This article was first published in Network News 32 Winter 2002

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My early contact with the realms of nature started in about 1966 in London, where I was then working. My connection began through feeling that I wantcd lots of colour in my life although I did not know why so I decided to buy a huge box of water colour crayons and like an excited child eagerly took them home.

I started to scribble, literally, evening after evening, and then the scribbles began to form into patterns. Wanting some proof or confirmation about what I was seeing I asked friends for articles and letters, held them in my hand and drew at the same time. I gave the drawing to the owner without saying anything and their response did confirm to me that something significant and unusual was indeed happening. Almost all of them found something meaningful in the drawing that related to either article or letter.

I then received an invitation to a retreat centre in Kent. I was delighted to find that there was no set rhythm to the week so I took my boxes of crayons into the garden, settled myself by the pond and immersed myself in nature. The dragonflies, fish and frogs took me into a contented, timeless yet very alert state and after a time I began to draw. I should explain that I had no preconceived ideas about what I drew, it just happened in various techniques.

As this particular drawing took shape I saw a cheerful little face and pointed ears and I could feel his joyful presence. A dragonfly settled close by me and remained the entire time, seemingly watching me. Afterwards I hid the drawing in my room, not wanting anyone to know what I had been doing. Later, sitting in the lounge with other group members one of the staff appeared, who had, it transpired, been cleaning my room. ”Where did you get the drawing in your room?” she said. “Which drawing” I tentatively replied. “The one of Lennie.” “Who is Lennie?” “Don’t you know?” came the response. “He’s an elf that lives in the garden”

Well, you can say you believe in fairies and elves but to draw an elf that everyone in the house knew of but I had never seen was quite something. I hadn’t seen an elf yet somehow I had drawn him! I was, to say the least, overwhelmed and part of me wanted to hug myself and another part wanted to run away from all these staring people. This is the absolute truth of what took place. Some believe it while others think I am telling my own fairy story. As far as I was concerned I was still half in the unseen realm and my sensitivity was beginning to falter. As I bumped back to earth again I started to cry and cry. I’m not sure any of us understood what was happening, least of all me!

So, my contact with the nature kingdom had existed for six years before I reached the Findhorn Foundation. I was born in Edinburgh and my father came from the Black Isle, north of Inverness. I did not know about the Findhorn Community until 1972 when I visited a friend in the north. The day I travelled I received a letter from a group in Glastonbury asking me to detour and visit the community. This group had previously predicted that I would return to Scotland, a prediction I hotly denied! However, I visited, stayed two eventful nights and fell in love with the place and especially the people. There was so much joy, laughter and singing, not to mention a vibrant, sparkling garden! It was such an overwhelming experience I decided I could not live there!

I returned the next year for my holiday and worked in the candle studio. We had to work where we were needed which wasn’t always where we wanted to be. One day, near the community shop, a charming persistent being came tugging at my trousers rather like a friendly puppy. It made me giggle and jump about as I tried to continue on my way home. I was very shy and found it embarrassing. It followed and clung to me all the way to my room in Universal bungalow. I sat down and drew what I have since learnt is a sandgoblin.

The sandgoblin was so excited at seeing the drawing. When I showed it to someone they told me to listen to Robert Ogilvie Crombie’s tape on the reality of the elemental kingdom. On listening to ROC I experienced a glow of inner excitement. Here was someone expressing what I had been experiencing both before and during my time at Findhorn. He was very respected and loved within the community so his words had extra value for me. At the time he was living in Edinburgh and we met the following year. That meeting and subsequent conversations with ROC is another story.

My contact with the beings of nature has come purely through my drawings and I do not consider myself an expert on their activities. I do not know why I receive their form in my paintings but presumably they want to be expressed in a swirl of colour perhaps so that people can use the drawings as a reference point to know and understand these realms.

Goodness knows how hard it is to ‘catch a rainbow’ and I marvel how they can stay with me sometimes for four hours while I am trying to portray them. I hope you enjoy the portraits that accompany these words.

Frances Ripley

Studied at Edinburgh College of Art, worked for Red Cross Office for Handcrafts and Holidays for the Disabled in London for 15 years. 1966-92 drawings of etheral beings resulting in Visions Unseen.