Portrait from 2000

Posted on May 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 2000, Art, Drawing, Life, Old art, Picture, PortraitLeave a comment

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This is a portrait of Cyril I did in 2000. I hadn’t seen it since then.

But then we went to an exhibition by Cyril Tilston a few weeks ago at Centre Space in the Spode heritage visitor centre. Cyril had a photography show and we got chatting.

He took one of my cards and then contacted me over the weekend. He had found this drawing. We had met 19 years ago at another exhibition. We had got discussed art and I had invited him to a drawing group we used to hold in a local pub. So I must have drawn him at the group.

So interesting to look at my drawing style then. I think my eyesight was better then, my hand less shaky. The lines I drew stronger than now. But I’m glad I still draw and paint. Maybe I will have the chance of drawing him again.

Sleight of hand

Posted on May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Card trick, Entertainment, Fun, Jack Wild, Legerdamane, Life, Magic, Magic tricksLeave a comment

Today I went to our local hall because we were doing auditions for this years mystery plays.
I got chatting to someone holding a pack of cards. He said he was waiting for someone and had bought the cards with him to fill in some time.

He is a Magician, stage name Jack Wild and he was brilliant. He showed us a couple of tricks. I don’t understand how he did them. They were slick, they were right in front of my eyes and they were mind boggling. It was only a deck of cards and finding the card I chose but it was impressive.

Yes I know that it’s just a skill, but it’s a brilliant skill. If I ever want a magician I would book him.

Started something new

Posted on May 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Design, Garden, Plant, Poppies, Poppy, Tiles2 Comments

This is going to be a poppy painting mimicking the style of old tiles so I’m going to section it off as if it’s split into three. Then add a dark green background to be displayed vertical, horizontal or even diagonally. Might put pale or dark centres in the poppies.

Acrylic on canvas 24 x 8″ approx.

Based on a tile

Posted on May 18, 2019May 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, art nouveau, Blogging, Design, Digital art, Digital sketch, Encaustic, Green, Sketch, TileLeave a comment

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This is a digital drawing based on an old tile. I won’t bore you with the app I used it’s on my tablet and I haven’t been able to use it for a while as it needs fixing.

I drew it in 2016 and I don’t think I’ve shared it here before. It just popped up on my Facebook memories, and why not share it? It will just disappear into the aether again if I don’t.

I did try and create a glossy shine on it, but the chin is too big!

Spring is here

Posted on May 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Garden, Gardening, Inspiration, Leaves, Plants, Shaded garden, Spring, Trees, Wild garlicLeave a comment

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Rain, it makes buds swell and leaves unfurl in the spring. We had to wait for it to rain this year. The trees took a while to come into leaf, and although most of the trees in the garden are covered some are just coming out.

I don’t know what to do though, we have a lot of trees in the garden. If you Google map us you can’t see the ground. It does make for a lot of shade! DSC_2003_optimized (2)

But that doesn’t mean you can’t grow interesting plants. The ones in the foreground are wild garlic. We also have some new Zealand plants from a plant fair, and tomorrow we should be getting a few Woad plants!

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The only unshaded part is South at the back of the garden. Apart from a massive laurel Bush that has turned into a bit of a thug of a tree. Sadly it needs cutting back. I’ve got someone coming to do it just not sure when. What I don’t want to do is disturb any nesting birds.

I will take some photos when it’s tidy? Which might be by autumn!

Favourite flower

Posted on May 18, 2019May 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Colour, Design, Garden, Idea, Life, Nature, Painting, Poppy, RedLeave a comment

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An acrylic on canvas from 2013. This was one of my favourite paintings and I used it as my profile picture for a few years. I’m no longer sure it’s as good as I thought. I would change the background to a darker grey green now to make the red Zing even more.

I think I will base another painting on it though. I’m thinking of doing a long thin painting that could be hung horizontally or vertically. The design would have to work in both directions and perhaps even upside down.

Forty years later

Posted on May 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 40 years, Change, Fine Art, Life, Painting, PoliticsLeave a comment

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It’s forty years since I started my Fine Art degree. I’ve changed a lot in that time but I still paint and enjoy art. I’m trying to make a living at art which isn’t easy, but at least I’m trying.

The world has changed too. 40 years ago we had a female prime minister?! But we didn’t have food banks, we hadn’t had the collapse of the banks we hadn’t had partial privatisation of our health service. But it all started then. Politics is mad. People vote for making things worse for themselves. I think I shall keep calm and carry on painting.

Ouch

Posted on May 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blackberry, Blogging, Environment, Finger, Garden, Gardening, Gloves, Humour, Ouch, ThornLeave a comment

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It took me 24 minutes to draw this and you won’t know what it represents unless I tell you.

Four days ago I was cutting back blackberry stems that grow through our fence from next doors garden. We pick the fruit but the stems have a tenancy to grow sharp thorns which I sometimes get caught on when I’m tending my plants.

Anyway I didn’t bother with gloves because a) I couldn’t find any, b) it was only a small task.

Ouch! I got thorns in my fingers. I pulled them out quickly, but I could feel a sharp pain in my right index finger. But I could not see the thorn.

Hoping it would work its way out I ignored it. But the next day I still felt a sharp pain.

I prodded it but no sign of the thorn and nothing came out. Finally this morning my index finger felt really sore. What to do. No choice. I got a needle and found the thorn. It was tiny about a millimeter long, but it had gone straight down into my finger instead of along parallel to the skin surface. It is amazing how painful a thorn can be.

Anyway after about half an hour of gently sticking the needle in my finger (ouch) I managed to work it free. Got some salt water and washing up liquid to cleanse the area. Hopefully that’s it. But Ouch! Not a nice way to start your morning!

A place to visit

Posted on May 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Cheshire, Jodrell bank, Photo, Places to visit, Radio astronomy, Stars, Stoke urban sketchers, Stoke-on trent, SunsetLeave a comment

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I must go back and visit Jodrell bank again. Maybe its somewhere to get Stoke urban sketchers to go to. I know it’s in the Cheshire countryside but it’s not too far away at Holmes Chapel. It’s certainly a challenging draw. I know I had a go ages ago. If my hubby was here he would be explaining how parts of it are off a battleship or something, I don’t remember…. So anyway yes it’s a fascinating place to visit, although I think it’s half term next week so it might be very busy.

Doves

Posted on May 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bird, Digital drawing, Doves, Life, Peace, Pigeon, ReligionLeave a comment

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I wonder why doves are the symbol of peace? They are beautiful, they are white which might signify purity. The dove was released by Noah on his Ark and came back with vegetation in the Bible story. But that’s is not about Peace. I know Picasso painted the dove of peace many times and it appears on Christian art. But where does it come from. Does it appear in other religions?

For instance why is the symbol of peace not a pigeon?

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Well you never know?

Mallaband-Brown

Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown