
Bandofsketchers prompt “contained”. I can’t find my stylus so this is a finger painting of flowers contained in a jug using the Artrage app.
New paintings and regular art updates.

Bandofsketchers prompt “contained”. I can’t find my stylus so this is a finger painting of flowers contained in a jug using the Artrage app.

Lift your head up
See life
See the sky
Don’t just look at shop windows
See architecture..
Interesting windows,
Grooves and gutters
See the tree leaves
Waving in the wind
Xanthophyll and chlorophyll
Colours changing
Lift up your heads
See the setting sun
Falling with the leaves.
Put down your phone
And experience Autumn.

My friend often sends me photos on WhatsApp. I don’t know what is going to pop up in my messages until they appear. This time he sent me a series of pictures from Saltaire Food festival. Saltaire is near Bradford in Yorkshire. It’s got small, stone built terraced houses, mostly a living room and small kitchen and two bedrooms and a bathroom. I think they filmed the new version of “The Railway Children ” movie there.
At the end of summer it puts on a great market full of food stalls from all over the world. We went a few years ago and discovered Churos from Spain. Like a mixture of sponge fingers and doughnuts crossed with each other. We tried curries and paella. There was a giant lobster balloon. It was very busy when we went. If you are in the area it’s worth a visit.

The sky,
Thinking of the innocents that have gone to their deaths through war and genocide. But not just that, also plague and starvation. Cutting funding to medical programs is not helping, and using misinformation is particularly cruel.
What is there that we can do? How do we not weep constantly because of those losses? It’s overwhelming. From the past and into the future, there is no enlightenment. Very little truth and reconciliation. A few places have succeeded, Northern Ireland and South Africa spring to mind.
Maybe we should look at what worked or went well in those situations
Now Gaza and Ukraine, Yemen and Sudan are experiencing the horrors of man’s inhumanity to man. And it really does seem to be a male thing. But maybe I’m wrong.
There should maybe be a class in schools. Respect for humanity. I remember an experiment I heard about. A class of children were split in two. Half were given scarves and told they were better than their counterparts. For the day or the week they were allowed to lord it over the other half. But during the next week the other children got the scarves. Suddenly they had the upper hand. Both groups got to experience the indignities and descrimination of the underdogs. It apparently was a great success in improving how children behaved. Insight is so important.

Kneading my knees
Poddling I call it,
Old cat is keen to stay.
I don’t want him to go away.
His life is ebbing
Slowly by
Like a tide moving out
Taking his memory
In its grip.
No more head bumps
No more nuzzles
An empty space expected
Soon.

Stressed! My old cat went out while I was shopping, I realised he was not around and I’ve just been calling him for an hour. I left the back door wide open, I kept whistling, it cuts through traffic noise. I also put messages on WhatsApp and got lots of support – one person even offered to come to look for him, he is not eating much except cat soups and drinking a lot of water. It’s such a worrying time.
I thought he was in the garden but its very overgrown and if I went out looking for him I could easily fall over. BUT thank goodness… He’s back! I feel like the boy who cried wolf!

What is this thing called grey matter?
How does it work?
A controller of movement,
A creator of language
Emotions pull decisions
One way or the other.
Joined up letters and thinking.
Science explores and probes
Into the thing that created science.
Art and Music flow,
Pain and pleasure,
Athletic prowess.
Genius and idiocy,
Two sides of different minds.


A metal (cast iron) cold painted black and white cat on my windowsill in the kitchen. I have two. They both peep out through the Christmas cactuses. I don’t know why it’s there, it just is. It stares back at me, he’s quite startling in the right light. I’m seeing things better these days.

Tired and shaking. Had a lovely day rehearsing for Middleport next weekend. I needed some decaff coffee and drove up to tescos. Got my shopping. The sun was low as I pulled out of the garage forecourt. There was a car coming but I had time. I swear it sped up and I had to quickly pull out of it’s way…. It was a police car! Blue lights flashing. I pulled over apologising profusely. I was shaking with shock because Parkinsons gets worse when you are stressed. I have no driving offences and the last time I was stopped was for an indicator not working 20 years ago! I will never do that again. The policewoman drove me home while her colleague followed. Now I’m worried I might lose my licence as they have to report it to the DVLA. I feel like a complete idiot… Don’t put yourself at risk. Make sure you have enough time to pull out and don’t forget to give way! Big lesson learnt.

Band of sketchers prompt, I decided to do something a bit dark and scary as it’s almost October. As usual using my Artrage app… Just a doodle.