In the Green

Springer Spaniel in the blue and fresh green of bluebells, with their indescribable scent.

I've been away for a while in Devon, helping with lambing, and now I'm back home reunited with Moss.  It feels as though the seasons have changed.  Finally we are truly in spring.

It’s my favourite season.

With the longer evenings, the sap rising, and all the hope of the coming summer. 

I love it.

Moss and I had a late start today, then we sat in a field; me perched on an abandoned anthill,whilst Moss was gnawing her way through a stick.  

It’s wonderful to have her by my side again, despite her Collie complexities!  She’s supersensitive to sunlight; it makes her squint.

I can see the trees coming into leaf.  For me this very week is the most beautiful week of year.

All the greens are different.  

I spoke to the artist Jamie Dodds about the colour green; I thought, as an artist, he’d have an interesting perspective on the matter. 

His theory on green is that since it’s in the middle of the rainbow, we have a better perception of the gradients of green than any other colour.  When we were hunter gatherers we learned to be aware of the different shades of green to make sure that we collected a healthy green, not a dying green. 

Take a look in the woods right now, look at the bluebells, see how the blue contrasts with the fresh green of their leaves.

Over time we’ve learned to be more discerning about green than any other colour.

I like these ideas; it’ll make me look at green and all its gradients with much more interest.

The greens are so subtle at the moment, in a couple weeks they will become quite similar.

It feels good to sit quietly with Moss as she munches on her stick, the sun on my back, melting into my shoulders.  I’m feasting my eyes on the greens that surround me and relishing the warmth … even if the bright light makes Moss squint.

AJK