Life At Toad Hall...
Toad Hall is the inspiration for the illustrations that adorn the beautiful things we create here at the Toad Hall Company (and when I say 'we' I refer to myself, the dogs and other resident furry and feathered creatures, and then during particularly busy periods a husband, a couple of nice ladies from the village and the farmer next door, all of whom bring love, care and attention to our creations).
There isn't a season of the year when the Hall is without it's magic. This magic has no recipe, no formula and can not be explained by any sort of equation. One might assume it could be put down to location; being that it is nestled within the breathtaking rolling English countryside. Perhaps it could be the romantic look of the place, with it's grand (if somewhat aging) architecture, ornate wrought iron gates, regal columns and that splendid Edwardian orangey set amongst formal grounds? These features alone however, would be not nearly as enchanting, without the quirky, charming and general day to day 'goings-on' of the animals that live here.
An example of this activity is the routine of Lord Fauntleroy the resident peacock who spends his day pompously strutting about the grounds, it's the busyness of Mr Shrew, who wears himself out darting from his home beneath the potting benches to the oasis that is the walled garden, and it is the twitching noses of the rabbits, that graze the croquet lawn, when Gulliver the cat is afoot. This activity/these moments, and the general habits of country life, like wellys left at the backdoor, dogs sitting on ponies, picnics by the river in the summer and hugging the Aga in the winter, make for excellent illustrations.
So that is where I come in, and we can give you a taste of that Toad Hall magic. Have a browse through our little Etsy shop and take a look at our charming collection all inspired by life in the country or visit our website, which is also displaying a sale of my original watercolours in the Long Gallery.
From Rebecca & all at the Hall x
