The Flower of the Field

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This is a wildflower & it's called a Corncockle. Before the onset of modern agriculture, this beautiful flower grew in abundance in wheat fields across the UK, in fact it was so common it was cut with the wheat & the seeds were kept to plant again the following Spring. But now since Winter wheat planting & the use of herbicides, it has declined & is now known as 'Local' or 'Uncommon'. Many years ago I saw this growing wild in a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve, I went back in the Autumn & collected the seeds, which I planted at our previous house's garden. Every year I'd collect the seeds & so when we moved to the new house, I took them with me & scattered them across what was going to become the wildflower meadow & every year since the seeds have germinated - usually only staying in one place, but this year it's turned up in three different parts - a huge success story! It's a shame the sun made no appearance today for a good photo, but it was best of quite a bad rain drenched bunch!

Yes, torrential rain ALL day, typical Devon & because of the weather only 2 people showed up for my Open Studios :( Fortunately they were abstract lovers, but unfortunately they wanted BIG - as in 8ft across!!! Now excuse me, not many artists have the space nor the money to fill a canvas with paint in that size! They're mad & no canvas that big is going to be cheap either!

This is my Art Trek Open Studio Exhibition , including new paintings, such as "All the things you are" Acrylic & sand on canvas, 12" x 31" & two untitled paintings... finger's crossed aye?