Thursday 23 October 2008

Treescapes & Seasons (..Seascapes & Treasons?)



UP IN OUR CORNER of Scotland where the clouds are almost within reach, we are being buffeted and blown, whipped by the tails of gales and peppered with ices and hails. Even a flurry of snow happened upon us the other day. It is freezing and wet and the shortlived warm autumn colours are being blown off their branches and lay sludged at the roadside in a brown puddled patchwork.

I have just finished a small commissioned watercolour painting of a crow, sitting up in winter branches overlooking a small hamlet in the hills where a chimney smokes and reminds him of the origins of fire. This painting is for Melanie who loved the Lenape legend of the rainbow crow and the smoking chimney is a remnant of the fire in this tale. I delved into my lovely brand new box of watercolours for this painting and used a smidgen of gouache for the snow on the branches.
As he is packaged up and readied for a trip to the post office (a windy six mile journey for us) I am stacking books upstairs into "going", "staying" and "mum and dad's house" piles... there's rather a lot to fit into our compact little rolling home.

The other day I bought a tiny locally grown pumpkin which we roasted in the oven, and after we'd eaten it we curled up to watch a lovely film which we had already seen at the cinema, but wanted to see again. It is a Gaelic film, a tale of a grandfather on the isle of Skye and of the tales that he tells to his grandchildren, and of the mystery in the seas and trees of the island. It is a beautiful film, all spoken in Gaelic using unknown actors and painted sonically with a haunting musical score. Here's the trailer... I highly recommend you buy it, download it, enjoy it. It's called SEACHD: The Inaccessible Pinnacle.




Wishing you all warm ends of Octobers with no draughts blowing down the gaps ..

40 comments:

Koldo Barroso said...

Oh, I love this Rima! It's a little "Rackhamnesque", istn't it? Beautiful!
You know, where I live now there are crows all over the place and I've been drawing some lately, I need to post some sketches. They remind me of England so much!

Thanks for the email, take care :)

beadbabe49 said...

Another lovely piece, rima...I'm looking forward to the beginning of your journey...I hope you'll write?

Kay said...

What a beautiful site. Your artwork, design, photography and words are lovely. Totally inspiring.

Kim said...

More beautiful pictures, as always, and I love crows sooo much.

I've tagged you on my blog, but only if you want to drop by and take a look.

Kim x

Christina Silverio said...

Gorgeous painting! So very happy I found your work. You have discovered my weakness, I'm afraid; I do so adore crows. :)

Danielle Barlow said...

Oh, I can never resist a corvid! as if you couldn't guess ;)
This one is simply beautiful. Crows and pumpkins are a perfect combination!

herhimnbryn said...

A wonderful painting Lady R. As it came up on the screen two Magpies in my garden waddled upto the terrace door and warbled good morning!

Anonymous said...

Oh MY. Will you be making prints of this one? I love it!

Anonymous said...

Love the crow! It's just such a wonderful piece.

tlchang said...

It is wonderful (I live in the same part of the world that Koldo now does. Yes, lots of crows).

The movie sounds lovely - I assume there are subtitles?

Anonymous said...

Ooh, that one's really lovely. I used to see crows all the time where I worked in California, and now here in Idaho too. And one of my favorite magical authors, Charles DeLint, has some recurring characters called the Crow Girls, who are sometimes human sometimes crow.

Sarah E. said...

I am absolutely entranced by your enchanted world! Also, love the play on Treescapes and Seasons...your work is amazing and awesome and there just aren't enough words to describe your special brand of magic!

Anonymous said...

I love this painting, it's so very atmospheric. The film looks interesting, I'm going to add it right now to my 'Lovefilm' list! Thanks for the recommendation :)x

Karen said...

I shall definitely be searching this film out to watch! I love anything with a gaelic/celtic feel to it.
Have you ever seen 'Into the West' An irish film about two boys, their father a traveller gypsy and a white horse? (I love that film)

I also love the crow and your latest clock! :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for fitting this in. You must be so busy. I'll let you know when it arrives. Have you any suggestions on framing?

Anonymous said...

here in the upper north of the US it is blustery and wet and cold as well. i am eager for our first snow, but inside is cosy and warm and just as i like it!
the crows here are making themselves known, as they wave goodbye to the geese winging their way south...
thinking of you as i take my tea from my new "hermitage series" mug!

Griffin said...

I love the crow. Crows are some of the finest urban fliers and I love the sight of them flying with their pinions outspread.

I admit that the image had lots of ideas for stories in it for me... I love the way you've done the tree too.

No to draughts down the gaps here, officer, honest!

mister M said...

comme toujour, MAGNIFIQUE, ton univers m'entraine vers mon enfance, un bain de jouvence à chaque visite chez toi, merci
;)

Kim said...

I love your work so much, but don't always leave a comment, as you have sooo many, that it must take forever to read them :) I do love losing myself here though.

Kim x

An Gàidheal Pàganach said...

I loved this film when I encountered it earlier this year, so much so I did a review of it.

I am looking forward to more Scots Gaelic films in the future. In the meantime, I am desperately trying to learn the languge myself.

Jennifer MacNeill said...

Gorgeous painting! One of my favorite subjects.

laughingwolf said...

simply marvy, thx rima :D

The Great Ethan Allen said...

what a wonderful blog! there is soo much to comment on! I'll just have mark it and keep finding something new to say. Wonderful paintings.

laoi gaul~williams said...

a gorgeous painting~i am another lover of crows.

Nao said...

You always manage to catch a kind of wonderous mystery and enchantment in your paintings. You have a way of illustrating those things that cannot always be said, but felt, somewhere in the deep down. Indeed, I love your work.

Griffin said...

Rima,

You have been nominated for an award by me (it's 'cos you're worth it!) on mine and Madame's blog.

Hope you're not too cold at the moment.

MJ Ornaments said...

Hi Rima,
Your crow is gorgeous. You are a true artist. Hope you are doing well, and have a wonderful end of October too.
Take care,
Martha

Elizabeth said...

Sounds dismal and cold in your corner of Scotland.
But the bird picture is lovely.
Here in New York it is warm but with wild wet weather like at the beginning of Porphria's Lover
"The rain set early in tonight........

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Lovely Mr. Crow in the snow. I an almost feel the crisp air on my face.
Thanks for the movie suggestions. Skye is heaven to me.

A.Smith said...

Dressed in velvet feathers against the silky snow...I can see my breath as I walk through your painting. I am now more sure than ever that many fées guide your hands.

Jean-Jacques said...

I very much like your new header.

Been a bit too snowed under lately to write, but its nice to come over here and lose myself in your tales and imagery - its like therapy for my weary bones.

Vita said...

Very skillfully done crow. You must have studied bird anatomy at some point.
Off to look up that film, buy downnload or whatever it takes--the music has captivated me!

BT said...

Gorgeous crow painting Rima and now I'm off to browse your book store!!
Hope you can keep warm, it's so important.

Gina
x

Anonymous said...

Your painting is truly sublime. Crows are so important to us - we talk with them every day on our walk! You have perfectly captured their essence!

Seraph + Splendor

Lisa Evans said...

Beautiful Post Rima : )

Michelle said...

I LOVE the Crow. :-)

Gail said...

What a lovely painting Rima ... pity it was a comission and not for sale. My boyfriend and I both love crows and this painting brings to mind memories of being in the countryside and having a crow almost watching over us ...

Thanks for sharing it
-Gail X

Gail said...

What a lovely painting Rima ... pity it was a comission and not for sale. My boyfriend and I both love crows and this painting brings to mind memories of being in the countryside and having a crow almost watching over us ...

Thanks for sharing it
-Gail X

Curious Art said...

Magnificent snow crow-- it captures Winter perfectly-- & lovely musings on the season. I don't do Winter well myself... I miss gardening & dread feeling cold all the time. The only saving grace is the fireplace... we had our first fire last night & hot mulled cider spiked with rum... maybe I'll survive!

ArtSparker said...

Lovely feeling in this one, some sort of protecting spirit. The raven figures in native American stories, of course.