
Sitting pretty,
Cat in a box
Just had his tea
Now he can sleep
I’ll let him rest
And get the best
Afternoon kip,
With some of the catnip!
New paintings and regular art updates.

Sitting pretty,
Cat in a box
Just had his tea
Now he can sleep
I’ll let him rest
And get the best
Afternoon kip,
With some of the catnip!

I’m watching the film, The lady in the van starring Maggie Smith who died recently. She was famous for her portrayal of the elderly homeless woman called Miss Shepherd who camped out for years in her van on the driveway of Alan Bennetts house.
It’s very surreal seeing her dressed in a “bag lady” costume as she was well known for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. As the film progresses we learn more about the lady’s history and how she got into the predicament she was in.
I won’t give too much detail incase you want to watch it.

Still obsessed by not seeing the main auroras so I tried to imagine them and their spectacular colours. When you look at the incredible photos people have taken my rendition isn’t very exciting but I would have liked to see more than I did. Auroras are charged particles that follow the Earth’s magnetic field down to the poles. Without that magnetic shield we would be exposed to the radiation of space that would slowly deplete our atmosphere. Our magnetism is caused by Earth’s rotating molten core. Life on Earth is protected by it. Mars, a smaller planet has no magnetism and has lost its atmosphere because of this .
In Devon 9 years ago, hubby had an idea to paddle our blow up bed with a trowel to see if he could get across the bay…. not a good idea as the wind was blowing out to sea… he has these odd ideas, which slightly worry me sometimes..


My portrait of hubby actually up on the wall at the Brampton open exhibition in Newcastle under Lyme. I’m so proud to share this with the world. It’s called mend him. I started it at my studio at Spode and finished it there after he passed away. It was my last painting at Spode.
It’s on till 22nd December 24 so a lot of people will see it. I hope they like it. The painting is covered in cracks as if he is broken and then the idea of using gold lines to hold him together like a broken japanese pot. X

Last night sparkling red /pink /green auroras shone over the UK and I missed them! They apparently were around at about 10.15pm, I normally look out after midnight. Suddenly my Facebook feed was inundated with photos. Oh I was miffed. I tried to take some pictures but not much was visible, the aurora had clearly wandered off somewhere else. Then as I was going to bed at about 1.30am I just caught a glimmer of a glow in the sky. Rather than going outside in the freezing air I looked out the kitchen window and managed to get some shaky shots. Well there may be another chance tonight xxx

As the sun set the clouds rolled in
Underlit by red sunlight
Boiling like a pot of shrimp?
But really calmly moving.
The nights are lengthening
Sunset comes earlier
Darkness encompasses us
I yearn for spring.
When the sun starts to return.

Picked up some paints today including metallic. Some of a group I’m in are doing pictures for a food festival and so I thought I’d join in. Acrylic on canvas. I think I made the apple look shiny, based on a previous digital drawing.
What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.

I would have to be 40 years younger, have the education to be able to train for the length of time required. I guess it would also be good to come from a well off family. If those things had been my reality I might have liked to be a doctor. I enjoy helping people and trying to solve their problems. That’s why I like these prompts, it means I can think of alternative career paths, or different outcomes.
But to be honest I’m quite happy with my life as it has panned out. I’ve always been an artist, whatever job I’ve had. I’ve painted and created, used my imagination. I might not be famous but a lot of people have bought my work and also commissioned me to paint things for them. I’m just glad I’ve had the freedom to do that.

Summer photo, a couple of years old
The red and green spark off each other
Scarlet red shines in the garden
Drifts of arching flowers in the bed.
Sunlight needed to keep them growing
Shade stopped them in their tracks.
Gone now, the memory of them still cheers.