Category: Uncategorized

You like miserable news.

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“You like your news miserable, you do” I said to him. “If its not sad you are not happy”. “It’s the religion I was bought up with, I can’t help it, we were told the world was going to end!”

“But it didn’t, it hasn’t, and even if humans disappear I think the world will carry on without us”…

We continued to talk about it, one argument laid over another, like a pile of folded clothes rising up in between us. Neither side was winning, just the usual grumble of disagreement that comes from being a couple for over 30 years.

“So you agree with me then?” The question insinuated itself into my mind. I tried to remember hearing what he had said a moment before, but there was a blank space where his words had been……”er yes?” grasping for some idea of where the conversation had got to. “Er. …. um,?”

“You know, I said it was all going to be a disaster”  “what disaster ?”  “That they are stopping making jelly babies!” “Why?”  “They are too wobbly!”

Remind me to listen in future…….

This is fiction, as far as I know jelly babies are safe and sound in their sweet jar. I just wanted to explain what happens when I switch off to what my husband is saying. I have to try and guess what was previously said, which can cause mild panic. …..!

 

Canal art

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The main art on canal boats or barges consists of old fashioned lettering, this then has shadows cast to make it appear 3 dimensional. See the photos above.

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I tried to draw this canal rose pot to keep me occupied while I was at the canal festival.

What you regularly see is this castle and roses pattern on barges and canal boats. It consists of a landscape painted  with a stylised castle, often next to a river, and  roses and leaves will appear either around the castle or on a different part of the bucket, jug, pot, table, stool or whatever peice of equipment carried on the barge. These historical paintings are also often painted on the inside of the doors so that when they are opened against the side of the hull they are on view.

I think this style of art is lovely. It may be old fashioned, but its interesting.

To paint the roses you start with a  filled in circle of paint, then the leaves are painted in, then the petals are added. These seem to be created using the brush shape and are simple but neatly done. Finally details like highlights and stamens are added.

When these barges were in use, the main part of them were used for hauling coal or pottery. Whole families might live in a space not much bigger than about 10 foot by 6 foot…., is it any wonder that the barges were decorated with these patterns to make them more like home?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

phoenix

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Apologies to real writers out there. I drew this then decided to write a very short story to go with it…forgive me!

The Phoenix rose into the air above the flames,  it’s wings beat them back and swirled huge sparks around it. The shock waves from its flight blew branches off the trees, then tiles off the roof just across the way from where the bird had cracked the golden shell of her egg.

In the bedroom of the house a young girl sat brushing her hair before she got into bed. A small nightlight with a pink shade cast a gentle glow in the room. Two windows let in pale starlight, and for a moment the girl thought she saw a shooting star streaking across the sky.

The Phoenix had seen the steady light from the bedroom. It was young and craved the warm heat that it had left behind. It had been born in the bonfire that the girls neighbour had lit earlier in the day, not knowing that an old Phoenix had laid her egg there before fluttering off to die in the forest.

Phoenix can survive without fire, but when they are chicks they need warm light to dry out their feathers which stay damp from the egg for a long time. The light from the room was just right so beating her wings she flitted across the street.

The girl opened her window to allow cool air into the room and snuggled down under the covers. As she lay there she thought she heard the scrabbling of her cats claws at the door. But the noise seemed to be coming from her bedside table. Quietly she lifted the blankets and looked, directly into the glinting eye of the Phoenix!

No ….she must be dreaming  she thought. Then she saw the bird had carefully curved its wings around the top of the night light.  It raised its head so that its neck was straight and beak pointed up to the ceiling.

Now it was bathing in the heat and light, gaining strength with each minute. The girl lay still, she didn’t want to breath. She could see through the wings, they were almost transparent now, the bird was starting to fade……

“Don’t go!” she whispered, but it was too late. The Phoenix  had become a sparkling, soaring mass of light, weightless, magical, etherial.

Quietly it flowed through the air like liquid gold and silver. …out through the window and on towards the rising moon….

 

Lime

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A continuation of my theme on colours. Lime green seems to mean food to me. I have tried to write a poem about it. Its made me want a curry!

Lime is green, lime as jelly

Lime tastes nice inside my belly.

Lime with gin, lime and lemon,

Lime a sorbet, lime juice with salmon.

Lime is acid, sharp, zesty,

Lime is sweet and lime is tasty.

Lime the colour of new leaves,

Lime is shimmering, cool as a breeze.

Lime is good with chilli too….

Lime pickle burns my mouth anew.

Mural

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A few years ago I painted this mural for the Florence Colliery working men’s club. It’s 24 ft long and 6 ft high.

The Colliery had a pit wheel with the frame in a shape like an italic f. The painting includes a miner and a Davy lamp. The buildings were based on drawings of the old colliery. There is a huge oak tree that still survived and the who lot is surrounded by Staffordshire country side.

It took me several weeks to paint the panel’s, 6ft by 4ft. I had to place them next to each other so that the picture would line up. They were painted in emulsion paint if I remember correctly . Then varnished with yatch varnish.

They were initially erected outside the club on the main road, and covered with perspex  to protect them. The mural was moved down into the grounds of the club a few years later.

I have done a few murals in my time. Two dissapeared when the buildings they were in were demolished. I have photos of another one I helped paint. Somewhere…..

Lifedrawing

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Tonight’s life drawing model was called Richard.

When I’m feeling out if sorts I like to go to life drawing. I can sit and draw without worrying whether the picture is saleable. I suppose I could frame up some of these but I don’t really want to.

I find nowadays that my eyesight isn’t as good so I look through my glasses at the model,  then over the top of them to see my sketch, half the time my glasses are slipping down my nose, which probably looks comical.

I tend to use a small sketch pad but if I go for a4 or bigger I use the back of a chair to rest it on. I used to use a donkey at college…a long thin stool you sit astride with a rest that pulls up which you can lean your sketch pad or drawing board on. the advantage of these is you can be seated without having to mess about propping things on a second chair.  If you use a large easle its generally easier to stand up, as the legs of the easle can get in your way if you sit. Drawing on a flat peice of paper means that when you lift it to the vertical the image stretches and ends up elongated, this does not look good when you are doing figure studies.

Anyway, going back to the class, I did 7 drawings tonight…they call me prolific!

 

 

Tail wagger

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Tail wagger, nose twitcher,

Not Dog, but Cat!

Ear flicker, whisker shiver,

Feline shape, replete.

Claw slasher, paw dasher,

Chasing round the room,

Not mouse, nor rat.

Pure Pussy Cat!

 

Goodnight cat, don’t you creep

About the house while I sleep.

Have a rest,

my fine familiar,

Rest your head upon your paws,

Sleep my puddy tat!

 

Biddulph Grange

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Biddulph Grange, once a stately home near Biddulph, staffordshire, then a TB hospital. Now a National trust garden that was rebuilt and uncovered over the last few years.

Made up of garden rooms. Such as the China garden where a beautiful bridge reminiscent of the Spode willow patterns stands over a pool stocked with koi carp. There is a pavilion floating above the water, giving a serene feel to the garden. there is even a great wall taking you round to another aspect if the garden.

There are sphinxes in the Egyptian garden, daliahs in the daliahs walk….so much to see, so many ideas on one place. There is a Swiss cottage, and a frog staring at you from a stone wall. There is a golden calf which must have pagan overtones. The garden was created back in victorion time. I find the best time to visit is when the daliah walk is in flower. It is spectacular to see with the backdrop of a tower leading up to a higher level.

There are tunnels to walk through and various paths winding through the gardens. At the top of the long walk up the slope from the main building is a huge urn standing at the very top of the hill. You can look back and see the grounds spread out in front of you.

If you are in the vicinity why not call in?

 

 

Weekend drawings

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Here are a few more of my drawings from the weekend, I didn’t take a camera but did take a sketchbook. I’m doing that more these days because I joined the local urban sketchers group a few months ago.

The drawings are from the Endon well dressing where their were lots of beautiful dogs entered for a dog obedience show. I drew a little scottie dog. There is also a drawing of a fellow exhibitor.

Then on Sunday we want back to Audlem where I had sung on Saturday and had a better look round the village. There was a Chalmers car there built in 1913. I drew it and gave the picture to the owner who kindly emailed me a photo of it. There is also a quick sketch of the Shropshire union canal looking down at barges tied up near the Shroppie Fly pub at the canal wharf.

The other sketches are of the Dorothy Clive garden which we also visited (busy weekend) the rhododendrons were fully in flower in the quarry garden and the view from the terrace outside the tea shop was wonderful (why did I leave my camera behind) anyway I did some drawings of the view and made notes of the colours of the rhododendrons to possibly do a watercolour later. The foliage is always a challenge to draw, but I did my best.

Note to self, maybe take a small box of watercolours with me in future , or pastels if there is no water…..