Going out

Posted on January 18, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Chilly, Cold, Escape, Getting out, Icy, Life, Out, Snow, Supermarket, trolley, Weather, WinterLeave a comment

I just got out of the house, only to go across the road to the supermarket, but it was definitely ‘out’. I leaned heavily on the shopping trolley to support myself, the cold air had got to my lungs and I felt short of breath again, but at least I didn’t cough. I was out yesterday, but only to walk from the car to the pharmacy and back again, so this was actually more of a test. The snow had all melted except in patches where it had been sheltered by the shadow of some bushes. In those places where the sun hadn’t penetrated there was crispy icy snow, glassy from compression by feet. I avoided those areas because I didn’t want to slip. Now I’m home and keeping warm. I’m wearing a fleece and my dressing gown over my clothes to keep warm!

Snow drawing

Posted on January 18, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, cut, folded paper, half, Memory, Paper cutting, quarter, Scissors, Shapes, six sidedLeave a comment

Did you ever make paper snowflakes? Fold a piece of paper in two then fold it twice more so you end up with six pieces. Leave it folded and cut through the resultant triangle to cut off the excess paper sticking out so that each shape is the same (it’s so hard to describe!). From there cut out random shapes into each of the long sides, and a random pattern in the short side. When you unfold the paper you will end up with a snowflake (six sided). You can do other things. If you just fold it in half it could be a snowman or a butterfly if you colour in the paper first. If you quarter it you can make flower shapes. It’s fun to experiment and it’s something I used to do as a child. The snowflakes were stuck on our windows as decorations.

So it did snow…

Posted on January 18, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged accumulation, Cold, Icy, Night, Snow, snowfall, snowing, Time, Weather, White, WinterLeave a comment

Not much though, and it’s melting today. But when it was snowing it was dropping big wet flakes out of the clouds, like bits of wet tissue paper. When you look up you can see the flakes falling down, dark shadows against the whitish clouds, then white as they get caught in the light from my doorway. There was a small accumulation over night, but then as the sun caught the snow on branches it dripped off in white blobs.

Around the country it has been far worse, a double decker bus toppled over on an icy road near Hinckley Point yesterday. Some of the passengers were injured. The lake district hills are covered in snow, and Scotland and Wales have had much more than here. I guess living in a city means it doesn’t get as cold so snow melts more quickly and with global warming there are less really cold days than ever before.

A dusting of snow

Posted on January 17, 2023 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Car, Chilly, Cold, Freezing, Icy, powder snow, Showers, Snow, snow showers, Weather, White3 Comments

Hard to see, but the roof opposite has a dusting of snow. It was like that this morning, a thin, crisp crust of powder. Then it melted quickly in the low sun. Now the clouds are back, getting that orange glow off the sodium street lights. Next doors roof has a thin white layer of snowy ice. The gritting lorries are out, and we are waiting for disruptive snow showers coming from the North West through the Cheshire gap. Meanwhile the cats dip in and out of the catflap. Coming in frequently to warm their paws, then out again to do who knows what? When we go to bed they will come in and curl up to sleep. Meanwhile they pad through the thin layer of snow, silent and probably deadly!

Ukraine again

Posted on January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged bombardment, civilians, Crimea, Fighting, freedom, Life, Peace, Putin, Syria, Ukraine, War2 Comments

Memory lapses, things happen and the world turns around the sun. But in February it will be the anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine waged by Russias Vladimir Putin. Not that that was the start of it, first Russia took The Crimea, now the resolution seems to be to take the south east of Ukraine from its sovereign people. The argument seems to be that it used to be Russian and will be again.

The awful thing about it is the vicious tactics that are being employed.. Sending missiles against the power and water grids in the country. The senseless murder and maiming of the civilian population in their apartment blocks, in hospitals and in maternity wards. The leader of this chaos and destruction is one man, Vladimir Putin. He was involved in the terrible war in Syria where he supplied weapons to President Assad. He has a history of pushing boundaries (literally) and was given too much support by the ex president of a western country. He thinks he will get away with it, I hope he stops and gives Ukraine peace and freedom again but I’m not holding my breath.

Winter watch is on

Posted on January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Animals, BBC, Birds, Landscape, natural history, Nature, Sea, Springwatch, Time, TV, Winter, winterwatch4 Comments

Winterwatch is an offshoot of Springwatch which is a programme that started on BBC TV several years ago. The presenters have changed over time, but it gives us a view of the British Isles through the seasons.

Winterwatch is lovely, seeing badgers, falcons, water rats, deer, stoats and seabirds amongst other animals gives you an idea of how they live and survive and in some cases thrive during the winter.

The programme explores wildlife and behaviour over a couple of weeks, sampling their lives and how humans affect them. The series is a wonderful reminder of nature. Some of it is filmed live during the evening programmes and also has videos of other animal activity happening at this time of year.

If you want to know more about the natural history of the British Isles during winter you can watch it in the UK on BBC 2, or the BBC I player, or the Facebook page which is called BBC Springwatch. Or bbc.co.uk/winterwatch

Favourite filter

Posted on January 17, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Bodnant, Cold, Colour, Drawing, Felt pens, Life, Memory, Photodirector, Sketching, Snow, Swirls2 Comments

I like this particular filter on photodirector. It creates swirls but of a definite size, texturising the felt pen shading, and making a more graphic design. It sort of reorganises my artwork into something more abstract but coherent. Less realism, more illustrative. Drawing and playing with the resultant image is keeping me occupied on a very cold day, with temperatures below freezing in some parts of the country and a sprinkling of snow here, but deep elsewhere. And I dream of going to Bodnant in the spring.

History

Posted on January 17, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Bodnant Gardens, Drawing, Felt pens, Life, Llandudno, North Wales, Sketching, WalesLeave a comment

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was history. I decided to draw the pool at Bodnant Gardens, a house and gardens run by the National Trust near, Llandudno in North Wales. Its well known for its beautiful laburnum walk and many flowering shrubs and plants. The upper part near the house has lawns and perennial plants while the garden slopes down to a river and has lovely wooded areas.

Comfort-cat

Posted on January 16, 2023 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Animals, Belly rub, Cat, Comfortable, Fun, Life, Poem, Poetry, Purring, Silly, Sleeping, WarmLeave a comment

He couldn’t be more comfortable

Like a bug in a rug

A chick in a nest

A coiled warm snake

A dog in a vest

A bear in its den.

A goldfish in its bowl

A bee in its hive.

He’s happy to have his belly rubbed.

A comfort-cat enjoying life.

Great purrs-onality!

Snow expected

Posted on January 16, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Blue, Bug, Cold, Colour, Forecast, Hexagonal, Life, six sided, Snow, Time, Tired, Weather, WindLeave a comment

It’s getting colder here and the forecast or Scotland, parts of Wales and the North West is for snow over the next few days. That made me want to draw snowflakes, and that led me to using the sketch app again.

At the moment I’m trying to keep warm and get over the bug I’ve had for a few weeks. The thought of colder weather does not fill me with joy. Just dread!

Still I like my colours that I’ve used on the drawing, a little bit like Wedgwood China.

Mallaband-Brown

Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown