Today’s sketch for #bandofsketchers, the theme is red. Not many trees in this country turn bright red in autumn. I think that’s because we don’t get cold enough weather to force the chlorophyll out of the leaves to turn them to brighter colours (is the red xanthophyll?) long time since I did O level biology!
Anyway these were on the road outside so I did a quick sketch and then filled it in. I’m afraid I cheated as it was so wet and windy so I did use a reference photo to try and get the right colours. Another sketch with permanent markers.
At 3am on Halloween morning he awoke to see a figure by the bed. Still, silent, watching him. He blinked and it was gone. But it’s memory stuck in his mind. A grey haired tall woman. Middle aged, quite slender. He sat up and looked all round the room, but the only noise was the tick of the clock and the hum of the central heating. There was no place to hide in the small single bedroom. Not even any curtains to hide behind, with a telltale shoe sticking out. He doubted anyone could squeeze behind venetian blinds…..
Eventually sleep dragged him down into its arms again. Then when he was settled, the figure pushed through the wall and back next to him again. Eyes staring, never blinking, a look of sadness on her face. Never knowing her grandson till now. Knowing it was his last night on earth. One minute here… Tick… The next.. Gone.
My mom came and saw me at college one September and made me promise not to move in with my boyfriend till after Christmas. I moved in in the October! With a lot of ups and downs we are still together forty years later.. We hate and love each other! I think the wedding vows have it right, sickness and health, richer and poorer. It gives you a clue that the world is not perfect and that you have to work at relationships. Sometimes it doesn’t work, sometimes it does… I guess we were lucky…
This was last year I think…. Memories of madness…. And fun!
I have just got involved in an Art project. #theStoke2000 project. Artists are being invited to collaborate in painting wooden bottle ovens. These can have plants put in the top of them to use as planters.
Each artist will be producing an image that relates to Stoke on Trent and they will be used as part of a local art trail. I’m thinking of painting a plaque from the Falcon Pottery Works which is just round the corner from where I live. I think I need to get some more paints before we go into lockdown again. When it’s finished I will post a picture of it.
This year for Halloween there have been far more filters on my phone to create strange faces and spooky images. It’s not something I would normally do, but just for a laugh I decided to choose four that I thought were the silliest and most frightful. (I say frightful because I don’t think they are very frightening). Apologies to anyone of a nervous disposition. I think Halloween coincides with a Celtic holiday called Samhain but I don’t know the history of either tradition really. I guess it’s a chance to have a party before the full gloom of the winter season envelops us. Next stop Christmas here in the UK.
The cat was staring out at the street as we arrived home, he’s nosy, likes to know whats going on. He likes watching cars but will jump down if he sees a dog. I think he’s been sitting in the window more recently because the outside cat has been coming in and he’s out of the way there. He seems content. He almost knocked the TV off its stand last night when he got tangled in the curtains. Now he’s lying on the floor, sat in front of the heater, washing. He’ll be back on the windowledge later. X
One thing I am missing on TV is Doctor Who. I’m old and I watched the original series back in the 1960’s from behind the settee. The creatures that scared me the most were the Daleks and the Cybermen.
The sets they filmed on were a bit wobbly, but then you suspended disbelief when you were a child, in the same way that some if the special effects on Star Trek were a bit naff with polystyrene rocks….
This photo was a few years ago at a railway station where someone had bought the dalek and a model of the tardis. Strange but true.
When I go down to the supermarket I often see people who are homeless. I try and give something and also give people details about a local housing association who help them.
But I have come across a young woman who stays with her friend, but tonight she knocked on our door. She explained that her friend had gone out to work and had locked her out. She would not be able to get back in until 6am?i asked her if she wanted the number of the homeless team but she said no. She has somewhere to go and sit and it’s not too cold.
But I wasn’t happy to just let her go. We gave her some change and a bit of fruit. I also gave her a thick warm scarf. Not much helpi know. What else could I do? I was trying to keep a social distance but help too.
My thought after she left, was why she was locked out? She said something about sleeping on the floor, so she might just be ‘sofa surfing’.
This brings up the issue of hidden homelessness. Women especially seem effected by this. They need to keep hidden to avoid being attacked or harmed. Why is this happening in a world that is so mad. If she comes back I will try and help more.
