Julie Bull Textile Artist

I create whimsical hand stitched illustrations influenced by folklore, the countryside and sea.
My work is a reflection of the ancient messages and myths that spoke to our ancestors through the landscape and its indigenous wildlife

I welcome the reassurance that comes with the reliability of the tides and seasons, the circle of life, death and regeneration

The moon, hare and owl reflect my own struggle to fit into a new phase of life as a middle age woman as I seek to find a new identity through the symbolism of Celtic mythology

‘Fly Into My Arms’

The Welsh goddess Arianrhod is said to be able to shapeshift into a large Owl, and through her great Owl-eyes, sees into the darkness of the human subconscious and soul.

She moves with strength and purpose through the night, her wings of comfort and healing spread to give solace to those who seek her.

‘Secret Of The March Moon’

The goddess Arianrhod shares an ancient secret with a young hare by the light of the full moon

Goddess of the full moon, fertility and feminine power in Celtic myth she has three major aspects: the maiden, the mother and the crone representing the three stages in the life of a woman

The hare epitomises the symbolism and rich tapestry of beliefs associated with the Spring Equinox.

It is the archetypal symbol of femininity, associated with the lunar cycle, fertility, longevity, and rebirth.

In some lands, the hare is the messenger of the Great Goddess, moving by moonlight between the human world and the realm of the gods; in other lands he is a god himself, wily deceiver and sacred world creator rolled into one. 

In Chinese folklore the hare represents the feminine power of yin and it is believed that female hares conceive through the touch of the full moon's light (without the need of impregnation by the male), or by crossing water by moonlight, or licking moonlight from a male hare’s fur.

The moon itself is the archetypal female symbol, representing the Mother Goddess connecting womb, death, rebirth, creation

In this piece the moon contains the ancient symbol of three running hares

‘Just Go With The Flow’

Tucked away in a bend in the Wyre estuary stands Skippool Creek, home to an amazing array of wildlife, abandoned boats and broken jetties and fences

Standing here it is easy to imagine being transported back in time looking at a scene that has changed very little since the 1900′s.

Whilst viewing this stark unchanging landscape I had a strong feeling of permanence and reassurance than the tide ebbed and flowed each day - a fact accepted by the wildlife whose lives were governed by it

The hare from ancient times has had divine associations. Its elusiveness and unusual behaviour, particularly at night, have reinforced its reputation as a magical creature.

The hare is a symbol of fertility in folklore as it was believed to have mystical links to the female cycle and the moon which governs it

I see the hare watching the rising tide with its creative as well as fertile potency as a link to the balance and natural cycles of life reflecting the ancient Celtic beliefs about regeneration and eternity