The seagull

Apparently they are gulls, not seagulls. They have migrated inland and live off waste food in towns, and also rubbish dumps. This one was on a friends windowledge when she stayed overnight at a hotel. If she opened the window it might have come in! She said she was glad it didn’t tap on the glass! I think gulls are handsome birds, the shape and colours of them and their graceful flight. That doesn’t stop them from being cheeky. Swooping down and stealing food, or flying over and releasing droppings onto you! But even with their naughty attitude I ike them.

Star

The star was surrounded by a crystalline structure. Stems branching out towards other stars…. Light rushed down one arm from its tip to a place inside the structure. A figure emerged from within the glowing light.

How are you Doctor? the man said. How have you been? I’m fine he said. Just passing through. Looking for a large blue box…. You haven’t seen it have you? It’s made of wood and has windows and a door. I lost it somewhere in Alpha Centauri.

Oh, the Tardis? Yes it’s stored here. I can release it into your hands…..The Doctor smiled, but then looked quizzically at his friend…. Yes said the man, er, its complicated, it was the reverse polarity when it came through the quantum flux. Its over there.

The Doctor stared, there in a small crystalline cupboard sat the Tardis, six centimeters tall. Real, but tiny……

Now what do I do? Said the Doctor.

Twenty minute sketch

Tried drawing Karen Gibson, the conductor, in felt pens after watching her having their portrait painted in #skyportraitartistoftheyear tonight. The hair is wrong, her left eye is too far back, but I don’t think it’s too bad. I drew with felt pens because one of the contestants had done. This took me about twenty minutes. I should have possibly taken longer.

Finger painting in ArtRage

A finger painting done with the Artrage oils digital app which I think is free through Google. I use it on my little android phone. Two tools, a brush with four varieties with a sliding size bar and a pallette to choose colours from and the ability to to change the effect from non metallic to metallic. It’s quite a challenge to draw with a tool that smears and smooths out the surface as you draw on it. I enjoy it because you get such a different effect from other sketching apps.

Dragon on pottery

I’m getting obsessed with dragons, thus is a quick sketch of one slithering down a bottle oven at a pottery. I’m imagining it’s been attracted by the heat as the oven is heated up to fire the pottery. I probably should have a plume of smoke coming out of the top of the oven. My dragon is golden like the luster on victorian pottery. I think my dragon is a friendly one.

Sweetie Gwurly

Does anyone else talk to their cat using nicknames and silly words?

I catch myself calling them foofs, and chuzzies, tussy pats, fluffiez, nus-nus.

I call the boy cats nussies, mussy cats, twuddles, puddy pats.

I call the girl cat fluffy chuff, sweetie gwurly, little fud, and hus.

There are other words I can’t remember. I’ve always done it with all my cats. I don’t know why. I think they are ‘terms of endearment?’ I think I probably do it all the time. They are similar sounding to either their names or alternative words that mean cat like puss, pussy cat, puddy tat etc. Am I strange?

1981

A drawing from 1981 of Hanley Park lake, surrounded by trees. I used to do a lot of pencil drawings and my sister has this in a frame at home.

The park was refurbished a few years ago and some of the neat lawns have been rewilded to allow the wildlife to thrive. There are also sculptures in the park and the boathouse has been restored. It’s been a while since we went there but it’s good to know its still thriving.