Rakes progress, after Hogarth

Posted on July 13, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on board, Art, hogarth, Painting, Parkinsons, scenery painting, Sketching, still me1 Comment

With poor brushes you can still paint. This is about A4 size. The trouble was when I painted this, I couldn’t get a point on the brushes they provided. That made it hard to get detail on the faces and hands. It ended up looking very sketchy but I did my best. This took about 2 hours to knit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Hogarth would be spinning or laughing in his grave! Acrylic on board.

By the time I finished I had to be helped up off my chair. My left hand has been cramping up ever since and my left leg is in spasm. I’m hunched over after leaning in to add details. It’s been a hard, hot day and my Parkinsons is making me shake like a jelly!

Haywain, after Constable

Posted on July 13, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on board, after constable, Fine Art, haywain, Painting, rural, scenery painting, Sketching8 Comments

Scenery painting for a cottage scene. They wanted some old style pictures you might find on a cottage wall. So I decided to try and do a quick (1 hour) painting of the haywain. It jiggered me up! And the image I copied from wouldn’t expand so it was the size of a postage stamp! Lots of sketchy work on this but it looks OK at a distance. Acrylic on board.

Paddy

Posted on July 11, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Black and white sketch, Dog, Drawing, Friendly, Life, old dog, paddy, Paws, SketchingLeave a comment

A lovely, friendly older dog I met today. The heat was bothering him and he went to sleep so I decided to quickly sketch him. I’m not sure if he is some sort of rough terrier. He is a real character X

Sent a poem..

Posted on July 10, 2025 Posted in Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged local journal, Lunar eclipse, Moonlight, Poetry, Roses, Scent, Short story, Sound, Submitted, TryingLeave a comment

Our writing group is sending poems and stories to a new quarterly publication in the local area. I have sent in a poem about roses and a short story in. I’m not sure if either will be published so I’m not going to give much detail here.

The roses poem is about if you had synesthesia and could for example hear what a rose is like. The short story is about a lunar eclipse. Is that enough detail? Wish me luck!

Witches head

Posted on June 30, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Black and white paint, Design, Life, pointed hat, pointed head, Props, sketched design, symbols, WitchLeave a comment

Or will my hat fit over that?

Prop to act as the top of the witches head in the Mystery Play. When she takes her hat off to go to bed it reveals a scary bald head covered in witchy symbols, stars, comets and crescent moons.

We just wanted to give the idea that the hat is pointed because the witches head is also pointed. Silly but fun!

Eye see you?

Posted on June 29, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Digital drawing, Eye, Life, Meaning, Poem, Poetry, Sketching, Thinking, WordsLeave a comment

A galaxy in your eyes

Or underwater gaze

Blue and sublime

Comforting and caring

The volume of peace

Encompasses the world

Finds tiny thoughts

Trapped in your mind

A nonsense poem

But liberating

How can I answer?

Faces

Posted on June 20, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Design, Fine Art, incollage, Life, Pattern, Photodirector, Texture, TimeLeave a comment

Playing with colours and textures. Who needs AI when you can play with things yourself? This time I started with an acrylic on canvas, then I used photodirector and incollage apps to play with the images. I’m getting some interesting effects.

Abstracted

Posted on June 16, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Abstract, Apps, Art, Artrage, Colour, Design, digitally drawn, Fun, Life, Pattern, PhotodirectorLeave a comment

Abstract pattern. Is less more? Or can convoluted shapes be fabulous? It’s all about balance, nuance, things can still be beautiful even when they are strange. Pleasing to the eye. Artrage app and textures from photodirector. Simple and yet complex.

Don’t look at the sun!

Posted on June 12, 2025 Posted in Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Bright, Burning, Danger, Infra red, Light, Orange, Pink, Red, Sketching, Sun, Sunset, Ultra violetLeave a comment

A couple of days ago I was driving home and came round a bend to see a bright red sun on the horizon. For a second I stared at it then realised it was dangerous and looked away. But it was slightly too late. Now when I look I can see a slight bright patch where my eyes had wandered across the view. It’s faded a bit so I guess I haven’t done permanent damage but I will try not to do that again!

Freedom to say no.

Posted on June 11, 2025 Posted in Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Crafts, Crowd, Day out, freedom, Garden, Loud, not going, panicking, Party, saying no2 Comments

I was due to go out to an annual craft fair and party today, but I feel panicked. I could go, force myself, but I’m tired and I need to go shopping, get medication and tidy up because I’m expecting a visitor tomorrow.

Then I realised that I have the freedom to say no. I don’t have to rush out, to stand in a long queue for a burger, or listen to over loud music. Being in a crowd bothers me. I usually get a headache. My friend who was coming with me has not been able to get the time off. I already feel hot and bothered. So I’ll give it a miss this time. X

If a loud crowd is not your thing then don’t be cowed, be proud and say no.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Sketching