Went for a walk

Posted on December 27, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bright, Broken branches, Cold, Downhill, Fun, Sunny, Tired, Uphill, Walking, WindyLeave a comment

We didn’t get to the lake so we walked locally, up and down the big hill round here, Penkhull. The village was mentioned in the doomsday book. I walked in a mask and socially distanced, my glasses steamed up and with the very low sun it was more like walking in a dark fog than a sunlit day. I kept covering my eyes with my hands to shield them. As we walked we were stepping over lots of broken twigs and branches. One large limb had fallen down on the local school grounds, but as some of its branches has been cut back, this might have happened a whole ago? Today I managed to walk 5.8 kilometers (8250 steps) I also managed to raise my heart rate. I’m glad we won’t but I was shattered when we got back!

Behind.. Today’s prompt

Posted on December 27, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Black and white drawing, Coloured, Drawing, Life, Make up mirror, Painting, SketchingLeave a comment

Black and white and coloured versions. Looking in a little make up mirror at a big painting that I did years ago that is on the wall behind me. Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was ‘behind’. Quite difficult to draw a tiny reflection of a large painting on the wall behind me. A bit cartoon I’m afraid.

Falling pressure

Posted on December 27, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Barometer, Change, Cold, Fair, Falling pressure, Rain, Weather, WetLeave a comment

The air pressure here has dropped by about 20 or 25 millibars today. As you can see it’s gone from change/fair to rain. And it’s pouring it down outside. The wind is very gusty and its battering our trees and hedges. The hanging baskets are rocking on their brackets. I might tap the barometer and see if it drops further. This is a mechanical barometer so it needs to be tapped sometimes to get an accurate reading.

Dragon fly

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dragonfly, Environment, Life, Nature, Photo, Picture, Preserved, Random, WhatsApp, WingsLeave a comment

The odd things people send to each other on WhatsApp. I was trying to draw a dragonfly and someone told me she had got one that she had found in her she’d last year. She sent me this picture. I think it’s been preserved in plastic? I was going to delete the photo, but I was quite fascinated by the wings and the reflections on it. Hence this random post…..

Wet Cat

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged 60 miles an hour winds, Black and white cat, Cat, Gales, Rain, Sleeping, Tuxedo cat, Wet cat, Wild weatherLeave a comment

I sometimes think our outdoor cat knows he’s onto a good thing…. Its been raining heavily and blowing 60 mile an hour winds, but he insists on going outside. The shed door is propped slightly open so he can shelter, but after an hour I shouted him. He came in, a bit damp, had something to eat and drink then went back to the door with my hubby. He was standing there holding the door open, but the cat didn’t want to go out. So then he came and sat on our armchairs (there’s a cushion between us), but no, I tried stroking him, he jumped off and tried out our bedroom, but soon came back downstairs. Now he’s sitting and staring at me. I also think he’s a bit nervous of the noise the gale is making. He keeps staring at the window. I can understand my two indoor cats, but this one is new. I can’t mind read what he wants yet……

Falcon works

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Black Country museum, Dudley, Falcon works, Gladstone pottery museum, Longport, Painting, portmeirion, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-TrentLeave a comment

A couple of paintings I did two years ago? They were on display in the waiting room gallery at Longport. These are paintings of the Falcon Works behind Portmeirion pottery in Stoke-on-Trent. A lot of these buildings are either falling down or just sitting empty. I wish some of them could be restored. There is a wonderful place called the Black Country Museum in Dudley I think in Central England. They have rebuilt many old buildings on the site so you can visit and see the history of industry and businesses in England. There are some museums in Stoke-on-Trent which are smaller versions. For example the Gladstone pottery museum. It’s a real shame that so many old buildings are being allowed to fall into rack and ruin.

Remembering Barndances!

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged 2019, Barn dance, Dancing, Drawing, Life, Memory, Penkhull, Penkhull Village Hall, SketchingLeave a comment

They were a hoot! Loads of people trying to dance square dances, making arches with their arms, swirling in circles round the room. Passing behind a line of people (casting) then dancing up the middle with your partner holding hands and twirling round and round. Crowded round tables around the sides of the room. Alcohol was for sale and they sometimes ran out of drink! I loved trying to capture people’s positions as they danced. In aid of Penkhull Mystery plays. I miss them.

Washing up

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Annoyed, April, Art, Chores, Drawing, Life, Sketching, Time, Washing up2 Comments

Drawing from April, tasks I hate. Yet again the sink is full, not just with crockery but with bits of food two. After two thousand times of asking my hubby to scrape leftovers into the bin, is it any wonder I get fed up with having to clean up the mess? Then there is the water problem. Splashing it everywhere, the seal round the sink is starting to break down. The sink was only put in about three years ago! It’s really annoying. Is this what men do to avoid chores???

Might go round the lake…

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Gales, Planning to walk, Soughing wind, Trees, Weather, Westport lake, Wet, WindLeave a comment

There are gales forecast for tomorrow but we might go out for a wet and windy walk round Westport lake in The birth of our city. I live the sound of wind rushing through the trees. You can hear the waves of air coming as first one tree bends and then the next. Air ‘soughing’ through the tree tops. Twigs or sometimes branches snapping off. Bits of tree strewn across the paths. Sometimes we hire bikes to cycle round it, but they won’t be open tomorrow.

In the photo the weather was fair and I think it was early summer. There should be lots of birds there so we will take some brown bread to feed them. That’s if the weather isn’t too foul. I once went for a walk and my phone drowned in the pocket of my waterproof coat. If its like that I might just admire the view from my car.

Mince pies

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Food, Mince pies, Raisins, Sultanas, Sweet, Tasty, Traditional recipe, Wikipedia6 Comments

I was looking on line for the details of what traditional mince pies were made of. I found this on Wikipedia :

The early mince pie was known by several names, including “mutton pie“, “shrid pie” and “Christmas pie“. Typically its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mince_…

Mince pie – Wikipedia

Now they are a sweet pie with raisins and sultanas mixed peel, some form of fat which is vegetable based and possibly some alcohol.

Real Christmas treat.

Mallaband-Brown

Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown