[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-dartmoor-summer-2020":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"After nearly four months of Lockdown in the city, I jumped at the first chance to visit my co-author \u003Ca href=\"https://instagram.com/thesolitarybee/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> and his family on Dartmoor. It was a combination work-health-pleasure trip: we did get quite a bit of work done on the fourth Kevin book, I got a whole lot of exercise I hadn't been getting while sitting around in London... and Dartmoor's just always fantastic. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/974540_original-d13dbc242b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI'd been doing some tree drawing in my local parks, but there's nothing like sitting in the middle of a Dartmoor wood to work on an experimental painting. (I ended up working on this one in Philip's studio, and then finishing it up back in London.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/974818_original-ccf42b8a52.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWell, until it starts raining. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/974958_original-ed45325706.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI had blazing sun for the first half of drawing this, then rain... \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/975348_original-b068fda23c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n...but I managed to shield my sketchbook under my jacket and stick it out to the end.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/975716_original-278b329acd.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOn one of the days, I went tree drawing with Philip. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/975888_original-3b3ba9e196.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck out his finished drawing, it's amazing. The mossy trees on Dartmoor really make me feel like I'm in Middle Earth. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/979269_original-97558370f2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSpeaking of which, Philip has been posting some great blog articles on Lord of the Rings, informally jotting down his thoughts as he read through it for his umpteenth time. \u003Ca href=\"https://philipreeveblog.blogspot.com/search/label/LOTR\">You can read them all here.\u003C/a> I've read the books and listened to the BBC dramatisation version so many times I can't even count, but reading Philip's blog still gave me new reflections on them.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://philipreeveblog.blogspot.com/search/label/LOTR\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/981755_original-3198c88295.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\nOh, and here's my tree, a work-in-progress, and the final version, when I tried to capture some of the leafy background (which is very tricky!). It was an odd tree, it reminded me of the castle in \u003Ci>The Dark Crystal\u003C/i> (also Dartmoor-influenced). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/976298_original-15178e6e1d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nIt was so much fun hanging out with the Reeve family, and we walked about 35 miles of moor and wood and hillside. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/976735_original-888c0e81a8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Sam, contemplating some cows. They were mostly friendly, but it was calf season and since we had the dog, Frodo, with us (and cows don't like dogs), we had to be careful. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/977094_original-b60f54319a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThey have very cute faces, though. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/977240_original-57660d056b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd of course I wanted to see KEVIN, our Roly-Poly Flying Pony of the Outermost West.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/979127_original-e79b7cffed.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nDid we see him? Well, we did see quite a few magical-looking white ponies. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/979614_original-8006f1b6b1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nPonies, ponies, ponies. I love them so much. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/978048_original-3a45107b8e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThey're not very tame, but sometimes they forget themselves and let me go in for a cuddle. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/977836_original-60b270742d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/977495_original-032eac9a40.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nUsually Stuart and I visit the Reeve family in the winter, and this was such a contrast, with everything green and pulsing with life. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/978212_original-dfac16ce0c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI would have missed this tiny frogs in the grass entirely if Philip hadn't pointed them out. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/978598_original-c07a51a417.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd the sheep came to check us out. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/978937_original-95abd7296f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI absolutely adore all the different kinds of trees on Dartmoor. Here are some tall ones poking up in the mist:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/980932_original-a8c54f8506.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSome mossier, curving tress: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/981209_original-9b22318544.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd really twisty, bendy trees that almost look like they're dancing: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/981373_original-7dcab3dd3a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to the Reeve family for taking me in! Be sure to \u003Ca href=\"https://instagram.com/moorland/\">follow Sarah Reeve on Instagram (@moorland)\u003C/a> to see amazing photos of Dartmoor and its wildlife. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/979839_original-41219188d8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThanks for coming out on walks with us, Sam! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/980125_original-d7332e896a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd of course, thanks to my co-author Philip, who is an elf, but everyone knew that already. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/980347_original-d42ebf65f4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/980637_original-57974c55ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2020-07-20T21:39:00.000Z","dartmoor-summer-2020",[],"Dartmoor Summer 2020",1776628730663]