Urban Sketchers, draw a selfie…

Posted on March 19, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 30day challenge, Art, Challenge, Drawing, Fun, Life, Pencil sketch, self portrait, Selfie, Sketchbook, Sketching, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent, What to do while self isolatingLeave a comment

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Selfie’ portrait, including phone and the canvas of a kingfisher it’s propped up on. Old brushes and easle. Background on the phone is a painting I did in about 1982,of my imagined self, so a selfie of a self portrait? Happy to join the challenge. Why is the photo a mirror image to what was on the screen I was drawing?

Oh my double chins! How difficult it is to draw while trying to look over your glasses because I can’t see clearly. I need varifocals, but after spending loads on a pair a few years ago I hated them so much I never wore them again!

Sketching with urban sketchers means including the background and having the image in context. Why not do your own selfie?

In other news..

Posted on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Comet, Comet Atlas, Earth, New comet, News, Space, Space weather, Telescope, World1 Comment

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Digital illustration of a comet. Didn’t want to use someone else’s copyright photo. This is just to give an impression of its colour….

I get alerts from Spaceweather.com about all sorts of astronomical events. I got this alert about a comet this morning. As we are in ‘interesting times’ I thought I would let you know.

Here is a short excerpt with the link:
COMET ATLAS IS BRIGHTENING FASTER THAN EXPECTED: Get ready for a wild ride. Comet ATLAS (C2019 Y4) is plunging toward the sun and, if it doesn’t fly apart first, it could become one of the brightest comets in years. Amateur astronomers are already getting fantastic images as the comet brightens even faster than expected. Visit Spaceweather.com for the full story.

I don’t think the link will work from here, but it’s an easy address to find.

List of things to do…

Posted on March 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Life, List, Procrastination, Real life, Things to do, Thinking, Time, WordPressLeave a comment

Things to do…
Spring cleaning,
Painting,

bread making,

Cat watching……

Archeology in the garden,
Helping build a train set,
Home brew?
Read books,
Laundry…. Ironing, folding, fetching, carrying.. Read more books.

Reality? Procrastination…

Listening to TV..

Posted on March 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Avoiding TV, Blogging, Humour, Listening, Peace, Poem, Poetry, Relaxing, Rhyme, TV10 Comments

I can’t watch it,

too much to see.

So many problems,

so much poverty.

Instead I listen,

I’m listening to the fridge,

it crackles and hums,

it’s never been right,

since we got it last spring.

I listen for the kettle,

time for a drink,

a warm cup of coffee,

while I sit and think.

I listen to the weather,

the sound of the wind,

hearing the rain,

on the roof its pounding!

I listen to the cat,

soft purrs hit my ears,

a relaxing sound,

brings peace and stops fears.

Colour that cat…!

Posted on March 18, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Cat, Colour, Design, Digital drawings, Drawing, Fun, SketchingLeave a comment

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Two year old digital sketch. I’m just posting it for fun. All I’ve done for the last couple of days is moan about the virus or WordPress. Enough!

My love is for colour and pattern. Cats are also in the mix. I’m not saying this is a good drawing. It’s rough and ready, not anatomically correct, but it’s a bit of fun.

I’m going to try and find more apps to draw on. I’ve got obsessed by a colouring by numbers website and I’ve coloured over 200 images in just a few days. I think I’m sticking my head in the sand.

Primary colours, bold lines, pattern = fun?

Possible painting.

Posted on March 18, 2020March 18, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Life, Light, Painting, Self isolating, Still life, Subject matter, ThinkingLeave a comment

I need some inspiration for new paintings. Now I have to stay indoors or in my garden because of the orders to self isolate if you have underlying health issues, I can’t get out and look at things, I can’t go and see the sea. I’m trawling through my phone to see if I can find images to paint. This is a strong candidate (taken at the waiting room gallery, which is closed for the time being). This has an old fashioned look of a still life, with strong shadows and modelling with the sunlight.

I will try and find a canvas for it. I’m worried that the shops I get them from might close? I will have to go out tomorrow and panic buy canvases! And that is not sticking to the self isolating rules!

And, it’s back!

Posted on March 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Back again, classic editor?, Editor, Happiness engineer, Life, Problems, Why?, WordPressLeave a comment

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Well, deleted some more images and ‘classic’ is working again. But is anyone else having problems ‘liking’ people’s posts. I get a lot via email, and WordPress either throws me out as I try and click like, or I have to log into WordPress. I’ve just had a comment from someone else with the same problems. I’m going to let the ‘happiness engineer’, who is looking into my other problems, know about the various issues.

Classic editor gone again

Posted on March 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, classic editor?, Life, Memory, Thinking, Time, Trying to understand, Writing2 Comments

Yes, it’s gone again. I’ve deleted several posts and photos in my media file. I’m running at 74% full. Like toilet paper, when something goes missing, it can leave you in a sticky situation.

Anyway I need to go shopping. The fridge and freezer are empty. I’ve tried not to go because I’m not really supposed to go out. But I have to collect tablets and try and do a weekly shop.

I don’t know why I’m fussing over this. Lately I’ve found WordPress is a bit glitchy. Failed to save draft is another message I get. I wonder if there is a simple guide to WordPress? A sort of encyclopedia to give you information…

Hey Ho!

Letter to the editor

Posted on March 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ideas, Letters, Newspaper, Self isolating, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Suggestion, Urban SketchersLeave a comment

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Things to do when self isolating. And to prevent cabin fever…

Dear Editor

Can I recommend joining an urban sketchers group and following one of the ‘drawing indoors’ challenges that are being set up. The first I knew about it was a Facebook post from Urban Sketchers in London. They had decided to do a thirty day challenge while they spend enforced time at home. After all you only need a pen or pencil and some paper.

My branch of Urban Sketchers in Stoke-on-Trent are thinking of doing the same…

Yours X

Why do people need toilet rolls?

Posted on March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Food, Fun, Humour, Loo roll, Shopping, Supermarket, Supplies, Toilet rollLeave a comment

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Apart from the obvious, (obviously). I went to the shop today and it was almost stripped bare of produce, so I got vaguely similar things to what I would normally get. But why are people obsessed with toilet rolls you can’t eat them can you?

List of shopping :

Loo roll roulade,

Toilet roll sausages,

Sandwiches with toilet paper squares.

Duck au loo roll?

I’m surprised my hubby found some this morning, but that’s because he went to a corner shop and not the supermarket.

Now what can I make out of a large jar of gherkins and some lime marmalade?

Mallaband-Brown

Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown