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  • Wildlife and pagan designs from a new artist 🙂

    Beautiful (and very colourful!) wildlife and pagan art by artist Laura Daligan has just arrived, available now as cards, posters and prints, with gifts arriving soon 🙂 

    Laura is a pagan artist and author who resides by the Quantock Hills, where she is continually inspired by the wild beauty of the land. She regularly exhibits her artwork, which has also been featured in numerous books and magazines. Laura’s passion for mythology, faerie lore, animals and history are threads which weave throughout her work, and she explores these liminal themes through paint, poem and song.

    She has a BA (Hons) in Illustration from Falmouth School of Art, a Master’s Degree in Viking Studies, and her first book, ‘A Guide to Reading the Runes – Harness the Wisdom and Power of the Ancient Norse Symbols’ was published in Autumn 2025.

    Order now

    The head of a red fox looking at an angle towards the viewer, coming into the painting from the right. A pale-coloured spiral is coiled on their forehead. The background is red.

    A woman with long blue hair stands in front of a blue dragon. Both look to the right. A wing wraps around one side, with the head on the other. The woman holds what appear to be strands of blue ribbon in her outstretched hand. The overall design colour is blue. A woman with long red hair and wearing a sleeveless purple dress stands in front of a red dragon. Both look to the left. A wing wraps around one side, with the head on the other. A stream of fire is emitting from the location of the woman's heart. The overall design colour is red.

    The head of a barn owl, looking directly at the viewer. The background is deep blue.

    The head and mane of a horse, head facing mostly to the right. The horse is painted entirely in blue apart from a deep brown eye, with two spirals on and above the cheek. The background is blue-green.

    The head of a wolf, looking directly at the viewer. The overall colour of both the wolf and the background are shades of blue, with the exception of yellow/green eyes and flashes of paler fur around the neck. The head of a bear looking directly at the viewer. A pale-coloured spiral is coiled at their forehead, opening upwards. Their fur is a mixture of reds, golds and browns, with a pale snout.

    The head and neck of a stag looking directly at the viewer. The overall colours are deep purples and blues, with lighter peaks at the ends of the antlers.

  • Always learning, always painting

    People ask me a lot how long I have been painting , and the easy answer is as long as I can remember. I never stopped. We all draw and paint as children and then most people just stop , well I carried on and please don’t ask me why?

    I had no great talent , I was certainly no child prodigy but it was just in me I suppose. I loved art at school but when at 16 the ‘O’ level results came out and I had failed art along with most of my other subjects  I  just carried on painting and drawing ( rarely showing a soul) but I kept going and it has given me joy all my adult life.

    So today I thought I would take a look back, I found an old sketch book dated 1992, when I exclusively painted and drew scenery, not a bird or hare to be seen.

    This is a small sketch of the North York Moors

    A Pen and Ink drawing of Staithes.

    I predominantly painted and drew on holiday and was desperate to capture the sea

    Here is an early seascape 

    Then one around 10 years later

    moving through the years

    I got all moody with the sea a few years ago, trying to capture light on the water.

    Then bang up to date with my calmer seascape from yesterday ( April 15th 2026)

    It is so interesting to see how my style changes ,it  gets more fluid, as I get more confident I start to take more risks

    Likewise with landscapes, Around 15 years ago I began going to a watercolour class at my local Arts Centre in Crediton and I learnt new styles, and was dragged kicking and screaming from my comfort zone….

    I discovered Payne’s Grey….

    Then I began to paint Devon Lanes. Something that really interests me and the lanes I see everyday 

    I enjoyed painting flowers as I had a horticultural background too, my first attempt at bluebells….

    Compared with some recent bluebells 

    and many other flowers now too

    Then around 10 years ago someone asked if I ever painted hares….

    My first attempt.

    Yikes should I even show you this !

    which slowly evolved to 

    until they became more like the hares I paint at the moment

    A similar metamorphosis occurs with owls

    From a very early attempt….

    through different stages

    to more recent owls…

    I do continue to learn and evolve, try new things and most importantly enjoy my painting, watercolour is a medium which will enchant, frustrate and challenge me to the end of my days

    They say never throw away a painting ( oh but I do, the really terrible ones have to go!! ) but don’t get rid of everything. They show you who you were, how far you’ve come and how far you can go. If painting or drawing give you joy, if they fulfil a creative itch the the joy is as much in the creating as it is in the finished piece.

     

     

  • Adding a dark background ( magnolia )

    It’s the small things . I was in Crediton this morning at my local chemist and saw this packet of spray bottles, supposed to be used for travel toiletries, but invaluable to me as a watercolourist.

    They can lose their sprayability ( made up word) over time, so I was just in need of these and there they were.

    Saturday here in Devon was glorious bright sunshine, and so me and my hubby headed for Dartmoor, Belstone in fact, just over ten miles away and were blessed with these amazing views.

     

    Spring has most definitely sprung, flowers are blooming all over the place.

    As we move through the days , everything seems to be waking up. I made the mistake today of looking outside and seeing the sunshine, so I set off merrily on my walk, without a coat , but ( as my mum would say) there was ‘a nasty cold wind’ which probably kept me walking just a little faster than usual. So no real harm done. 

    However I could still look into the hedgerows and see the small unsung heroes making their debuts . The small ferns beginning to unfurl

    the blackthorn flowers really putting on a show , for those who would watch.

    Here in Devon we are blessed with an abundance of wild primroses and their delicate colour is always a joy to see.

     And now it is the time for magnolia to put on it’s show.

     

     

     I couldn’t help but be so impressed by the magnolia blooms that I thought I’d show you my painting 

    First I drew a flower, paying attention to where the petals are and began adding colour.

    Alizaren crimson, makes a nice pink, I also added some cerulean blue. The highlights on the petal are the white of the paper, I added the darker pink by using less water and bought some of the colour up to form veins.

    Next I moved around the flower, painting each petal individually , maybe adding some darker touches once patches were dry, don’t be afraid to go dark. Dark against light adds drama. I made the darkest hue by adding cobalt blue to the crimson.

    Then I painted the branch, just yellow ochre and burnt umber.

     

    Now the background, the bit that scares us !!!

     

    If you don’t want a background that’s fine too.

    I painted an under colour of yellow 

    then let that dry, while I mixed greens reds and blues, then I sploshed that around, adding the darkest tones near the whitest parts of the flower. 

    I also splashed on some clean water to create watermarks.

     

    Then I went in with another layer, going really dark behind the flower. This layering of colour stops the background looking too flat, experiment and have a go. Add warmer colours or cooler colours, but if it looks wrong in your mixing pan , don’t add it. It will look wrong on the paper.

     

    There a beautiful magnolia flower, and the frost can’t touch this one !

  • Different watercolour skies

    Here in the Uk we are blessed with so many kinds of weather probably the reason we are obsessed with it. 

    Everyday I go my morning walk and look up at the skies with artistic interest 

    No 2 days are ever the same.

    So I wander around with my head in the clouds , or marvelling at the view, wondering how on earth would I paint that?

    I thought it was time to  take a look at skies. If ever a medium was made to paint something then to my mind it is watercolours and skies. You can really let the paint and the water do it’s thing and no-one can tell you it’s not right. I love it.

    My simplest sky though is simply leaving the paper white

     

    you do sometimes get a white sky, and when the rest of the painting is busy with foliage or other things then why not do just that , leave it.

    Still keeping things simple, you can do a very realistic sky with just one colour. Paynes Grey, 

    Do try to alter the tones and maybe have a darker side and a lighter side, think about the direction you want the clouds to take

     

    and if you want to add a bit of warmth, yellow ochre works well and creates a very realistic winter sky with the paynes grey.

    Now , because you can with painting lets move to warm summers day, and not a cloud in the sky. Cerulean blue is best for this, slightly yellow at the horizon, then getting more blue towards the top of the page

    The yellow glow on the horizon is made with yellow ochre again. Try and do this graduated wash in one go .

    Now to add some clouds.

    Just leave the paper to do the work for you and add some shadow to the clouds with a purply mixture of cadmium red and cobalt blue.

    More clouds in this one , perhaps it’s a bit cooler.

    Now for a sky which takes up more of the painting

    Con you see I am using the light space between the clouds to focus the eye on the church spire. Remember where you pop your darks and lights.

    Now for an altogether more dramatic sky

    See how it goes from light to dark , I am playing around with colours and shapes.

    Or a very windy day at the beach with many more clouds scudding across the sky

     

    Finally dusk comes and you can use more yellows and reds in this sky

    The sun is simply the white of the paper, the clouds on the horizon a mix of cadmium red and cobalt blue, and the yellow ochre is warmed up with a bit od cadmium red . 

    Keep things simple but have some fun and try to be spontaneous with your skies as the more you mess with them the muddier they get.

    Look up and see what happens  and Happy Easter x

  • Naomi Cornock’s new gifts have arrived!

    As promised, Naomi Cornock’s new gifts have arrived! Beautiful bookmarks, hanging ornaments, tins, and more, all made to order in our studio.

    Scroll down to see lots of beautiful things, or click to view all of Naomi’s gifts!

    One side of the ornament. The head of a woman with long, plaited and bound brown hair, three drawn lines from her lip to her neck, and wearing a garland on her head.

    A woman wearing warm tan-coloured clothing including a hood and heavy boots, and a golden necklace of runes sits cross-legged on the ground. A staff and notebook sit near her feet. She appears to draw a tendril of fire across one hand and into a horn held in her other hand. A tendril of fire, rising from the top of her hood, drifts off into the distance and blends with the clouds. A mass of cats of all colours and in many poses surrounds the face of a red-haired woman with cat-slit eyes and ears, and a Eye of Horus symbol on her forehead. A white cat sits on her head. Colours are oranges, reds, black and white.

    A roughly oval shaped design depicting winter above and below ground, on a white background. At the bottom, a bear, hare, and wolf sleep in separate chambers underground. To the right, tree roots part to reveal a female figure holding a flame in her hand. A similar figure, but pale and sleepy, lies to the left. Above this group stand three bare trees. There's a spiral beneath the centre tree, above the sleeping bear. Deer and a stag stand in the group of trees. The head of an owl protrudes from the centre .

    A woman wearing warm tan-coloured clothing including a hood and heavy boots, and a golden necklace of runes sits cross-legged on the ground in front of a small fire with a teapot to one side. A staff and notebook sit near her feet. She appears to draw a tendril of fire across one hand and into a horn held in her other hand. She sits next to a stream which meanders off to one side. Horses graze nearby ... A male figure with long brown hair and beard, both cascading down his body, stands sideways wearing a pale green flowing robe. The side of his head is shaved, and tattooed with a line of characters from the Ogham alphabet. His bound hair contains fungi, a group of feathers, and a mouse. He looks down towards butterflies sitting on his hand. Runes dangle from his arm. A mouse sits in the crook at his elbow. A white stoat appears to form from his shoulder and run down his arm, a badger from his back ...

    The head and shoulders of a woman (on the left) and a man (right) stand together, facing the viewer. The woman has long, plaited and bound brown hair, three drawn lines from her lip to her neck, and wears a garland on her head. To her side sits a delicate staff with runes hanging from it. The man has just one eye, with a long scar going vertically through where it should be, and is wearing a fur coat. A shaman's rattle, with the appearance of being made from a raven's head and feathers, and with runes hangi

    A large grey and white heron stands in water near the bank of a river. An otter peers in from the left. A mass of cats of all colours and in many poses surrounds the face of a red-haired woman with cat-slit eyes and ears, and a Eye of Horus symbol on her forehead. A white cat sits on her head. She holds a gold-coloured sistrum (a type of rattle) in one hand. Colours are oranges, reds, black and white.

    A roughly oval design, topped with a tree in full leaf, surrounded by clouds, but clearing to blue in the centre, and swifts wheeling all around. Beneath, the top half of the oval is a flower-filled meadow. A stag and badger stand either side, and a hare, blackbird, mouse, and other creatures are nestled within. The head and shoulders of a young woman lying on her back rise from the ground. Beneath her, the bottom half of the oval is a mass of twisting roots, branches, leaves, fungi and toadstools ...

    A large grey and white heron stands on one leg in water near the bank of a river. To the left, a grassy bank reveals otters, a slug and blue damselfly. Another damselfly hovers nearby. Runes (Berkana and Algiz) dangle from the heron's beak. The river extends behind the scene, with grassland and trees beyond. In the background, a heron lands on a tilted, broken tree trunk, and another flies silhouetted against the sky. An unborn human baby lies curled up within the sun. A male figure with long brown hair and beard, both cascading down his body, stands sideways wearing a pale green flowing robe. The side of his head is shaved, and tattooed with a line of characters from the Ogham alphabet. His bound hair contains fungi, a group of feathers, and a mouse. He looks down towards butterflies sitting on his hand. Runes dangle from his arm. A mouse sits in the crook at his elbow. A white stoat appears to form from his shoulder and run down his arm, a badger from his back ...
  • Beautiful new designs from Naomi Cornock 🙂

    Very pleased to announce we have a new set of cards (with gifts arriving soon!) featuring Naomi Cornock’s incredible art. These are more pagan-oriented than her current set, but if that’s not your thing, there’s a fabulous cat-themed card (on the theme of Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of cats), and a beautiful ‘Rebirth’ card representing the cycles of nature, including Spring (perfect timing!). Order now!

    A roughly oval design, topped with a tree in full leaf, surrounded by clouds, but clearing to blue in the centre, and swifts wheeling all around. Beneath, the top half of the oval is a flower-filled meadow. A stag and badger stand either side, and a hare, blackbird, mouse, and other creatures are nestled within. The head and shoulders of a young woman lying on her back rise from the ground. Beneath her, the bottom half of the oval is a mass of twisting roots, branches, leaves, fungi and toadstools ...
     The head and shoulders of a woman (on the left) and a man (right) stand together, facing the viewer. The woman has long, plaited and bound brown hair, three drawn lines from her lip to her neck, and wears a garland on her head. To her side sits a delicate staff with runes hanging from it. The man has just one eye, with a long scar going vertically through where it should be, and is wearing a fur coat ... A woman wearing warm tan-coloured clothing including a hood and heavy boots, and a golden necklace of runes sits cross-legged on the ground in front of a small fire with a teapot to one side. A staff and notebook sit near her feet. She appears to draw a tendril of fire across one hand and into a horn held in her other hand. A tendril of fire, rising from the top of her hood, drifts off into the distance and blends with the clouds. She sits next to a stream which meanders off to one side ...

    A mass of cats of all colours and in many poses surrounds the face of a red-haired woman with cat-slit eyes and ears, and a Eye of Horus symbol on her forehead. A white cat sits on her head. She holds a gold-coloured sistrum (a type of rattle) in one hand. The head of a much larger cat with green eyes appears above and behind them. Colours are oranges, reds, black and white.

    A large grey and white heron stands on one leg in water near the bank of a river. To the left, a grassy bank reveals otters, a slug and blue damselfly. Another damselfly hovers nearby. Runes (Berkana and Algiz) dangle from the heron's beak. The river extends behind the scene, with grassland and trees beyond. In the background, a heron lands on a tilted, broken tree trunk, and another flies silhouetted against the sky. An unborn human baby lies curled up within the sun. A male figure with long brown hair and beard, both cascading down his body, stands sideways wearing a pale green flowing robe. The side of his head is shaved, and tattooed with a line of characters from the Ogham alphabet. His bound hair contains fungi, a group of feathers, and a mouse. He looks down towards butterflies sitting on his hand. Runes dangle from his arm. A mouse sits in the crook at his elbow. A white stoat appears to form from his shoulder and run down his arm, a badger from his back ...

     

  • Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles from STARZ PUZZLES

    The Highest Quality Puzzle Available – click HERE

    Every Starz Puzzle is hand-crafted to the highest standards. Whether from our artists’ images or your very own custom photo. Each Starz wooden jigsaw puzzle is a unique piece of art.

    • Using our patented process and advanced UV printers, the image is printed directly onto the pre-cut wood surface; there is no paper involved.

    • Starz Puzzles is the only puzzle company that cuts its puzzles before printing, assuring a true reproduction of the artwork/photo so it retains its vibrancy and original colors.

    • Starz patented process creates water-resistant puzzles that withstand spills. Water, wine, and other liquids wipe right off.

    • Heirloom quality that will last a lifetime.

    Starz individually inspects each puzzle before hand-placing it inside your choice of high-quality, strong, protective packaging:

    • Reinforced chipboard box.

    • Patented 3-layer flat sleeve.

    • Handcrafted, solid Ashwood box with hidden hinges and magnetic lock.

  • Shadow of the Stones 2026

    Date: Saturday/Sunday, 13th/14th June 2026 – 10am to 4pm Location: C42, Middle Woodford, Salisbury SP4 6NR Location Map Description: Exhibition of original artwork and prints.

    The post Shadow of the Stones 2026 appeared first on Art of Naomi Cornock.

  • Witchfest Markets Frome 2026

    Date: Saturday, 28th March 2025 – 9am to 3pm Location: Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Justice Lane, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BE Location Map Witchfest Markets returns to Somerset with a Free to Enter Esoteric Market at the popular Cheese & Grain Somerset venue! You will find Witchfest Markets are the perfect location to find unusual […]

    The post Witchfest Markets Frome 2026 appeared first on Art of Naomi Cornock.

  • The Glastonbury Wytches Market – Spring 2026

    Date: Saturday, 4th April 2026 – 10am to 5pm Location: Glastonbury Town Hall, Magdalene St, Glastonbury, BA6 9EL Location Map Description: A vibrant market full of unique art and crafts. Meet the creatives – Shop for gifts and treats – on site cafe

    The post The Glastonbury Wytches Market – Spring 2026 appeared first on Art of Naomi Cornock.