Finally a heron!

  It's been a struggle, plenty of procrastination going on, but I finally got a couple of herons out.

2 slightly different variations. They both use mono printed  & painted papers. The top one has a paper 'reverse applique' half moon, a cut out heron & a double swipe with my tree branch screen ordered & kindly made by Linda Stokes. I've hopefully 'repaired' the smudges made when I 'squashed' the 1st swipe with the 2nd swipe - you live & learn. I used printing medium to drop the Brusho powders into which keeps the ink 'open', but then it takes an age to dry.... I love the jumble of branches, which is what I saw, of course, but I kept the 2nd one to a single swipe.

The 2nd version has a full moon - that's called artistic license, isn't it? made from some packaging & a paper 'reverse applique' heron. I've drawn in highlighting the heron & the edges of things & had to add a bit of gold wax stick here & there. Then I stitched around, just a little. They're both about 5/6" x 12" or so.

 When I washed my screen the 1st time I was gutted to watch a beautiful indigo run down the sink. I was ready the 2nd time with a bit of paper, just to catch the color. The white seems to have gone pink.

 I took a pic of the background before going further - I liked the paint over glue resist - only because I'm a messy gluer & the 'prints' you can get from the remains on the pallet.

Additions to the sketchbook page - I'll stitch the sample soon as it was still wet - I'd dried the 'real' pieces over the heater. I tried out a few different moons & used them to illustrate my observations of looking up at the half moon at every opportunity - the daytime half moon tilts forward, the evening one is straight up & down & the night moon rests back a bit. I must look out for the morning one.

A visit from 18 Greylags right in front of the house - i feel a goose coming on ;)

Beach combing in bitter winds but quite exhiliarating. Above is the back (I've decided) of a lid of some kind -  I'll take a proper pic for a background.

 The front - see the beady 'eye' in the 1st one? I'd have to turn it round as above. Don't do eyes.

This wonderful piece is about 1 foot by nearly 3, lovely.

There's a lot of activity with the Great Tits & Coal Tits in the garden, I think I saw a Blue Tit a while ago so I asked the DH would he kindly empty the box of the old nest - no maggots this time! Delighted to see the use of lime green & blood red fibers, along with sheep's wool; birds after my own heart.

No snow pics for me, I'm so jealous! Wrap up warm & enjoy your snow days if you have them.