I thought it was about time I wrote a post about the Big Garden Birdwatch (#biggardenbirdwatch) and my Big Garden Birdwatch Sketchalong (#BGBWsketchalong).  If you remember from my last post about it, I appeared in the Big Garden Birdwatch advert , and promotion material, encouraging others to join in this important project. This Citizen Science project takes place every year at the end of January here in the UK, run by the RSPB, people are asked to sit for an hour and count

Earlier in the year I was contacted by the RSPB, asking if I’d like to appear in an advert promoting the Big Garden Birdwatch.  A yearly back garden bird count, collecting citizen science data to help protect our garden birds. It takes place at the end of January every year, this year it’s 26th – 28th. Being photographed or filmed is definitely not something I am comfortable with, so I hesitated at first.  But what an opportunity and adventure it would be? In recent years I’v

Pocket Hitchhikers – Autumn Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. by Robert Frost How many times have you come back from a walk and found your pockets full of little treasures of nature? It seems that some of us can’t help but pick up stones from the beach or conkers from the woodland, small tactile pieces of natu

‘It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade’ Charles Dickens First Signs of Spring by Raspberry Thief It was the Spring Equinox earlier this week. Day and night are almost equal lengths. It will soon be time for the clocks to go forward here in the UK, and the days to lengthen. Two weeks ago I ran to my local nature reserve, RSPB St Aidans. There was a chill in the air, but the sun wa

I have been overwhelmed, as I’m sure many others have been watching Blue Planet 2, (a BBC tv nature documentary centering on life in our oceans) and we’re only on episode 4! The beautiful imagery, close ups and footage of our oceans and it’s inhabitants are stunning. Added to that the soothing, knowledgeable narration by Sir David Attenborough. I’ve felt compelled this week to draw some of the amazing creatures featured and highlight those that touched me. Care Walrus and h

Back in the summer I was asked by Dr. Jessie Voigts of Wandering Educators if I’d like to be featured as ‘Artist Of The Month‘. Jessie has featured some wonderful artists, so I feel humbled to have my work and background featured, thank you for your kind words Jessie.  Here’s a copy of the feature: Artist Of The Month: Angela Hennessy by Dr. Jessie Voigts / Nov 02, 2017 / Gorgeous colors, rich with the natural beauty of our earth. A keen eye, to see birds, waves, sunsets, and

“Still summer’s song beats in my blood” –  Alan Hartley First of all I’d like to say hi and thank you to all my new followers, I hope you’ve had a look at my other posts and my artwork, this post explains a bit more about me. I’m very behind with my monthly family adventure paintings, the last one I did was in May.  However we have been out and about every month enjoying the great outdoors, in Yorkshire and in Wales.  Summer sand, sunshine and long walks don’t seem that long

I thought I’d write a post about my art, as Raspberry Thief seems to be constantly morphing and changing as I change, and become more confident in my style.  It’s grown from a platform for my drawings to include a lot more of my interests, reading, outdoors, running.  I’ve been using my time to practice everyday, and try to develop a style, story that I’m happy with.  This year I feel like I’ve turned a corner and have something that I can develop and grow with.  It is a comb

A sunny, frosty morning. Days like this make me breathe in and take it all in, blue skies, birds singing away. Although it made me smile this morning, i also felt a little sad,while everyone is rushing around getting their kids in school, going to work, do they notice the song thrush belting out a tune in the school playground? It can be a lonely place sometimes the school playground, as a mum as well as a child. Days like this make me want to whisk them all out and get awa