April 30, 2026
A rumour no-one else believed:
Go to where the old roads cross
on Beltane Eve. Her music rang through the sky,
but I only glimpsed her for a moment
as she rode on by. This painting was inspired by the children’s nursery rhyme: ‘Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse; with rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes.’ I discovered through some research into old spring folklore that this could be about catching a glimpse of a goddess of Spring, with the crossroads representing the wheel of the year.
There are soft earthy, natural tones in this painting for a relaxed atmosphere, with pops of pastel pink and lilac to add some fresh brightness.
I would love you to see your own narrative in the picture – where is the woman going and where has she been? Do you wander what she’s thinking about? As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me:
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