Panto painting

Before covid (bc) I painted a series of pictures of places the cast of the pantomime I was in travelled through to get to Gretna green in Scotland (they had no sense of direction). This was one of the destinations.

This popped up on my Facebook memories. Imagine 8 or 10 people walking along and each painting being moved across the stage behind them. It was fun.

Floating

A photo from 7 years ago. It’s just a horizontal mirroring of the top of a tree. It feels tranquil, like a flooded flat lake that has risen to cover the land. A perfect reflection created digitally.

In other thoughts I’m having a quiet day, my stomach is upset again and I’m just trying to sleep, relax, and stay calm like the photo.

Sleep (lack of)

I wanted to sleep

Curl up and rest

Each hour I don’t

Makes me feel wretched

Too hot, too cold

My feet hurt, my neck aches

Sleeping on an armchair

Doesn’t really work.

But my ribs hurt

If I lie down.

Broken a fortnight or more ago

Still mending.

Walk round my room

Make a warm drink

Put the radio on low

Turn it off

Legs ache

Feet swell

Impossible

Doze above flying feilds

…….

Snap awake

The builders just started work

Next door

Whimpering.

Expensive tech

What technology would you be better off without, why?

Expensive hair curlers that cost the Earth, but don’t do much better than cheaper ones. The cost and power they use must be excessive for people with low incomes. The fact that they often come in “exclusive” colours so they can charge more is ridiculous.

The amount of effort to make something use the Coanda effect to pull hair round onto a heated surface? Is it worth the effort? I wonder.

Momento Mori

A small painting I did about 7 years ago. My friend bought it from me at a craft fair. I don’t remember why I painted this subject, it might have been Halloween. I don’t know where the idea came from, but it feels likely that I was thinking of spooky stories. Its one of my small canvases from when I was doing more craft fairs. Just found in my memories on Facebook.

Esther Chiltons weekly prompt is “Christmas”

Christmas, alone for another year. Make Merry they say. Bah Humbug! Do I reply? No, I’m not so lost that I turn my cheek to the world. But a quiet Christmas? Maybe. One chicken leg. A small bottle of beer. Three sprouts if I’m lucky? Any sparkle and cheer? I might make handmade crackers and tie one end to the door handle to pull them. Meanwhile, I bought myself a new garden bench to sit alone on, so happy new year, dear.

Noise, traffic, pollution

Name your top three pet peeves.

They go together

Revved engines

Traffic fumes

The smell of petrol and diesel.

More than pet peeves

Dangerous to the planet

But when a motorbike

Or a car,

Revs it’s engine at the bottom of our hill

Then speeds up

Exhaust banging

Then I’m really peeved!

Sunset

While I was at the group art exhibition yesterday I did some painting. One of them was this small oblong painting of an apple tree at sunset. This is a little work in progress. I’m trying not to muddy the colours. The sky needed to be light and fresh. More to do? More leaves, maybe a little better blending of the blues. Acrylic on canvas.

Heart felt

Every so often I find a heart, and I smile and remember, I’m not alone.

Memories grip me, I remember clear days, driving through country lanes, visiting old houses, happiness, times spent together.

It doesn’t have to be a leaf, I see hearts in swirls of coffee, puddles, holes in crumpets, flower petals, it’s just some random pattern that leads me to loving feelings, caring, comforting, companionable love.

And I’m glad.