The Siren Song of the Studio

Another week is ending and Brian and I have been working every day on the troll book. There are so many advantages to working at home but I think the biggest disadvantage is never really being able to walk away from work. The siren song of the studio is SO seductive (say that fast) and no matter where in the house we are, we can both hear it calling from our respective studios day and night. “Just one more bit of painting - just another adjustment on a costume” - and worst of all “-just one more look on the computer!” 

When the weather permits, we take the car and drive out to the moor in the evening with Elfie (the dog) and just walk. It’s just about the only time that the call of the studio is silent. Having said that -we usually go right back and use what we’ve just seen and experienced in what ever piece it is we’re working on. I’m not complaining (no, really I’m not), I love being able to wander in to the studio at any time and pick up from where I left off earlier, without having to think about getting there or making time for it.

After talking about the spotted ponies I wanted to photograph, and not finding them again, I’ve been driving around, looking for interesting things to show you all. I went out by myself on a very misty early evening a few days ago and came across a herd of beautiful brown, shaggy, long horned cows. They just emerged from the mist at the side of the road. It’s always quite eerie to see animals walking through the mist. There are sheep everywhere too, but this one was nice enough to stand still while I took a photo from my car window - just before I almost drove into a stone wall as I was looking at the sheep. I did eventually find the spotted ponies again, but it was very late at night as I was returning from our monthly Faerie Godmothers evening in Chagford. It was far too dark to take photos of the ponies but at least now I know they DO exist.

If any of you remember a “Faerie Magazine” issue a few years ago that had six faery godmothers from Chagford in it - well, that’s us. We get together monthly to talk, eat, catch up on each other’s lives and send out healing energy. I highly recommend it! Every once in a while Brian gets to be an honorary faery godmother too -but then, he IS special!
Here’s a photo of Brian, taken this week when we went walking in the beautiful gardens of a stately home near us. The trees were absolutely enormous and the trunks beautifully twisted. They reminded me of the whomping willow from Harry Potter.

Brian took his troll sketchbook back to work from so I couldn’t steal a sketch from it this week. I scanned this drawing that I have pinned up near my computer instead. I’m never quite sure if this little creature is wearing a bathrobe and slippers or a trench coat. I’m inclined to think it’s a trench coat. Perhaps this is the Philip Marlowe of the faery world. I used to think he was the embodiment of my depression, (not Philip Marlow - this creature) but really - he’s much too cheerful (or perhaps I’m just not depressed). I now think of him as the faery detective. I haven’t actually asked Brian who he is. He’s probably something completely different, but I’ll just keep my illusions!

That’s it. Done. Here’s one more photo of Elfie sitting on a chair in our kitchen. He never sits on his haunches - he sits on his bottom with his legs stretched out in front. Cute but strange -but then what else would you expect from our household.