7/03/2008

The Nightingale




The sunrise wakes the lark to sing,
The moonrise wakes the nightingale.
Come darkness, moonrise, everything
That is so silent, sweet and pale,
Come, so ye wake the nightingale.

Christina Rossetti.

I have to confess I have never seen a Nightingale, let alone had the pleasure of hearing one sing in Berkeley Square but I live in hope, I find the idea so enchanting.

This design has been especially created to decorate a small card and enclosure. I took my inspiration for the structure of the enclosure from a Japanese design. I love the way the Japanese wrap objects, not in a tight hermetic seal but in a gentle, folded or wrapped parcel. This is the art of "gentle concealment" which is central to Japanese culture.

The more I learn about Japan, the more I want to visit that extraordinary country, it's next on my list after I have heard the Nightingale sing....