September began yesterday and with it, Autumn made her first appearance as well. Our Summer has been so very wet that I think it was just glad to give up and make way for the next season. I imagine it walking of in a huff, slightly grumpy and dishevelled , smelling faintly of mildew and mud. We have falling leaves, migrating birds and red berries in the garden now. Everything seems quite gentle and calm at the moment. I picture Autumn settling her skirts of leaves over the countryside, rustling in the wind. Her underskirts are the first leaves to fall, never terribly showy - browns and drab greens, curled and crumpled. These of course are followed by her beautiful outer skirts of red and gold and chestnut browns. Autumn is always a red head.

Here in our Autumn house, we are busily getting ready for our next trip to the states. FaerieCon is fast approaching and we've still got loads to do before we're ready to leave for Philadelphia. This is going to be a very busy season for us. Brian has book signings in London and New York , then on to FaerieCon and after that we're off to Lucca (Lucca Comics and Games) where Brian has designed the poster art for this year's convention. It's Alice in Wonderland, but not as you've ever seen her before! After we return from Lucca, we're off to London for an exhibition in a gallery on Cork Street. Brian and I, along with fellow artists Annie Ovenden and Charles Summers are putting together a four person show titled Silvan Spirit. We'll have more information on it by next month but it should be very special especially since Brian hasn't exhibited any work on this side of the Atlantic in years.

FaerieCon should be a truly fun and interesting experience. Faerieworlds always has a great atmosphere with fantastic music, really interesting things to buy and loads of people truly enjoying themselves. We love it. FaerieCon is something new. Of course it will have fantastic music and great booths but more than that it will have discussion groups, lectures, presentations and talks that will give us a chance to delve into the world of Faerie on a much deeper and more intellectual level as well as the chance to discover the views of individual artists, writers and performers who create for the Faerie Realms. We're really looking forward to it. Here's a tip for anyone coming to FaerieCon. Don't be afraid to come up and talk to any of the guest speakers. We're here to be with all of you and welcome your contribution to the conversations. I don't think any of us bite. ( well - maybe just a little). We'll also be previewing some new work as well. Then there are the Good Faery and Bad Faery Balls! O.K. - I admit it - I'm excited! So if you are interested, check the website for details and we'll see you there.

I've got to get back to work now. I have SO much to do this month. Hopefully when I write again at the beginning of October, I'll be able to say that September was the month of accomplishing many things. I hope. What I really want to do is sit down, have a cup of tea and watch a good murder mystery on TV. Maybe I'll get the chance to do that too.

One last thing. Buster is no longer a kitten. He is a huge, fierce cat - a hunter of small creatures and the terror of the garden. I hate to admit it but I'm sure he's eaten a few faeries along with the mice and shrews. It may be time for a collar with a bell on it.

Until October then - happy Autumn.

Wendy Froud
September 2007

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