Birdsong, Blossom… and the Thrill of Fast-Drying Laundry
It’s spring. Proper spring. The kind where the blossom shows off, the birds get busy, and everything feels like it’s stretching after a long nap. The days are longer, the skies a bit brighter, and even the air seems fresher .
Spring is lovely wherever you are, I used to love spotting trees erupting into blossom along busy roads in London, but I find the seasonal shift feels louder out here in the countryside. It’s not shy, it announces itself!
‘Nightingale’
Pen & watercolour work in progress
I’m writing this sat in the garden, clutching my Merlin Bird ID app - if you’re not familiar, get involved (a strong recommend). Every day something changes. A new shoot pushes through the soil. The birds have nicked more of the llama wool I hung out for them (you’re so welcome, lads). And the tree that looked bare yesterday? Fully dressed in green today.
Pure awe and wonder.
…Also, my washing is drying on the line in record time, which feels like a small but significant life victory. Crikey. Peak middle age. And yet, I regret nothing.
I grew up in the South Downs, so I’ve always been pulled toward nature for inspo. Trees, animals, birds, especially birds. If I ever hit a creative block, I always turn to them.
This spring, I’ve been working on a series of nightingales. I now live in the village of Barcombe, where, incredibly, these tiny powerhouses arrive each year all the way from sub-Saharan Africa, ready to find a mate and absolutely show off about it.
Thanks to Merlin, I’m now getting better at recognising their song - which feels like unlocking a secret level of existence. Hearing one outside my bedroom window for the first time was a bit of a moment.
They’re such a big deal around here that you can even join Sam Lee for one of his “Singing with Nightingales” evenings in the woods. Yes, that is exactly as magical as it sounds. Check it out. Charlotte Church is one of the artists joining this year, oooer.
Work in progress
Gold leaf on watercolour Nightingale
Inspired by all this, I’ve created a series of four classic-style pieces using pen and watercolour, finished with gold and silver leaf because if ever a bird deserved a bit of shimmer, it’s the nightingale. There’s something quietly extraordinary about them: small, unassuming, and yet travelling vast distances just to settle into our hedgerows and fill them with unique song.
‘Nightingale Series’
In watercolour and gold & silver leaf
The collection includes:
Twilight
Dawn
Moonlight
and Just Landed - a slightly different take, featuring an anthropomorphised nightingale with a flight hat and goggles and a suitcase covered in travel stamps.
To see my process, take a look at my instagram - @artworksbychar It’s been one of those projects where the subject, the season, and the surroundings all line up rather beautifully. All four pieces are currently being exhibited in Worthing West End Gallery.
‘Just Landed’ - Pen & Watercolour with gold leaf
And whilst I have lots of other things to be getting on with, for now, I’m quite happy to sit here, listen to the birds and watch the washing flap about.
As you were.