Butterflies and Wild Orchids

These photos are from a walk around the Howell Hill Nature Reserve

It is an area of chalk grassland tucked away behind some school playing fields on the edge of suburbia.

Below The small blue butterfly, Cupido minimus, is Britain's smallest butterfly at below 2 cm

The larval and adult food source is kidney vetch.

below Common spotted orchid

Monday Mood Board, Moss green

This is my newest scarf painted freehand on damp silk. The colours are soft pastel shades and were fixed by ironing.

It is available to buy here

I made this silk scarf sometime ago using the arashi technique. Arashi is a type of Japanese shibori which involves folding and twisting the silk in a specific way, it is then wrapped around a pole before applying the colours. While still on the pole the colours are steamed to make them permanent.

It is available to buy here

Monday Mood Board

I have been working in the garden today and that has inspired me to make this mood board using moss greens.

some favourites from the europeanstreetteam on etsy

Moss brush birribe for Europeforcharity

Green branch stoneware ring by LAccentNou

iPod sleeve by sleevy

Big O ear rings by deerlola

for more mood boards visit Star of the East's blog here

Work in Progress, More Lavender

I have been mounting some silk paintings ready to be framed. I originally did these paintings as part of the City and Guilds course in silk painting. This was a few years ago and they have been

hiding away in a portfolio. They are to go in an exhibition in July.

The silk I used was crepe de chine and is quite stretchy. First I positioned the painting on a piece of mount card then worked my way round adjusting it then holding in place with tape. I want the painted border to be even all the way round as I will probably put this into a frame without a mount (mat) Then I lace it on the back with stitches. These can be adjusted later if necessary.

working in the garden

fixing the tape
starting to lace the back with stitches using a non tangle thread. The non tangle thread worked really well, even when it got in a tangle it untangled very easily.

still some way to go!

Painting at the Mall Galleries

Entrance to the Mall Galleries London

My recently painted Strelitzias (previous post) has been accepted for an exhibition in the Mall Galleries in London. I also have cards and Giclee prints in this exhibition. It is the 150th exhibition of the Society of Women Artists. It will be opened by HRH Princess Michael of Kent on Wed 29th June at 11am and runs until the 9th July.

For more details of the exhibition click here

For more of my silk paintings that have been shown with this group click here