Shakespeare. Calphurnia. Dreams of Doom.

Here is Caesar's wife Calphurnia, awaking from dreams where she foresees Caesar's death in Act III.

DO NOT GO FORTH TODAY, she says, but he goes forth and - well you know what happens. Perhaps going forth after a Dream of Doom isn't a good idea.








You can see more gift cards featuring finger puppet characters on my website;
www.francescakay.co.uk

Lohengrin. Transport. New Year.

Lohengrin considers his transport options.

Let's hope we all find ourselves on the
right track in 2013.

Happy New Year!






You can see more opera finger puppets here;    www.francescakay.co.uk

Ampersand - holly and ivy

Here is holly and ivy. I feel red is a little too vibrant, so will reprint with green, and put little red dots for the holly berries. I like the Santa hat though, in green it will look more like an elf.

I propped the linocut up on the laptop to take the photo, and really like the strip of  blue screen at the top of the image.

Ampersand - then and now

Another lino cut ampersand, providing the link between past and present.  I am pleased with the headscarf!

and then - the ampersand

I have always loved the ampersand - not least the wonderful sound of the word. It's a lively shape, and a gateway to the future. If you have access to the word AND then a story can never end.

This is my first ever linocut.
I am rather fond of the ampersand's handbag.

parrot tulips squawking through the garden

disrupting pastel
tearing through green
untidy
exuberant
parrot tulips are well named

Add caption

  

   

One More Parsifal Knitted Greetings Card, and then no more!

  I had to make a couple of Flower Maidens, to meet up with the knitted Parsifal in the flowery meadow.
The caption says 'the Flower Maidens dream of their lovers, and the beautiful youth, Parsifal.'

I think that's it now for knitted Parsifal, but...

A Found Alphabet. Number One. The Letter A.

I was riding along the edge of a field,  the grass full of sticks thrown onto the grass from the hedgecutter.

I spotted this letter A, and decided to make a found alphabet.


I wonder when and where I will see the letter B.




                                                                 
My horse has got used to stopping while I take photos with my phone, look at wild flowers, and try to identify wild birds. 





                                                                                                                                                               

Wordsworth's Daffodils

This is the beautiful wild daffodil. It's the flower that Wordsworth would have seen.  It's small and dainty, and has a subtle charm that today's larger and more brightly coloured daffodils lack.

 They have reminded me to look at the
famous poem again, and appreciate it.

These are in Turnastone Churchyard, which
earlier in the year was a carpet of
snowdrops.

reflections

There is something magical about a
mirror in the garden.








Like Alice, I want to step through the looking glass into a strange yet familiar world.

Amazing Pink Orchid

Stranded in the Garden Centre between Christmas and New Year, this orchid was in a sad sale of plants that really weren't going to be kept much longer. That was two years ago, and it's been in flower ever since. Every morning I come into the kitchen and the amazing splash of pink greets me. I recommend an orchid for brightening the dark winter days.

First Flowers of Spring

Here are the first spring flowers in my garden.
Simple hellebores, rising up from the mud, unspoilt by the wind and rain, and
looking so beautiful.

Merry Christmas!

Humpty Dumpty and the Forest of Doom

Humpty gazes at the celery forest.
All he has to do is jump down off the wall,
then he can go and explore.

Sea Dogs at the Swansea Music Festival. Argh!

What a villainous crew!

Students from WCMD,
and in front composer
Gareth Wood,
conductor Kevin Price,
and me - at the Brangwyn Hall
in Swansea,  after a rampaging
performance of Sea Dogs as part
of the Swansea Music Festival, in
association with Ty Cerdd.

What a great day!
More performances are planned.
Stand by your hammocks!

Performing my own story, illustrated with such great music, played so well - perfect.

Sea Dogs. A Musical Experience.

 The Jolly Roger flew from the flagpole of St Asaph Cathedral to celebrate the first performance of
SEA DOGS - A PIRATE TAIL today. It was a real pleasure to perform my words with Gareth Wood's music  which is  for symphonic brass and percussion. Needless to say, the front couple of rows of children had their hands over their ears for the very loud bits!

As you can see, I looked rather fetching in my pirate outfit, surrounded by some villainous types.

Rehearsing for a World Premiere! Yo ho

The Jolly Roger will be flying over St Asaph Cathedral at 11am on 27th and 28th September 2011 for the first performances of Sea Dogs - a Pirate Tale, as part of the North Wales International Music Festival.

It's a piece for narrator, symphonic brass and timpani. It was commissioned by Ty Cerdd. I wrote the words and am going to narrate, and Gareth Wood wrote the music.

 The Cathedral will be filled with children, I think they're all going to be dressed as pirates, along with the musicians and myself. It's going to be noisy, shipmates, and huge fun. 

I can't think of anything better as a writer than to perform my words to wonderful music before a large audience of over excited children!

I am going to a rehearsal on Sunday, but have been rehearsing at home, and also making myself a costume, and a pirate tote bag to carry my score.

Coping with the Trees

I love typing errors.
In a recent email I typed I am only just coping with the trees, which is so much more interesting than with the stress.

Jack was liking his paws was another I was pleased with, as my cat does rather like himself.

Best of all was in a recipe, when I typed Make sure you take the butler out of the fridge in plenty of time. Essential advice, I am sure you will agree.

Harvest Time

 I remember the year the fullstop harvest failed. No conversations were finished, and not one novel ended. Anyone found separating an ellipsis faced a heavy fine, and letterpress practitioners were hunted down and robbed. 

Everyone was exhausted by the end of the year.

Poets survived best, and babies were unaffected.