All new urban sketchers challenge

Posted on July 26, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Black ink, Challenge, Colours, Drawing, Media coverage, Mobile phone, Parrot, Permanent marker pens, Usk challenge Stoke-on-TrentLeave a comment

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Today’s challenge was media coverage. I didn’t have a paper and we haven’t seen the news so I decided to draw my phone with the news on it. But I couldn’t hold the phone and the sketch book so I balanced it on my arm. Then I drew the chair in the background. As I had the page of my sketchbook in my image I decided to duplicate the view again and then again. The parrot was on my tee shirt. You don’t realise how much you are moving around when you draw something like this, so my hand was in a differentvosition the second time I drew it, (and the third). I know it’s sketchy but I enjoyed the freedom and looseness of it

Blurry hedgehog

Posted on July 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Eating, Garden visitor, Gardening, Happy, Hedgehog, Late night visitor, Life, Nature, PhotoLeave a comment

Just had his tea. Cat food. I opened the back door to put some food out for the stray cat and this was there. My hubby went out and the smaller one is in the shed. I didn’t disturb it to much, just looked out of the back door.

I love having wild animals visiting. Can’t wait to see if we get Hoglets!

college work

Posted on July 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, course, Illustration, Mind, Nerves, Prevarication, Thinking, Time, why does it seem so difficult, WorryLeave a comment

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So much to do. My own fault really. I’m doing a college course but its been a while and I am acting like I did when I did my previous course. In other words prevaricating and not doing stuff in a timely way. But I know it so I’m trying to catch up. I still have a couple of weeks to put everything together, But you know when you are nervous. Its easier to come and type here than get on with things. Trouble is I am paying for this, so I’m letting myself down if I don’t get on with it. There you are- I’ve admitted it….

I tried making lists, sticking up post it notes, setting free time to do the work (I have plenty of that) my mind rebels! I look at the book of face, ring people, go for walks, garden….sound familiar? Do I really want to do this? Yes! I must get on with it..

Bye for now!

Grr

Posted on July 26, 2020July 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Big cats, Extinction, Face, Facebook app, Life, Lost, Sad, Symmetry, Tiger, TygerLeave a comment

Grr, I’m a tiger, I like this picture of me. It’s me and it isn’t.

I wish I’d done this as a face painting. But it’s on a phone app. That’s why it doesn’t quite fit to my face.

I don’t remember it blurring the area around my face. But only my hair. Weird.

I think of the words ‘Tyger, tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night. What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?

One day there might not be any Tigers left, then all we will have are photos, film and art. The memory of great creatures, small creatures, so many plants and animals that no longer exist…

Old measurements

Posted on July 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Area, Currency, Decimalisation, Lengths, Measurements, Memory, Pounds shillings and pence, Size, Volume, Weights and measuresLeave a comment

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We were discussing old measurements this morning and started talking about the transition from the old imperial measurements to metric. I was only a child when it happened and we went from pounds, shillings and pence to pounds and pence during ‘decimalisation’.

I was trying to think of old words for measurements of size and volume. The ones I remember, but don’t know the sizes or amounts are… Gill (still used) , peck, chain, acre (still used), pint (still in use) fluid ounce (still used), mile (still in use). Quart and Gallon(still in use). Stones, Pounds, ounces, (still used). I’m sure there are lots more, but I was young when they changed. You can see Britain over the last fifty years has acted very slowly. It has used dual measurements over the last few decades, with some things measured in litres and kilograms and kilometers.

I do worry that we might have to revert back to the old weights and measures when we leave Europe. Its a mad world we live in! I think the British want to go back and live in a simpler age, like the 1950’s! But we can’t time travel despite having a popular TV programme that does just that! (Dr Who).

Hedgehog information.

Posted on July 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Biology, Blogging, Don't feed hedgehogs this, Gardening, Hedgehog food, Hedgehogs, Information, Life, News, Random, Shed4 Comments

I hope you can read this. Hubby has been going out and buying ‘specialist’ hedgehog food from the local pet shop. Then a friend on Facebook posted this! I don’t want to be responsible for harming them so that’s the last lot of hog food we will be buying. There is also a meaty version so we might get some of that.

Triffids?

Posted on July 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Flower, Fun, Horror, Plants, Random, Sci fi, Short story, Triffids, Very short storyLeave a comment

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Don’t let it come close! It will swallow you whole. The woman screamed at me as I walked up the hill. I saw what she was pointing at in front of me. A giant swirl of leaves and tendrils.

What is it I asked her. But she was running in the other direction…

Then I noticed the thing was moving, it was edging towards me. I turned to run but there was another one. It had sneaked behind me when I wasn’t looking.

I jumped in fright, ducked and tripped. Falling and running at the same time, I twisted as the tendrils touched my coat, desperate not to let them touch my flesh.

A hand grabbed my shoulder and arm, it pulled me away from the plants.

You don’t want to let a Triffids get you. A man pushed me into his car. We drove away.

Now I’m in London, I still don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully I can find out?

Woody cat

Posted on July 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Abandoned cat, Blogging, Cared for, Cat, Fun, Garden, Happy, Life, Love, Photos, Rescue catsLeave a comment

The abandoned cat who is virtually ours. He definitely has adopted us. He’s wheedled his way into our lives. He gets fed regularly, sleeps in a bed in a shed, and comes and sits on your lap when he feels like it. I will try and get his microchip altered. His owners went away and left him. He would be in the house, but I have two rescue cats already. I’m getting them vaccinated next week and then we can try and introduce them to each other. Things could get difficult.

I do love him, he’s worked his way into my heart. These photos of him were taken in the garden this afternoon.

Tomato plants no flowers!

Posted on July 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Flowers, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Greenhouses, Life, Not pollenated?, Plants, Shade, Tomato, Why?2 Comments

We put up two little greenhouses for the tomatoes this year. We’ve given them plenty of food and water. It’s a bit shady, not the usual place we put them, and they have grown leafy, but with very few flowers, and they don’t seem to have set. It’s getting too late for tomatoes now. On the other hand the local shop gave us some very withered and dried up small tomato plants yesterday but they have fruit growing on them. Weird… Anyway I guess I’m lucky we had other produce xxx

Tree walk?

Posted on July 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Flying, Fun, Garden, Humour, Lead figure, Life, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Tiny figure2 Comments

She went for a walk in the trees.

Climbed up the branches to the twigs

Stood on high in airy splendour.

Caught up in crows feet,

She flew up to the chimney.

Stuck there in old mortar.

Then a Magpie saw her.

A short hop to his nest.

Now she’s unpacked

And admiring the gold and pearls

In his gaff.

Mallaband-Brown

Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown