As someone who's artwork is totally inspired by the natural world, I'm surprised it's taken me so many years to learn to love the winter months.
With an August birthday, I believe my earliest memories shaped this theory. Memories of happy days playing in the sun, long sunny school holidays, picnics and ice cream - oh yum - what's not to like! I took this thought into adult life, heading to the sunshine for a January holiday was the norm for a while. I felt I needed a rest after the busy Christmas season, and ached for the return of spring. The warmth of the sun, the birds singing and the buds appearing, in preparation for colour to return to the landscape. I totally overlooked winter, and really thought it was a sad and dreary patch of year that needed to be endured, not enjoyed - Oh what a fool I was!
Moving to the Devon countryside has given me a new insight and appreciation for this season. Surrounded by farmland and watching how relentless the farmers workload is in spring, summer & autumn, the winter gifts them with a shorter day and the chance to slow down.... albeit just a little.
Without street lights here, winter nights give me beautiful starry filled skies to explore and enjoy. The comfort of the log burner, watching the hypnotic flames dance whilst warming body and soul after a chilly winter walk. So then there's the walks; with an abundance of ancient forests nearby, winter gives a fabulous opportunity to view their intricate and ginormous forms whilst they sleep. Nature isso beautiful when resting, there's so much inspiration still to be found. The shifting skies, amazing murmurations, frosty, snow topped moors, bright blue winter skies, heavy colour filled dark clouds, huge moons and super suns. The glowing red earth bare for the season and the almost florescent green Devon fields, oh and then there's the coastal paths... maybe don't get me started on those too - that's another blog entirely!
It's taken me closing my physical shop and moving to the middle of the countryside to appreciate winter, but it really doesn't need to be that drastic a change for it to happen. Simply slowing down, looking - and truly looking again, literally having time to wake up and smell the coffee, light the wood burner and simply be present, is all it takes.
I hope if you're reading this you are able to find some slow time this winter, let Mother Nature be your guide over the weekends and rest while she does. The onset of spring will be here soon enough... and then it's all systems go once more!