FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters. The art works entitled 'Houndton Tabby', were designed by illustrator and artist Kim Parkhurst, 39, after she combined her love of drawing and Downton Abbey. 'I've been painting portraits of animals in historical costume for some time,” explains New Yorker Kim. “I've taken some familiar and beloved characters whose demeanour, personality, and appearance seemed to translate to certain breeds of dog or cat. 'I got to thinking about Mr Bates' character and storyline, and Brendan Coyle's facial structure, and how he could look hard but also had the warmest, kindest eyes.
A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy .
A soap bubble lands on the frosty ground and creates a shimmering snow globe as crystals form around it .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .
Peering curiously into a basket hanging off the arms of a snowman, this little squirrel appears fascinated by the snowy figure .
DIPPING and diving their way through this bumpy journey, these giraffe's duck for cover as they dodge multiple cables and wires .
Suspended FIFTY metres in the air, this is the last place that you would expect to find a fine dining experience .
AT 4,800 metres high and just three metres wide, this is the most dangerous road in the world .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
Lying angelically with a range of expressions etched on their tiny faces, little bundles of joy are innocently captured in their first few days in these adorable photographs .
A lazy tree frog, tired of hopping along a branch, chooses the slowest form of transport when it jumps on top of an unsuspecting snail .