The digital home of author, artist & photographer Chris Elphick | All content, unless otherwise stated, is copyrighted © Chris Elphick

Saturday, 29 June 2019

Cracking On With The Verry Volk


A Green Man Door Knocker For My Writing Shed

My daughter spotted this fantastic Green Man door knocker in a shop closing down sale in Norwich. It now guards my writing shed door here in Wales :)

Friday, 28 June 2019

What Wild Worlds Are Created Behind This Door?

What wild worlds are created behind this door?



Click here to discover.

Hay Fever!

I would formally like to thank Piriton for allowing me to sit out in the garden to do a bit of reading this morning :)


Introducing The Cover Design of The Verry Volk

Here it is, the cover design for The Verry Volk. The writing for this short guide is now complete, but I am still working on the photographic content of the book. I am hoping it will be published and available for purchase sometime this autumn...


Thursday, 27 June 2019

Out In The Garden

With the first draft of Berserk! put to bed, I am taking a few days break from that title to concentrate on a smaller project I need to catch up on - a brief guide to my local faery lore:



Wednesday, 26 June 2019

Very Few Things Beat Reading In The Sunshine

With the first draft of my fifth book completed, I  am now taking a hard-earned break in the garden with this great Stephen King novel:

Very few things beat reading in the sunshine

Berserk! Draft One Complete :)

The first draft of my fifth novella, Berserk!, has now been completed. And I am quietly happy with its mad denouement :)

Tuesday, 25 June 2019

Sunday, 23 June 2019

Berserk! Cover Design

With the end of the first draft of Berserk! in sight, I have started work on the cover design for the book:


My original photograph of one of my local woods

Work in progress on the book cover for Berserk!


Epsom Salts and Nag Champa


Having a nice long epsom salt bath in the hope that it eases my continuing back pain. Burning some nag champa incense to soothe my soul...

Saturday, 22 June 2019

Berserk! 2 More Chapters Needed!

Well, it looks like I need another two chapters to finish off the first draft of Berserk. This news has surprised me!

Story-boarding Chapter 11

Friday, 21 June 2019

Summer Solstice Writing

I sat out in the garden this Summer Solstice afternoon to do a bit of writing. By a fluke of timing, the chapter of Berserk! I was working on was set on Summer Solstice and details a Summer Solstice ritual. I love coincidences like this :)




A Misumena vatia Spider

I will conclude today's celebration of Summer Solstice with these two pics featuring a Peacock Lily and something rather curious I found lucking within its petals:

A Flowering Acidanthera Peacock Orchid
Misumena vatia spiders are curious little creatures which actually change their colour to camouflage themselves. The spider hiding in my Peacock Orchid was as white as the driven snow but this species can take on the most spectacular colours in their bid to surprise their insect-prey. I am no real fan of bugs, arachnids and other such critters, but sometimes the creatures you find amongst the garden flowers you grow can be just as fascinating as the plants themselves.

A Misumena vatia Spider with it's Breakfast :o/