If you are celebrating

Posted on December 24, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Humans, Joy, Life, Love, Pandemic, Peace, Planet, Sketching, Thoughts, wishes4 Comments

I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas or even the new year at this time of year. Different religious traditions, different calendars and different beliefs or non beliefs mean that we all think and act differently.

But I hope that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t wish goodwill and peace to everyone. Life isn’t always easy, and I realise I have been lucky for most of my life. The luck of being born in a first world country, having a good education, being able and allowed to work, even freedom of speech. I wish we all had better times and lives. I profoundly hope that humans get their act together and work to save the planet and its animal, plant and human populations. Living through a pandemic sharpens your thoughts.

So I really do wish you as much joy and happiness as possible in your life.

Festivities

Posted on December 24, 2021 Posted in Cat, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Bauble, Cats, Christmas, Christmas tree, Decorations, Life, SketchingLeave a comment

Drawing of a Christmas tree bauble for Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt Festivities. I used various metallic and black ink pens. I haven’t got a Christmas tree up because the cats climb them when I put decorations up! My festive display is Christmas cards off friends. X

Picnic sketch

Posted on December 23, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Coloured pencil, Drawing, Memory, oil paint paper, picnic, Sketching, Summer, WarmthLeave a comment

Oh to be able to go out in warm sunshine. To be able to sit on the ground (I can’t get up if I try and get down). This is a sketch I must have done a few years ago. The picnic blanket colours are probably made up to show up against the grass? The hands are a bit odd, but it is quite a speedy coloured pencil sketch so I guess that’s the cause. I think I was drawing on oil paint paper? It’s got quite a strong texture. You can see how the pencil has got gaps in it where there are dimples in the surface.

Nice memory, can I go back in time please?

Panto hat

Posted on December 22, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Fun, Hat, History, Life, Pantomime, Pattern, Photo, Spode, Teacup, Theatre, TimeLeave a comment

This large papier mache hat was made for out pantomime a few years ago, it was about a meter wide. Painted to look like an old Spode pottery design. With roman or grecian patterns round the cup. I wish we could be certain that the pantomime we are rehearsing at the moment. This is a photo I found on my phone because I’m trying to clear off some of them to make more space, but I’m keeping this one.

Wrapped!

Posted on December 21, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Drawing, Fun, gin, Present, Sketching, Teddy bear, wrappingLeave a comment

Today’s # bandofsketchers prompt was wrapped. My sister visited and dropped this off today. Its wrapped, but I can see what’s inside…. Looking forward to unwrapping it!

Sketch and texture

Posted on December 21, 2021December 21, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Black ink fine line pen, Drawing, Fun, Life, Photodirector, rushes, Sketching, Trees, Trentham GardensLeave a comment

I tried adding texture with photodirector to this little drawing I did at Trentham Gardens in 2017. I like the way the rushes stand forward slightly more in the digitally adjusted one. I have a ‘go to’ style in Photodirector, I go to the effects option then generally choose option two or sometimes six. That seems to concentrate and texturise the drawing.

Crying dragon

Posted on December 20, 2021December 20, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, children's illustration, children's poem, Crying, Dragon, Fun, Illustration, just written, Poem, Poetry, WingsLeave a comment

Tell me dragon

Why do you cry?

Why aren’t you flying

Up very high?

I can’t he said

With a tear in his eye

I walk on the ground

Not up in the sky!

But why is that?

Then with a great sigh

He told me sadly

I no longer fly

My wings disappeared

I just want to die!

So I bought an old glider

Made of two by one ply

Glued on the wings

Now the dragon can Fly!

Urban sketch

Posted on December 20, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, cold day, Drawing, Hanley Park bandstand, Life, new memory, Outside, Sketching, Urban sketchLeave a comment

I finally got out and did an urban sketch! Hanley Park bandstand yesterday afternoon in the mist. I drew it from the cafe terrace. I coloured it in at home because I’d been out singing carols with the Mystery Singers choir and only took a sketchbook on the off-chance I might draw.

Looking at this and the photos I took I can see I’ve exaggerated the perspective on the bandstand, but I think that helps as I was looking down on it from the cafe terrace.

Lipstick

Posted on December 19, 2021December 19, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Drawing, lipstick, Photo, Pink, Prompt, Sketch, SketchingLeave a comment

Sundays prompt is lipstick for #bandofsketchers.

Lipstick, I haven’t worn any for years! Still I can take a photo of my lips and draw them. I have dark salmon pink and gold felt pens and I do remember what a lipstick looks like… So this is my effort. And no I wouldn’t wear bright red x

Leafy

Posted on December 18, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Life, Mirror, Pattern, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, sad autumn, seasons, Sing, Spring, Summer, Time, WinterLeave a comment

Oh for autumn

Gone away

Not to be seen

For another day

Plants die back

Leaves fall down

Winter comes

And freezes the ground

Warmth has seeped

Away from here

Brilliant sun

No longer near

Frosts and fogs

Are here this year

To chill your bones

Cold winds you hear.

So come back autumn

Come back spring

One more summer

To make me sing.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Sketching