two men fly fishing there. The pool is usually full of large Trout & soon more of these & also Salmon will be leaping the steep rocks that lead into the pool.

EXETER CANAL

Exeter canal is looking really beautiful at the moment with its banks full of wildflowers. There are plenty of people enjoying boating & canoeing. This photo shows a lovely clump of Purple Loosestrife beside the canal and was taken near the famous Double Locks Inn which is an easy & interesting short walk from Exeter quay

SCORHILL STONE CIRCLE

Scorhill Down is a wonderful part of the moor to explore. It is not far from Chagford going out on the narrow road past Gidleigh where eventually there is a small parking area & you can walk straight out onto Scorhill. My picture shows part of the huge stone circle with views across to Fernworthy reservoir. There are also ancient clapper bridges, stone rows & hut circles in this area.

RAME HEAD

This is a spectacular bit of coastline to walk. We started from the pretty village of Cawsand where there is an easy climb through the woods to the cliff top. There were masses of butterflies enjoying the wildflowers all along the cliff path; in particular a great many Wall Butterflies & Red Admirals but still no Peacocks. This picture shows the view towards Rame Head with its ancient Chapel standing on the reamains of an Iron Age hill fort.

ST JOHN'S WELL HATHERLEIGH

This can be found on Hatherleigh Moor following the footpath down from near the Monument at the top of the moor, however it is not that easy to find being tucked in a hollow on the left of the next field about 100 yards from the signpost. It is surrounded by wildflowers including some Ragged Robin which is nice to see. The Holy water was once used for baptisms & can still be used as the door on the well is not locked.

HATHERLEIGH MOOR

We have recently discovered a new walk around Hatherleigh which takes in the pretty moorland with several unspoilt wildflower meadows and a pond and then on up to the top of the moor which has fabulous views towards Dartmoor also an ancient watchtower with even better views from the top of it. In a hidden hollow on the moor is St John's well, I will post a picture of this on my next blog.

This pictures shows one of the footpath signs covered in a mass of wildflowers.

HOPE COVE

This is one of my favourite sea-side places in Devon, it is near Kingsbridge in the South Hams. The picture shows the pretty beach of Outer Hope & just around the corner is the little harbour & pretty thatched cottages of Inner Hope. There are really stunning cliff walks in either direction, east towards Bolt Head or west to Thurlestone. I enjoyed several swims & a glorious hot day on the beach!

MOUNT EDGCUMBE

I am currently exhibiting some of my bird paintings in the "Visions of Nature" exhibition which runs from the 24th of July to the 6th of August in the Barrow Park Centre in Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Cremyll, Torpoint, Cornwall. The exhibition marks the 80th anniversary of the Cornwall Bird Watching & Preservation Society & features paintings, sculpture & photographs from some of the best wildlife artists in the UK. It is well worth a visit & when you have finished looking at the artwork the walks & views in that area are also stunning.

MARY WHIDDON

Here is one of the more unusual flower arangements in the Chagford flower festival. This is number 23 out of 42 amazingly clever flower displays. This one is set in the year 1641 and shows a ghostly figure of Mary Whiddon standing on her tomb in St Michael's Church. The stone slab is inscribed with the words "behold a matron yet a maid" and it is believed that Mary was killed on her wedding day by a jealous lover and that this was the inspiration behind R D Blackmore's book Lorna Doone.

CHAGFORD FLOWER FESTIVAL

There is a wonderful display of flowers in St Michael's Church in Chagford to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the dedication of the Church by Bishop Branscombe. Each display depicts a period in the history of the Church & Chagford dating from 500AD to 2011! Well worth a visit.

MARBLED WHITE BUTTERFLY

A lovely warm day has brought out lots of Butterflies & I spotted several Marbled White's, Greylings, Small Heaths, Gatekeepers & a Small Tortoiseshell on my walk below Castle Drogo this morning. I managed to get some nice photo's including this one of a Marbled White on Blackberry flowers.

The DRANG CHAGFORD

This quaint and narrow passage is next to Whiddons Eatery in the heart of Chagford and links through to Stannary Place past the old Cinema and into New Street, at the moment it is looking very pretty bedecked with flowers.

Groan About the NHS

I have not been out walking so much recently as I have hurt my knee which is very frustrating especially having to wait so long with the NHS just to find out what the matter is! This started in March but I did not get to see a specialist till mid May, then had to wait till the end of June for a scan & I now have to wait till August to see the specialist again to find out about it....I am tearing my hair out & missing my long walks & also finding all the stairs in the gallery a challenge! Oh well thats my groan over, & here is a picture taken in my garden of a cheerful poppy.

BUTTERFLIES AT GIDLEIGH PARK

I have been working on a commission of butterflies enjoying the wildflower meadow at Gidleigh Park which is a beautiful hotel just oustide Chagford. The painting is now nearly finished & shows male & female Common Blue butterflies together with a Marbled White, Meadow Brown & Small Copper butterfly.

DARTMOOR ZOO

Sorry not to have been blogging recently but we have just moved house & have been busy unpacking etc! Here is a picture taken recently of one of the beautiful Peacocks that wander the grounds at Ben Mee's wonderful Zoo which is in Sparkwell just above Plymouth. It is a great place for both adults & children to visit with Tigers, Lions, Brown Bears, Meercats, Jaguars, Monkeys,Wolves, Cheetas & much much more all in spacious outdoor spaces.

WILDLIFE ART SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL

I have just returned from the Wildlife Art Society International exhibition which is held each year at Wallsworth Hall in Gloucester. This is also the home of Nature in Art which is a wonderful place to visit if you are interested in wildlife art as it houses some of the very best in the world. Here is a picture of myself with the renowned artist Polyanna Pickering standing infront of some of our work.

SURPRISED FALLOW

While walking the Hunters Path below Castle Drogo a small group of Fallow deer shot across infront of me, the first one stopped in surprise at seeing me & I managed to get this picture of it looking quite startled! I love the pose.....

ART AT DELAMORE

Delamore Country House is in Cornwood near Ivybridge & each May holds an exhibition of sculptures in the beautiful gardens & artwork in the house. It is well worth a visit. Here in front of the house are two dogs by Melanie Deegan who's work I also show in my gallery in Chagford.

NUTHATCH

I am so pleased to see the Nuthatches are back in their nesting hole in a tree besides the river Teign. It is the fourth spring that they have used this nest & they are busy feeding young in it again. It is right beside the bridge below Castle Drogo & easy to see from here.

RED WEDDING DRESS

While we were enjoying the bluebells on Dartmoor there was a photographer with a model wearing a bright red wedding dress posing amongst the bluebells. This made a great contrast with the blue & red. I took some pictures of the action & here she is looking a trifle unbalanced on a granite stone!

YOUNG HARE

On our way back from Dunster I spotted a pair of ears sticking up from the long grass in a field near Beaford & sure enough it was a young Hare sitting munching away, ducking down when the Swallows flew close over its head. I managed to take several pictures of it from a convenient gateway. I am at present working on some oil paintings of Hares so this unexpected sighting is most helpful.

DUNSTER

We popped up to visit Dunster this week as I took some paintings to a gallery there. It was nice to explore this picture postard village again and at the moment it is looking so lovely will all the summer flowers coming out early with Swifts, Swallows & Martins flying overhead.

BLUEBELLS BELOW HAYTOR

Holwell Lawn on Dartmoor is a spectacular place to see a sea of bluebells & this year it seems better than ever. There are wonderful views across to Haytor which makes a perfect backdrop for the bluebells. Not many people expect to see bluebells on the moor but originally it was covered in a forest & I expect the bluebells carpeted its floor!

BLUEBELL TIME!

The bluebells here are now at their very best, I think the little bit of rain we have had recently has helped as everything was far too dry. I took this photo up in the Whiddon deer park, I saw no deer though but did catch a glimpse of a male Spotted Flycatcher!

YOUNG CANADA GOOSE!

I was so pleased to see mother Canada Goose out on the river here with one sweet little fluffy chick, I am sure she will have had more that just the one & wonder what has happened to these. I have seen Mink on the river & also a lucky glimpse of an Otter & her young could easily be their lunch!

BIOFUEL

These piles of beautiful mature Oak trees are waiting to be turned into Biofuel to heat Castle Drogo which you can just see on the hillside in the distance. They are proud to be reducing their Carbon emmissions by cutting down hundreds & hundreds of fine Oak trees in their prime to feed their new Biomass boiler! Surely trees are the best way of offsetting carbon emmissions? Have they also considered that by felling these trees they are removing countless nesting sites for birds & also killing thousands of insects etc.

Fingle Bridge

This beautiful old bridge over the river Teign is a good place to visit, it is not far from the pretty village of Drewsteignton. There are lovely walks in both directions along the river banks and a great pub beside the bridge for a drink and meal when you have finished. In my picture there is a fly fishing lesson going on on the other side of the bridge.

LAMBS ON THE MOOR

Dartmoor is now springing with newborn lambs, a real joy to see. But also a worry as they often dash across the roads to get to mum on the other side and love to sleep on or right beside them with tiny hooves protruding onto the tarmac! Which means you have to take extra care especially at night when they just look like lumps of granite!

FERNWORTHY RESERVOIR

This is a lovely place to take a picnic and enjoy the beautiful views over the reservoir to the moors beyond. There is a good footpath which goes right around the reservoir and you can often see Canada geese, Grebes & various ducks. At the moment there are lots of Swallows swooping low over the water catching insects & dipping in for a drink. It is also a favoured place for fishing.

PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY

So far it has been a very good year for butterflies & at the moment there are a lot of beautiful bright Pearl-bordered Fritillaries flying about on the heathland especially below Castle Drogo where there are also lots of Violets in flower; the food plant for their larva.

FIRST CUCKOO!

I heard my forst Cuckoo of the year yesterday evening, here in Chagford somewhere near our garden. It is always a thrill & especially so now they are getting so scarce.

The picture is of Delamore which is in Cornwood near Ivybridge in Devon. A beautiful place which is open to the public during the month of May when it holds its annual exhibition of paintings & sculptures.