New paintings and regular art updates.
Artrage digital drawing. I saw some poppies against a grey sky and I decided to quickly draw a representation of the colours. Drawn using a stylus rather than a finger painting. I like the ways the stems aren’t always straight.
I went out to Audlem yesterday to sing with our choir. Thankfully I got a lift there and back because I can’t drive that far.
We sang really well at the Music festival and managed to drown out a band that was playing across the road from us!
We had sung inside Audlem Methodist Hall for the first half and then outside in the garden for the second half. That’s where I saw this sculpture of two birds, I think they were doves, carved out of two tree stumps. I really would like to have a sculpture like this done in my own garden where I had to have a tree cut down because it was dying. I think whoever carved this is very clever.
What are you good at?
I often write here about Art and other activities I’m good at, but one of my favourite things is solving TV crime mysteries. I’m relatively good at it, I often know who the guilty party is well before the end. I have to stop myself saying who it is though, as its an irritating thing to do if I’m watching with someone else.
I would imagine that the makers of films and TV shows want people to guess so they include clues, but unless it’s a programme like Columbo where they show you the guilty party straight away it can be more of a challenge.
It’s a bit of a niche skill though, reality is not the same as a story. Life isn’t a tale we tell ourselves. I don’t think I would ever want to be a real detective, it would be too messy and upsetting. I just enjoy the fantasy of being good at guessing the criminal !
Photo of one part of an allium flower head that had opened up before the rest of it. I just managed to get a decent shot of it, I was shaking and the wind was blowing it about, I guess the movements cancelled each other out!
I’ve jut tried to alter the drawing of a gold bangle I drew for another post. I’ve smudged the outside and added white to the centre then a blue pupil with white highlights. I also rotated the image by 90°.
I’ve ended up with an eye apparently floating in space. Perhaps I should add stars?
Drawing of flowers done on the sketchfu app 6 years ago. This was influenced by the Chelsea Flower Show that happens in May every year. My favourite plants are included here, marigolds, pansies, poppy, for instance. I hope my yard looks a bit more like this in a month or so.
Who would you like to talk to soon?
I don’t get to speak to some people often enough. My sisters live away from here, miles away, so I’ve got to talk to them over the phone, or on the Internet. It’s the same as being on a zoom call, still friendly but no hugs. I get to see one of them occasionally.
I know I have lots of friends, but I still isolate myself when I’m feeling down. Certain things like choir cheer me up but it’s still a big effort and when I’ve had a shaky day like today it’s just hard to reach out. I don’t want to impose on them. I wish my cats could speak, what gems would they pass on? I imagine the words feed me would come up frequently!
What personal belongings do you hold most dear?
When I was about 12 my mom and dad bought me a gold coloured bangle as a present while we were on holiday. It clipped together on one side and had a little chain that stopped it from falling off. Of all the things I have this was the most precious. I still have it, it is a bit worn, the gold colour has rubbed off a bit, the swirly engraving of flowers is still visible but it’s slightly too small so I rarely wear it.
Painted last year from a photo of an autumn wood. I’m in another group of artists on Facebook that does weekly prompts. This week was #tree, #trees, #forest, #forests. What gripped my attention was the russet, orange and bronze leaves on the forest floor and following the contours of the deeply worn pathway through it. Some paler leaves are still clinging to the trees, and the distant foliage is pale blue to send it backwards (I might have used pale grey but I liked using the complimentary colour to the oranges.
Thinking of potbanks and the Dorothy Clive garden.
There’s lots to visit like the local potteries, Gladstone in Longton, Middleport in Middleport, Emma Bridgewater pottery near Hanley, Stafford pottery in Burslem. Moreland pottery near Cobridge.
Then there are parks and gardens like Trentham Gardens and monkey park, Biddulph Grange, park hall nature reserve between Bentillee and Weston Coyney, and there is Westport lake.
Then railway days out at the Foxfeild light railway and the Churnet valley railway at Cheddleton. There is also a flint mill there which has a working water wheel and Etruria Industrial museum where they are having the canal festival on 1st and 2nd June. Oh and the potteries museum and art gallery. Spode visitors centre in Stoke. Lots more to see and do. Just investigate. Plus outside the city there are places like Rode Hall, Biddulph Grange, Little Moreton Hall, Mow Cop. Not forgetting Ford Green Hall at Sneyd Green I think…
Mallaband-Brown