Shoebill Print

I'm loving the new wildlife series on BBC1 - Africa with David Attenborough aren't you?

Tonight I see we are going to learn about the nesting habits of the Shoebill - which I am looking forward to especially as I've had quite a soft-spot for these birds for some time.  I adore Shoebills in fact, and to see hitherto unfilmed Shoebill activity in the wild, will be a real treat.

Here's a Shoebill collagraph print I did, whilst in a particularly deep phase of Shoebill fascination!  Let me know if you think I achieved a good likeness!

Shoebill - Collagraph Print of a Shoebill by Jennifer Tetlow

It seems to have been ages - and I've missed you all!

Hare Christmas Decoration in stone - carved by Jennifer Tetlow

And missed all your blogs - and mine!  I'll be catching up with everyone just as soon as I can.

Anyway lots to show you and lots of news - and plenty happening and planned for 2013.  

It is snowing hard here and I'm having an indoor day - organising the mess in my office - everything except carving and sculpting stone has been side-lined rather and I'm going through piles of stuff marked 'deal with later' - a huge, now 'can't wait', mound!

Be kind, I'm easing my way back into blogging regularly and so much looking forward to talking with you all again.

Oh, above is a Hare decoration I have made for (the fast approaching) Christmas time.

Stoat Family

I was early to the workshop this morning, in an attempt to get some carving done before it became too hot and it wasn't long before I had to stop to take breath.  The sun scorched into a baking heatwave in no time.  I sat in the shade with my back against the trunk of my old sycamore tree and after a few moments caught a movement out of the corner of my eye.  There was a dash and a dart and a shiny head appeared, blinking and bold.  Then another, and another.

The mother stoat had brought her brood out - they played and bounded in ripples and rolled and twisted, sprang and pounced - she called and they were eagerly around her and in a blur withdrew under the shed.

What a magical few moments!  Last year a stoat made her home under one of my pallets of stone and also had young - it would be nice to think it was the same female.  I made a number of sketches of her, and I will try to do the same with this family.  This sketch has become one of my best selling greetings cards.

Watching the mother stoat later that day, it reminded me of an article by Mike Bagshaw in local paper the Gazette & Herald 'The Stoat at Work in the English Hedgerow' as there she was bounding down the lane, through the hedge and back to my sheds carrying prey.   She knew I was there and skirted around me, taking cover where she could, and popping up again in a different spot - despite her heavy load she was much too cunning, quick and agile for me to get a picture.