June marks the beginning of meteorological summer and woodlands are utterly bursting with life. With trees in full leaf and summer wildflowers emerging, forests feel abundant and bountiful as we move away from spring into long summer days…
In the Woods this Month
A Sign of Summer: Foxgloves
Many summertime flowers begin to emerge in woodlands from June onwards, including the beautiful foxglove. So much folklore and superstition is wrapped up in this wildflower, it was said to be sacred to fairies as well as used in witchcraft. Witches' Gloves and Dead Men's Bells are just two folk names of the foxglove, a clear nod to their highly poisonous nature.
Magnificent and just utterly enchanting the wonderful foxglove is such an eye catching part of any woodland, and perfectly represents the wild beauty that forests hold.
You can find the art print of my White Foxglove painting here if you’d like to bring this forest wildflower into your own home.
Taking Flight: Moths & Butterflies
I’ve been exploring the wonderful world of moths and butterflies as I work on my current painting collection. The variety of shapes, patterns and colours of these tiny creatures is just incredible!
Mostly active during spring and summer, June is a perfect time to start spotting them, especially on a still and sunny day. The Butterfly Conservation has an identification guide here on their website if, like me, you need a helping hand!
A Little Nature Connection
Supporting moths and butterflies in our gardens
The Butterfly Conservation’s Wild Spaces project has some handy resources on ways we can encourage moths and butterflies into our own gardens (big or small) and support populations. If you’re interested, you can find lots of ideas over on the Wild Spaces website including making a fruit feeder, butterfly friendly plants for pots, to transforming your lawn for pollinators.
In the Studio this Month
This month I’ll be launching my new original art collection, a series of new gouache paintings inspired by summer woodlands. Each new painting will explore the hidden wonders and enchanting moments found in forests at this beautiful time of year.
These new paintings will be available first to those on the collector's waitlist. You can join here if you wish, and you’ll get £25 to spend when the collection is released.
So far, I’ve worked on paintings of wild strawberries, honeysuckle, ivy, ferns, as well as something a little different...
The collection will include a new woodland inspired take on traditional still life floral art, featuring bountiful summertime vases overflowing with all sorts of forest finds, birds, moths and beautiful blooms.
Imagine a summer-time forest. Birdsong welcomes us wanderers beneath leafy green trees, which offer dappled shade to mosses, ferns and ivy below. Honeysuckle, bramble and wild rose tangle and clamber along the edges of a woodland path, inviting moths, bees and beautiful butterflies to dance in the hazy air around us...
Join the waitlist for first access to the collection
Art Print of the Month
The robin art print takes centre stage this month. A well-loved character of our gardens, woodlands and across the wider countryside throughout the year. The robin is also one of the very first birds to perform their song in the dawn chorus, joined by many other birds as the sun rises.
Originally painted in gouache, this artwork features two robins nestled in summertime honeysuckle, elder and bramble.
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