15 April 2011

8x8cm Impressions Tulips and Roses

Impressions.
It's full blown spring in England and one can see the change so dramatically, suddenly everything is in bloom. Daffodils appear from no where , crocuses and snowdrops pop up through the grass that has been sleeping all winter, and the TULIPS (my favourite flower) are in abundance on the window boxes, the garden beds, and pots of all shapes and sizes.They come in  all colours. Glorious, glorious, Spring.


I now understand why the folk of yore honoured the seasons so vehemently. Their life depended on them. They honoured the Solstices and the Equinoxes, all the seasons and mid seasons too. They were performed by our/ my ancestors and they are still celebrated today. 
  
Yule / Winter Solstice is on or near December 21st  here in the northern hemisphere, nights get longer and days get shorter.

Imbolc / Imbolg / Candlemas - February 2nd
Imbolc means, literally, 'in the belly' (of the Mother) and in the womb of Mother Earth new life is truly stirring, nuts and seeds symbolize new beginnings.This is when the snowdrops and crocuses push their way out of the still-cold earth.


Ostara - Spring Equinox - is on or near March 21st  light and darkness are in balance, but the light is growing stronger as days continue to grow longer. Life Energies emerge quickly now and the very air seems to vibrate with promise (this I am seeing now in my new land). Celebration is to colour eggs, as it is an ancient symbol of fertility. 


Beltaine / Beltane / May Day - May 1 
From the Irish Gaelic Bealtaine meaning Bel-fire (the fire of Bel, Celtic God of light) Beltaine is primarily a fertility festival.

Midsummer / Summer Solstice - is  on or near June 21st
Midsummer is the longest day of the year. 


Lughnasadh / Lammas - August 1
Even though Lughnasadh occurs at the warmest time of the year, it marks the time at which days become noticeably shorter and so is considered the starting point of the autumn quarter of the year. 

Mabon / Autumn Equinox - is  on or near September 21
Mabon is the time of the second harvest, when fruits are ready for collection. The land is showing clear signs of the journey towards winter. This will be a strange experience for me as my birth day is usually in Spring now it will be in Autumn.

Samhain, All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en - October 31
This is the Last Harvest and New Year's Eve to the ancient Celts. Samhain is also a day for honouring our ancestors, laying an extra place at the dinner table for those who have passed over to the Summerlands. In Mexico they celebrate the Day of the Dead.
 If we contemplate the Wheel of the Year, we come to recognize our own part in the eternal cycle of Life. 
We need to become conscious of our Earth so that she can heal , before it's too late.

I did a series of small 8x8cm canvases of tulips and roses , in a free impressionist style because this new season, 
here in England, 
has had a profound impact on me. 
It is also a new season of my life!








The above paintings have all be painted since I settled in England. 

They are for sale. Please e mail me on ronniebiccard@gmail.com 

for inquiries on sizes and prices .

http://ronniebiccardartist.weebly.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronniebiccard