Magpie ©Caroline Soer 2011
Charcoal and chalk on pastel paper
I love to collect and I've been cacheing stuff like a Magpie since I was little! I remember now the pleasure of pocketing treasures such as discarded feathers, fallen acorns, hazel and horse chestnuts, or tufts of sheepswool and moss to take to school to display on the nature table in the classroom!
I also love using the macro setting on my camera! I am fascinated by
the insects' view of the world and love to capture nature close up at
every opportunity. I am always the one lagging behind taking photos on a
country walk and if I'm not clicking (and the subject is for the
taking), I'll be picking it up, turning it over in my
hands to examine it and frequently popping it into the rucksack to
study, photograph, paint or display later.
I find seedpods fascinating! They come in all different shapes and sizes - the slender ones in the picture above are over 50 cms long! I like to see what's stored within.
Lotus
The cone above is from a Malaysian rain forest tree - not sure which - but its interesting shape warranted it being dried off and carried home for further inspection and display
in a lovely dish handmade by husband Jan, from Selangor pewter, at the School of Hard Knocks in KL! This is something I have yet to try!
and this is a close up of the giant Spanish fir cone in the pic below.
I had gathered several on holiday in Spain, but sadly could only fit this one in the suitcase to take home!
in a lovely dish handmade by husband Jan, from Selangor pewter, at the School of Hard Knocks in KL! This is something I have yet to try!
and this is a close up of the giant Spanish fir cone in the pic below.
I had gathered several on holiday in Spain, but sadly could only fit this one in the suitcase to take home!
I found this abandoned, intricately woven nest hanging in a tree in the garden.
I keep boxes and display bowls full of my finds on the shelves in the studio. The triangular dishes above are ideal for holding delicate wings and little beach treasures - they're made locally from slices of coconut.
I love the patina of this little Indian copper dish that holds various treasures like an incredibly fragile skeletonised leaf and little blue birds' egg. I found the egg floating in the swimming pool one day - perhaps tossed out of the nest and transported on a gust of wind!
Exotic shells, many collected on beaches in Oman - I was delighted to find a small Venus Comb Murex with all most of its spines intact!
Pheasant finery
