Winter Solstice - the Call to go Within

Looking around the valley where we live, after three days of torrential rain, I am amazed by how quickly the valley rights itself. Yesterday it was flooded to a level we have rarely seen. Spontaneous waterfalls spouted from the hills around us and the sheep huddled as far up the fields as they could, away from the fast flowing water. However, in this steep-sided valley though the rain arrives regularly it leaves astonishingly quickly.

Today, the mountains are steaming - wisps of cotton drifting above and around the fell sides. It feels almost tropical. The light is subdued, the trees are dark, and the river has returned to its boundaries. Apart from the slender tinkling calls of robins and long-tailed tits, everything is hushed and still.  We breathe it in. The quiet. A quietness in both nature and people. No one is out. No cars are rushing by. For this moment, it feels like time is suspended. I feel space opening up within me as I let the silence in.

‘Golden Seeds’ - goldfinch. Watercolour on cotton paper, 16×16”. Framed in white solid wood frame.

HIDING FROM THE WEATHER

When the weather is wild, birds and animals act differently. As I write this I see six blackbirds huddled in the hawthorn bush at the head of my garden - I normally only see one or two at this time of year. In front of my window, a very old clematis has wrapped itself around the shape of the glass, always trying to encroach a little further into our view. Huddled in its many branches, I will often see wrens or blue tits sheltering here from torrential rain.

In the late months of autumn/early winter, we also often see birds that we wouldn’t see at other times of year. Some of these are migratory birds, passing through en route to their wintering grounds, and perhaps temporarily stranded on a beach or field near us when the weather blows in. Others become visible because of loss of foliage in the trees and undergrowth, or because of changes to their feeding habits - suddenly we get to see them more regularly when we wouldn’t otherwise.

And winter is a good time for an artist. The many sketches I made earlier in the year come home to roost at this time as I knuckle down and begin to breathe life into them, creating the next collection of paintings. It is like bringing all the other seasons into my studio. Here in winter, I find myself back in summer as I picture the sun glinting off the ducks I was watching on the estuary in June. As I look at my sketches from Sizergh castle, I am back to February watching Hawfinch picking food from the ground. And I move into autumn as I contemplate sketches of stonechats standing proud on tussocks of heather and fence posts. Snuggled inside, I can bring those seasons back to mind - and hopefully to the page.

Being an artist is almost a kind of sorcery …

A quick sketch can send us straight back to the moment we drew it,

and the resulting painting brings that place, creature and season to life on the paper.

‘In the Reeds’ - bearded tits, watercolour on cotton paper, 12×12”. Available with or without frame.

A NEW COLLECTION

I am embarking on two new collections of work this winter. The first of these is ‘In their Element’ and the two paintings shown here are part of it.

For me, the purpose of a new collection of work is twofold - it gives my work focus and direction for the months ahead, and it allows me to challenge myself. Whilst I love creating abstracted backgrounds for animals and birds, people often remark on how much they love it when I place a wild creature in its native habitat. Such scenes can be like a snapshot of the natural world, taking us out of ourselves and back into the wild.

The goldfinch painting above inspired this new collection. Instead of making the bird the entire image, it now becomes this delicate grace note, seemingly merging into the sun-drenched teasels around it. I have so many ideas for the paintings that will go in this collection and look forward to sharing them with you. To stay up-to-date, subscribe to my newsletter using the link below, or follow me on Instagram: @rachel.singleton.art

If you have any thoughts or reflections on this blog post or wish to know more about the paintings here, please get in touch.