A Portrait of Emily Bronte: The MINIATURE, The PAINTING and The DRAWING. The colour of Emily’s eyes “Their colour might be said to be dark grey, at other times dark blue, they varied so.” Reminiscences of Charlotte Brontë. Ellen Nussey.
“... In July, 1879, I paid a visit to Haworth and had an interesting interview with Martha Brown, the faithful servant who nursed all the Brontes, and saw them all die. She possessed many relics of the famous sisters which had been given her by Mr Bronte. Among them was the pencil sketch of Anne Bronte by Charlotte Bronte, which, however imperfect in drawing, is described by at least two who knew her well as an unmistakable likeness…. I purchased it on Martha Brown’s death from one of her sisters…. I deeply regret that I cannot add a portrait of the greatest genius among the sisters, Emily Bronte. Martha Brown possesseda very clearly and boldly drawn pencil sketch of Emily by Charlotte, which I in vain endeavoured to purchase. After her death, what she left was divided among four sisters, with all of whom I communicated without succeeding even in tracing the picture. …” William Robertson Nicoll, 1891
Clearly and boldly drawn pencil sketch of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ of Emily Bronte by sister, Charlotte. Dated 1844 – in the folds of the drapery.
In 1894, a reproduction of the ‘bonnet’ portrait of Emily Brontë appeared in the ‘Woman at Home’ – captioned “EMILY BRONTE – From a painting by Charlotte Bronte, hitherto unpublished.”
In 1896 – the reproduction appeared again in ‘The Bookman’ – only this time captioned as “Emily Brontë, from a portrait drawn by Charlotte”.
William Robertson Nicoll was the Editor of both the ‘Woman at Home’ and ‘The Bookman’ at the times of publication.
The Drawing: resting on the ‘Woman at Home’ 1894 volume 2.
“Her hair, which was naturally as beautiful as Charlotte’s, was in the same unbecoming tight curl and frizz…” Ellen Nussey. Detail from the drawing highlighting a monochrome wash of either ink or watercolour? a known practice of Charlotte’s.
The photogravure reproduction featured in the ‘Woman at Home’ – entitled, “EMILY BRONTE – From a painting by Charlotte Bronte, hitherto unpublished.” Reproduced by ‘Andre and Sleigh’
Detail from ‘The Painting’ – “The handling of paint for the skin shows Charlotte’s painstaking technique of using tiny daubs of grey paint as in stippling…” gleaned from ‘The Art of the Brontës’ by Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars – page 212.
The PAINTING – complete with a minuscule date for 1837 in the folds of the cloak.
Let there be light! The MINIATURE version next to a commemorative ‘Sir Isaac Newton’ fifty pence piece – an otherwise ordinary fifty pence piece – for size comparison. The miniature ‘bonnet’ portrait is teeny-weeny – the sitter measures just 50 x 52 mm.
Before becoming a novelist – Charlotte’s ambition was to be a professional miniaturist. I believe this tiny painting is the original version of the ‘bonnet’ portrait of Emily Brontë – painted from life.
The end of the rainbow. Charlotte was seemingly fond of using cloud-shapes as backgrounds – as in her painting ‘Lycidas’ to name one. In this instance, I think the singular leaden-grey cloud that Emily sits on – serves to encapsulate the openness and bleakness of Haworth Moor – that Charlotte’s sister so craved and loved…the Elements and Emily are Indivisible.
‘Emily’ is wrapped in a thick cloak – again suggesting the sitter’s love of the great outdoors. Whenever possible Charlotte avoided painting hands – so the cloak probably served two purposes!
“Where possible Charlotte avoided drawing hands and never seems to have copied the usual exercises in hands and feet from contemporary drawing manuals, as she did in the case of eyes, mouths, ears etc.” from ‘The Art Of The Brontës’ (page 246).
Please read my new post (link below)- posted Easter Day 2020, that’s about the type of hat featured in the ‘Bonnet Portrait’; it is a ‘Pamela Hat’ or ‘Pamela Bonnet’ —— fashionable from the late 18th century through to the middle of the 19th century. This new post also throws light on a portrait titled ‘Lady Louisa Dysart’ that no doubt served as the inspiration for Charlotte’s first version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ of her sister, Emily. The miniature version, circa 1830 —— painted when Charlotte would have been about fourteen years old and Emily twelve.
Timeless fashion. A Leghorn Hat of the very finest quality as worn by Lady Louisa Dysart, no doubt the ‘model’ for Charlotte’s first portrait of her sister Emily – the miniature version.
Traditional Italian ‘Leghorn’ – woven from the finest, dried, bleached straw, that’s as light as a feather.
There is a fascinating source of information below – regarding the wearing of bonnets in the 1800s – and particularly the straw bonnet type worn by Emily in the Drawing, The Painting and The Miniature – especially read section titled ‘1830s Bonnets’ – “The straw bonnets may be Leghorn bonnets…”
‘Christ on the Cross with Apple Blossom’ by Sheila Little. I just love how she’s caught ‘The Light’ and ‘The Greenness’ all in One. It’s such a beautiful, magical painting in the flesh.
Such a delight to spot a Ladybird moving out the corner of my eye tonight – rather than the usual ‘dark shadows’ that leg it across the floor at this time of year! I’ve captured (and released) several using the ‘glass and piece of card method’ but there’s one that got away and is at LARGE, hence I’m sitting here at past midnight with my feet up on the table’s stretcher…Ladybirds were a common sight when I was young but I haven’t seen one for years; let alone have the pleasure of holding one like I have tonight. I don’t know how Mrs. Ladybird found her way in to my inner sanctum – but I have a fancy she must have hitched a ride in on a bundle of sticks I brought back from my walk earlier? Anyway, after a nice arm tickle – I released her out into the garden.
…a small white ‘nameless’ moth I almost stepped on – whilst out walking yesterday evening, Saturday 15th September 2018. It was grounded on the road, seemingly unable to get airborne again, so I managed to coax it aboard the back of my fingers for a ride to the nearest gateway…
…I just managed to take one shot of it before the wind got up under its wings – and blew it away——and me with it…
I watched, as the tiny creature, no bigger than my thumb nail – found its wings again and flew away over the field towards last light——alive and well.
Sometimes the smallest wildlife encounters are the biggest.
Today, at work in South Molton – I learned the very sad news that local legend Johnny Kingdom had ‘gone to earth’——or perhaps ‘gone to sett’ would be more fitting for someone who especially loved filming wild Badgers.
Johnny died with his hat and boots on – whilst working on his land yesterday evening; I imagine there was no dawn chorus thereabouts – 7th September 2018.
Wildlife has lost a Friend, TV a Star, North Devon One of its Own.
2012. Johnny lending his support to our re-use shop in South Molton.
Today I got caught up in a huge wave of excitement, better known as the ‘Tour of Britain’! The energy generated by the cyclists, the support vehicles, the police outriders and their sirens – was absolutely phenomenal. A fantastic day for South Molton – Monday, 3rd September 2018.
Bellissima! One single Deadly Nightshade bloom – 27th August 2018.
Because I whisper to my ‘Belladonna Babe’ daily – it’s no surprise to me that she’s grown slender and taller over the long, hot Summer that was——the intensity of the heat reminiscent of ‘The Go-Between’, the novel by L.P. Hartley, that inspired me to nurture a beautiful specimen of my own. He powerfully wrote…
“It wasn’t a plant, in my sense of the word, it was a shrub, almost a tree, and as tall as I was. It looked the picture of evil and also the picture of health, it was so glossy and strong and juicy-looking: I could almost see the sap rising to nourish it. It seemed to have found the place in all the world that suited it best.
I knew that every part of it was poisonous, I knew too that it was beautiful, for did not my mother’s botany book say so?
I stood on the threshold not daring to go in, staring at the button-bright berries and the dull, purplish, hairy bell-shaped flowers reaching out towards me. I felt that the plant could poison me, even if I didn’t touch it, and that if I didn’t eat it, it would eat me, it looked so hungry, in spite of all the nourishment it was getting.
As if I had been caught out looking at something I wasn’t meant to see I tiptoed away, wondering whether Mrs. Maudsley would think me interfering if I told her about it. But I didn’t tell her, I couldn’t bear to think of those lusty limbs withering on a rubbish heap or crackling in a fire; all that beauty destroyed. Besides I wanted to look at it again.
Atropa belladonna.”
Equally unsurprising——in light of all that I tell my ‘Belladonna Babe’ – she has taken to wearing a beautiful bell-shaped bonnet for the new season; a puce and lime-green number with a fascinator for a centrepiece.
This is our fashion shoot – to show off her beautiful bonnet from ‘Nature’s Own Design’…
The ‘lost’ portrait of Emily Brontë by sister, Charlotte – next to the photogravure reproduction in the ‘Woman at Home’ Vol. 2, 1894. Sir William Robertson Nicoll saw the ‘lost’ portrait in 1879 – when he visited Martha Brown. He described the portrait as a “clearly and boldly drawn pencil sketch”. In the ensuing years after Martha’s death in 1880 – the original portrait became ‘irrevocably lost’. No coincidence then – I don’t think – that Robertson Nicoll was the Editor of the ‘Woman at Home’ that first featured the reproduction in 1894.
Two years later. . .‘The Bonnet Portrait of Emily Brontë’ appeared again in print —— “EMILY BRONTË. FROM A PORTRAIT DRAWN BY CHARLOTTE”, in an 1896 edition of ‘THE BOOKMAN’ Vol III —— in an article by none other than, Clement K. Shorter; the individual broadly responsible for the Bonnet Portrait’s current sad state of ‘non-recognition’ —— and non-authentication.
The portrait’s appearance in Shorter’s article, ‘Mrs Gaskell and Charlotte Brontë’ strongly suggests that in 1896, Shorter believed the reproduction in the ‘Woman at Home’ and ‘The Bookman’ to be wholly genuine. . .
Page 318 “Brontë, Emily (from a portrait drawn by Charlotte)
Unfortunately, with no original of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ on hand back then, Shorter changed his mind without good reason or proof —— and took it upon himself to write-off the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ REPRODUCTION —— without any evidence to back up his dismissal. The situation has remained unchanged and unresolved since 1900 —— a period of 120 years no less!Ever a work in progress til the Truth will out; ‘Emily Brontë: The ‘Lost’ Portrait’ —— updated on the 5th May 2021. . .
The ‘Lost’ Portrait of Emily Brontë – drawn by sister, Charlotte Brontë in 1844 – on J Whatman watermarked paper…
There’s also a painted version on J Whatman watermarked paper —— plus a miniature version too.
“J WHA[TMAN]” Charlotte’s known paper of choice.
The Drawing, The Watercolour and The Miniature were created BEFORE the reproduction in print in the ‘Woman at Home’ and ‘The Bookman’ – and in a time l—o—n—g before Google Images was invented!!! It’s obvious that they are correct for the time of the Brontë Sisters.
Since watching ‘The Brilliant Brontë Sisters’ presented by Sheila Hancock in 2013 on ITV (still available to watch, via a link at foot of this blog post) – I have been hooked by Charlotte, Emily and Anne (and Branwell) – but not through reading their novels but through discovering their art! Today, 30th. July 2018 is the bicentenary of Emily Brontë’s birth – so this is my way of marking this special day.
“… In July, 1879, I paid a visit to Haworth and had an interesting interview with Martha Brown, the faithful servant who nursed all the Brontes, and saw them all die. She possessed many relics of the famous sisters which had been given her by Mr Bronte. Among them was the pencil sketch of Anne Bronte by Charlotte Bronte, which, however imperfect in drawing, is described by at least two who knew her well as an unmistakable likeness…. I purchased it on Martha Brown’s death from one of her sisters…. I deeply regret that I cannot add a portrait of the greatest genius among the sisters, Emily Bronte. Martha Brown possessed a very clearly and boldly drawn pencil sketch of Emily by Charlotte, which I in vain endeavoured to purchase. After her death, what she left was divided among four sisters, with all of whom I communicated without succeeding even in tracing the picture. …”
William Robertson Nicoll, 1891.
There are several original versions of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ of Emily Brontë recently come to light —— however the earliest is an original sanguine drawing in the Brontë Parsonage Museum’s own collection in Haworth; it was bequeathed to the trustee’s of the Brontë Parsonage Museum by Henry Houston Bonnell after his death in 1926. ‘Sanguine’ derives from ‘sanguineus’ —— Latin for “blood” or “bloody”; the Brontë Society’s version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ is drawn entirely in red crayon. . .
‘Emily On The Wall!’ The sanguine version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ looking suitably defiant on display beside a portrait of the gentleman that bequeathed it to the Brontë Society; American philanthropist, Henry Houston Bonnell – whom the room is named after.
The sanguine version on display on the back wall. Vintage postcard of the ‘Bonnell Room’ in the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth.
The sanguine version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ is listed in the official Bonnell Catalogue – as item 69 – along with two other sanguine portraits, listed as items 67 and 68. . .Item 68 in the Bonnell Catalogue is a sanguine portrait of Anne Brontë; after Charlotte’s watercolour portrait of Anne – number 92 in ‘The Art Of the Brontës’ by Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars.
Item 67 is a sanguine portrait of Charlotte Brontë – after George Richmond’s chalk drawing in the National Portrait Gallery.
All three sanguine portraits – in the Brontë Parsonage Museum collection – 67, 68, and 69, appear to be by the same hand – yet two are after genuine portraits of Anne and Charlotte – yet item 69 of ‘Emily’ remains unjustly labelled as ‘spurious’ without any proof that it is after a spurious portrait type.
Sanguine portraits of Anne and Charlotte can be viewed on page 9, listed as:-
205 Anne Brontë Bonnell68
206 Charlotte Brontë Bonnell67
Whilst sanguine portrait of ‘Emily’ can be viewed on page 10,spuriously listed as:-
246 Girl wearing a bonnet Bonnell69.
Now back to the original ‘lost’ pencil drawing:
Although bearing a date, title and artist’s signature – the pencil drawing of Emily by Charlotte – is timeworn; all three are now exceedingly faint with age, but just visible nonetheless.
Significantly the drawing has several ‘hidden’ markers – cryptic clues that confirm both artist and sitter. Charlotte was a cryptographer – and was a master of minuscule writing – or micro-script; the drawing is covered in tiny, indecipherable sequences of letters and numbers. In fact – many of the bold lines are not straight lines at all but tiny writing – including three diagonal lines across the right eye:-
A secret, minuscule message written in ‘Emily’s’ eye; evidence of Charlotte’s micro-script. It’s definitely script not pencil strokes – ‘lines’ that are missing from the other eye. A macro lens has revealed a teeny-weeny signature ‘C BRONTË’ – as well as the initials ‘EJB’ for Emily Jane Brontë. . .
During the making of ‘The Brilliant Brontë Sisters’ with Sheila Hancock – a heart-shaped full-stop was newly discovered at the end of Charlotte’s last ever letter to Constantin Héger. It was only discovered BECAUSË the television camera powerfully zoomed-in on the letter and magnified Charlotte’s cryptic punctuation——therein revealing a perfect micro-heart – and not a ‘dot’ as presumed.
Revealed. A screenshot from ‘The Brilliant Bronte Sisters’ to illustrate Charlotte’s secret heart ‘full-stop’.
This example, only goes to magnify the point I make about the ‘Bonnet’ drawing; that unless it undergoes proper scientific, photographic analysis of the type seen on ‘Fake or Fortune?’ – much of the hidden micro-information contained within the drawing will remain secret. Indeed, it’s high-time that many of the authenticated artworks in the Brontë Parsonage Museum collection were looked at again——more closely – because it would reveal for certain, the hidden micro-numbers that they too contain.
Here are some significant markers exposed – beginning with ‘The Initials in The Hair’ – in Emily’s frizz of curls:-
Initials in the Hair. E.B. for sitter, Emily Bronte. C.B. for artist, Charlotte Bronte.
Cryptic monogram ‘C.B.’ disguised in a curl of hair. Neither curl can possibly end in a ‘B’ shape if one follows both strands around to their natural ends.
An area of Charlotte’s micro-script numbers exposed. Bear in mind that the pencil sketch is small – so the micro-script concealed within the drawing’s bold pencil lines is tiny beyond words and normal vision.
Secret numbers…in the ‘L’ of E.M.I.L.Y. (click on image to enlarge in another window.)
…from an infrared image of the ‘lost’ portrait of Emily Bronte by Charlotte – courtesy of Jevon Thistlewood, Ashmolean, Oxford.
Five bold pencil strokes from left to right: “E M I L Y” ingeniously interwoven in the folds of the sitter’s cloak. . .
“E M I L Y”
From left to right – the cryptic folds in the drapery collectively spell-out “E M I L Y”
‘Emily BRONTË‘ – writing so timeworn – this image has been taken from an enlarged CANVAS copy of the original drawing (as seen below). ‘Emily’ slopes upward from right: ‘BRONTË‘ is uppercase – straight-right. If you look at it hard enough – you will perceive the sitter’s name, even the diaeresis or dots above the ‘ë‘.
The ‘Lost’ Portrait of Emily Brontë reproduced on canvas. Because the original portrait IS so “clearly and boldly drawn” (to use William Robertson Nicoll’s description of the ‘Lost’ Portrait) it’s been enlarged from 131 mm x 107 mm to an expansive 800 mm x 600 mm!
‘BRONTË‘ faintly discernible on the original drawing.
‘1844’
A rough tracing of the date ‘1844’ – to highlight the shapes of the figures. The ‘8’ is distinctive – a form that I have seen repeated in one of Charlotte’s miniature books.
By tinkering around with light, sharpness, contrast levels only – the distinctive ‘8’ in 1844 becomes easier to see.
Another area of my research – is the auction of “a small parcel” of Brontë portraits sold at Sotheby’s on Monday, 18th. December 1933; Lot 115.
Annotated page from a Sotheby’s Catalogue – courtesy of ‘The British Library’ – it’s the sentence below that strikes a chord with the ‘Bonnet Portrait’…
“a photogravure of the same, proof;”
The sentence highlighted above – especially resonates with my identification of the pencil drawing as the ‘lost’ portrait – because there is only one reproduction of a portrait of Emily Brontë by Charlotte Brontë – and that’s the photogravure illustration formally known as the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ or ‘Gypsy Portrait’ that appeared in print —— in the ‘Woman at Home’ 1894 volume 2 —— and again in ‘The Bookman’ volume III in 1896.Significantly, Sir William Robertson Nicoll (who saw the ‘lost’ portrait in 1879 in Haworth —— during a visit to Martha Brown) —— was the Editor-in-Chief of ‘The Woman at Home’ that first published the photogravure reproduction of the Bonnet Portrait ‘type’ . . .
The Sotheby’s 1933 catalogue entry proves that a pencil portrait of Emily by Charlotte exists – and crucially was REPRODUCED IN PRINT —— “An original drawing of Emily Brontë by her sister Charlotte; a photogravure of the same, proof;”
Note also – reproductions of a portrait of Anne Brontë by Charlotte Brontë and reproductions of George Richmond’s portrait of Charlotte Brontë – were also sold in Lot 115. The significance of this to me – is that items 67, 68, 69 in the ‘Bonnell Catalogue’ have all been reproduced in print over many years – as has item 70; not the actual sanguine versions themselves – but reproductions of the SAME PORTRAIT TYPES – as in the ‘Bonnet’ portrait illustration below – and by clicking on these links:-
The ‘Woman at Home’ illustration states – ‘From a painting by Charlotte Brontë, hitherto unpublished.’ This somewhat confuses the matter – as to whether the original is a painting – or a drawing by Charlotte – but William Robertson Nicoll clearly stated that the ‘lost’ portrait of Emily Brontë by Charlotte – that he witnessed in Haworth in 1879 – was “a very clearly and boldly drawn pencil sketch.”
The ‘Lost’ Portrait of Emily Brontë drawn by Charlotte Brontë – atop the ‘Woman at Home’ 1894 – Vol ll. Is she not clearly and boldly drawn?
There is of course – another, more formal style painting of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ ( pictured above with Prof. Christopher Heywood ) – that one can read about in an edition of the Keighly News.
This post is dedicated to Professor Christopher Heywood —— for his friendship, encouragement, Ënlightenment —— and belief in the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ of Emily Brontë. . .Please use the drop-down menu titled: ‘EMILY_BRONTE_IN_THE_FRAME’ —— at the top of this page —— to read tons more about ‘The ‘Lost’ Portrait of Emily Brontë’ —— and other ‘lost’ Brontë portraits too; I promise you, the findings in this post are just for starters. . .
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Tuesday – 31st July 2018. For Tina – doll-maker extraordinaire from Melbourne.
Hi Tina – Thank you for your comment today, I’m so glad ‘Emily’ has reignited Brontë fever within you, I look forward to seeing your ‘Sister’ dolls – wow! Your comment has awakened ‘Severine’ a rag-doll I once made, I thought you may like to see her…
I made her on Saturday, 19th January 2013 – whilst at work! We were hosting an open day in our new premises, where we had a workshop upstairs for children that had come along with their parents. A local artist/maker encouraged them to make whatever came into their imaginations out of recycle scraps and rags. At the end of the day, when all the kids had finished and gone home, and the lady running the workshop was starting to pack up, I sat down and made something of my own.
I have no idea where my creation came from, but within about fifteen minutes – ‘Severine’ took shape! My workmates and manager thought her too spooky – and told me to take her home——fast! That was in January 2013 – then in March 2013 – my interest in the Brontës was sparked when my mother telephoned me to tell me that ‘The Brilliant Brontë Sisters’ was on the telly that night. I still don’t know why she told me to watch it because I had no interest in the Brontës back then – I hadn’t even read their novels (still haven’t!) – the nearest reason was that I loved Yorkshire vet, James Herriot! Anyway, I watched it, and that did it – I caught Brontë fever!
I love the way a couple tied sticks for a body, the corner of a black dustbin bag for a dress, a scrap of leather for a bonnet and cape – and a circle of nylon gauze for a faceless face – look so animated when tied together——it’s like she came alive!
A short poem for a Glow-Worm – spotted on Dartmoor – on the 11th. July 2018 – at around 11 o’clock on Wednesday night; she lit up the Moor for me at least…
Waiting. Hoping——Glowing.
Not knowing…
Or maybe I should crawl back under a stone and die?
Not I.
I’d almost given up hope of seeing ‘Lampyris noctiluca’ this year because I thought I’d left it too late in the season – and the Moor being so dry…
I’d almost arrived back at my car when I suddenly spotted a single dot-like lamp glowing amidst the dense ferns – amidst the Hawthorns. Its intensity belied the fact that its host wouldn’t have eaten for days – and won’t…
Female glow-worms emit Luciferin to attract a ‘fly-by-night’ mate, the female is earthbound; a wingless beetle of a sort, while the winged male is lampless. If he finds her, she lays her eggs somewhere dark and safe – then fades——dies; she dies either way…
I hope that somewhere on Dartmoor – beneath a stone or in a crevice – there’s a clutch of tiny, new-laid eggs…
Two long shadows looking towards Sheep’s Tor – wondering why they had an area of outstanding natural beauty all to themselves on Tuesday 3rd July 2018. On such a God-given evening where were all the usual sightseers, the joggers, the cyclists, the car drivers, the dog-walkers – other walkers? Answer: England were playing Columbia in the FIFA World Cup!
Neither my son or I had any idea about Tuesday’s match because we’re not footie fans – and with no Internet signal thereabouts, we enjoyed our ramble in blissful ignorance as well as solitude; you could hear a pin drop it was that quiet…
or the tiniest stone go ‘plip’ rather than ‘plop’ in the reservoir!
No sooner had we stepped-out over parched Moorland to our favourite Dartmoor wood – we were caught in a deluge of cool, refreshing rain. Whilst we waited for the grey skies overhead to turn blue again, we sheltered under our old friend ‘The Great Holly’ in ‘Ravens’ Haven’ – near Burrator Reservoir…
A favourite shot from the ‘Something about Dartmoor’ archive.
I fancied I could hear the old tree sighing with relief as the rain fell in large droplets through prickly, dehydrated leaves onto tinder-dry ground below; it was like music for trees——and us! The Moor afterwards felt like heaven on earth – everything had that feeling like you could drink it all in – in one huge breathless gulp!
On such a day as this was – I love finding a special treasure – a symbolic memento of my Dartmoor experience to take home with me. It is true to say – my home is comparable to a Corvid’s nest these days, although my hoard of treasures only sparkle if it HAS rained…
…sticks, stones, bones and a whole feathered nestful of these ‘black beauties’.
En route to the reservoir – I stumbled across some sun-bleached remains of a sheep…
I left the skull, the teeth and the vertebra to Nature…
but this curly horn came home; seen through my eyes, it’s a ‘Cornucopia’.
Forget ‘The World Cup’ – give me a cup like this any day. Cheers Dartmoor!
Our walk around the reservoir was as quiet as I can ever remember – and the same could be said of the water level too – it was low——ever so low!
The deeper, darker middle bit illumined by the sinking sun.
At its outer edge, the circular road around the reservoir offered some magical oases too…
Another special Holly tree of ‘mine’. Its centrepiece always reminds me of a medieval waterspout – a dog-like gargoyle perhaps?
England are playing again this afternoon – at three…
Imagine my deLIGHT at 2:30 am-ish in the morning – when I turned around to switch of the floor lamp to go upstairs to bed – and there settled next to ‘Emily’ – was a beautiful, white lace-like creature resting next to her portrait.
A moth called ‘Emily’.
She must have fluttered in unseen through the open french door and alighted on the terracotta wall, beside ‘Emily’. Such an ethereal being – half dragonfly, half moth——a faery! I believe ‘Emily’ transmutes into many forms and in the early hours of the 3rd. July 2018 – she came in as a ‘White Plume Moth’…
