Completed artwork. 'Spirit of May'
- sarah816202
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
A beautiful and fabulously colourful array of artworks for the celebration of Beltane, the Spirit of May and all occasions that arise in May that the creative folk associate with the fifth month of our year. Please take your time to browse them and capture their essence. This is a magical time of year, so much happening in nature, but around us in the running of our lives also.
Donna - love this fabulous Maypole Donna, with the ribbons streaming in the breeze. It looks like it's ready for the dancers to perform around. I especially like how you have got the billowing waves in the fabric. Such a beautiful and often typical sight in May, one of our group members commented that she remembers dancing around the Maypole while she was in school, as do I. Another remembered teaching children at her school how to dance around the Maypole. The tree looks epic, and like it's been standing there, growing for a very long time! Felt-tip pens were used.
Noor - created this vibrantly colourful patchwork using her new set of acrylic paint set and book. Noor tried this out in our art group last night and really enjoyed using it, found the paint easy to use and control and not too messy. Thanks for sharing this with us Noor, always love hearing about the supplies you have spotted and then try out. Acrylic pain was used.
Andy - This work is so personal to you Andy and yet relevant to others, a great visual journal entry for the month. He explained that he has composed his artwork in a different way looking at events in the month of May. He has his Birthday, a big milestone as you can see, his 30th; as many other youngsters, he took his exams; also recently many people have voted nationally; and the Eurovision Song Contest. The final is on Saturday 16 May in Vienna. Created using Felt tip and ink.
Sarah - 'A Maypole for the Mayflies'
I had the idea of creating a place where the mayfly could dance and be with their fellow mayflies, as they only live for a very short time. In my mind, around the ponds and watery places, they are found the small colourful maypoles would see them gather, they dance, find their mates. Wonder what these mayflies would be dancing along to, maybe an evening frog chorus? Created using watercolour and a fine line marker pen.
I remember when I was a young child, dancing around the maypole at our 'old' Primary School, which was built in 1850. They had an 'ancient' record player that belted out original songs we used to dance around the Maypole to learn before we performed the display. This wasn't that long ago either! My primary school relocated in the 80's when the new build was ready to move to. The tradition was carried on in the new grounds, but the setting wasn't the same, however.
Matthew - absolutely great work, Matthew! Fantastic focus while listening to the topic when you joined, and you got an idea straight away, awesome. The poppy he'd bought for his garden was in bloom. It blooms from May to August, so he drew some poppies, which are his favourite flowers. Biro was used.
Barbara - A great May celebration of young people dancing around the maypole, I love how you have framed the whole scene with hawthorn blossom and leaves, the flower of May, great detail. A stunning artwork, portraying a huge amount of movement in both the characters dancing and their shadows following them around the maypole. It's so colourful and mesmerising, capturing the essence of May. Barbara spent a couple of weeks working on this, as she has been very busy with other projects, getting her art pieces ready for exhibitions. We wish her every success. Watercolours were used.
It's been great to be able to bring you the artworks this week, a lot of memories, many of which were evoked by the Maypole and dancing with ribbons, a very traditional Maytime celebration associated with Beltane, as it's the key festival marking the start of the summer. This tradition is still enjoyed by many today at modern-day events, despite Oliver Cromwell banning it between 1644 and 1660 as it was considered 'heathenish vanity'. In modern times, the maypole structure can be a scene of controversy, due to local planning issues, but it remains strongly supported by local communities, and the tradition remains alive today.
Our other artworks have been imaginative, and we hope this will have given you a taste to join our art group. Feel free to use any media you have to hand, whether it is on paper with pens, pencils or paints or on an electronic device. It's a relaxed online environment.
We run every Wednesday, starting at 7:30 pm, link is below, select All4Art
The "Spirit of May" artwork is absolutely stunning! The vibrant colors and symbolic elements truly capture the essence of inclusion, growth, and community renewal. Art has a unique way of bringing diverse people together and sparking meaningful conversations about shared spaces and mutual respect. Just like this beautiful piece fosters a sense of collective belonging, digital entertainment hubs can also bring diverse communities together over shared passions. Many of my creative friends enjoy unwinding on interactive platforms like Lotus365 Blue, finding a similar sense of shared excitement and community spirit there. Thank you for sharing this inspiring artistic milestone!