The Hermitage 2014 Calendar

A SMILING PAGAN SUN rises on the cover of my brand new Hermitage 2014 Calendar, welcoming in twelve months of art - wonderful and strange and turning with the seasons. 

I am exceedingly proud to present to you this new creation, hot off the press!

A beautifully put together 7 inch square wall calendar printed on 100% recycled 170gsm paper by a worker's cooperative, sporting fabulous rustic riso-printed 280gsm 100% recycled brown kraft card covers featuring a newly designed woodcut-style sun and moon motif on front and back.

Inside there are twelve of my oil paintings, watercolours and clocks, chosen season-appropriately for each month. 

Each month-grid harbours close-ups from each painting.

The Solstices, Equinoxes, and Quarter Festivals as well as full and new moons are all marked for UK and USA. But best of all, the full moons are named according to the Old English tradition ~ Wolf Moon, Egg Moon, Hunter's Moon, Harvest Moon, Oak Moon etc...

 

This calendar has been thoughtfully and lovingly put together, and I have Tom Hirons to thank for the really beautiful design and layout, for which he has a far better head than I. The printing was done by the excellent Footprint Workers Coop in Leeds.

I am sure you'll agree that this is an unique and beautiful thing, which you'll want to give to all your loved ones this winter! 

The calendar will come with a small hole for hanging (not shown here as the photos were taken before hole-drilling). There is a limited supply of these calendars, so snaffle one while you can! I will also have some available on my stall at winter fairs this November, of which news soon.

I have thoroughly enjoyed creating this little almanac of art, and as we wait for November's blood moon, I hope that it will be the first in a long line of books and printed collections to come!

The Hermitage 2014 Calendar

Artworks by Rima Staines

available here

Hello Yellow

HELLO YELLOW.

We wondered when you'd come...

...whistling down the lane in your suncoat,

laughing over your shoulder at the long dark winter who dawdled overlong on our doorstep.

 Will you stay a while and sing the warmth back in?

Tiny corners of our home in sunlight after rain

THIS WAY



There are crisscross shadows on the curtains



The kettle is always on



Green light shines through old wine bottles full of olive oil



And the strings of strange instruments shiver



The sun shines and so the oil lamp waits unlit



Paper plants tremble in the window



And pegs hang thinking about holding up washing



The porthole is a moon



There's dust on the dice



And in the oil paint



Once upon a times hide in unexpected places



And small wire horses gallop across window ledges



Two knarled fellows crouch and grimace at one another



The sun paints colours of India here and there



And wooden eggs nest on string



Birdsong hangs silhouetted



And the sun after rain shines on through our windows

Sun on the chimbleys

THE SMELL OF SPRING is here and has brought a wonderful uplifting sunshine with it. We have walked around the hills scarf-and-gloveless and dawdled to look ... and pick up little crystal stones that glint in the sun without icy winds whipping round our gills and hurrying us indoors again. We've sat on the wet spongy moss grass and noticed frost still lurking in the shadows. And we've sat drinking cups of tea on the front wall listening to playing children on half term holidays .
A little bit of sun makes a big difference and we are busying away with our work with a new vigour. Of course there's more rain predicted by the end of the week but hey-ho... it's lovely for now... and so blue.