#urbansketchersstoke

Posted on July 10, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #urbansketchersstoke, #uskstoke, Architecture, Black and white, Drawing, Grey, Shadows, SketchingLeave a comment

After over a year I finally went out today with my local urban sketchers group to a place called Keele Hall, part of Keele University. Its near Newcastle-Under-Lyme in Staffordshire. The hall was originally the home of Ralph Sneyd and his son a couple of centuries ago. It was then taken over as Stoke-on-Trent University but then was taken over as Keele University, one of the first campus universities in the UK.

Too complicated! I should have been there at 11, but by the time I got there and started it must have been 11.45, then time flew by. The sun was so bright I decided to lurk in a shadow, but even then it was hard to see details.

Red sky

Posted on July 9, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blue, Dawn, Grey, Hill, Moon, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Red, Sky, Sun, Sunset, Time2 Comments

Wrong side of the hill, but still saw some lovely reflections on the cloud base. Red sky at night predicting a lovely day tomorrow? We will see….

Red sky to dark sky

Sun sets slowly

Dark sky to black sky

Moon rises brightly

Grey Dawn to blue sky

Sun rises gently.

Joined up photo landscape.

Posted on July 9, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blurred, Lake, Layout app, Photo, sharpness, Sky, Trees, Trentham GardensLeave a comment

Two views, lined up and joined. Different depths of field. Blurred and sharp. The images were taken on the same day, about half a mile apart. I like the way the far bank of the lake seems to join up. I acheived this by stretching the images so they could work together. I haven’t worked on the colours or sharpness, they are not manipulated except for scale.

Ice cream

Posted on July 9, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Cold, Food, Icecream, Prompt, Sketching, sprinkles, Summer, SweetLeave a comment

#bandofsketchers prompt yesterday was ‘sweet’. I’ve been eating far too much ice cream recently. I used post it notes for the sauce and sprinkles and the tub, then shaded and drew with a fine line black ink pen. The shading was done with a pale green felt pen. This is meant to indicate soft ice cream, the stuff they sometimes call Mr Whippy!

Geese and goslings

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged ?, Environment, Fun, goslings, Grey geese, Nature, Photo, Trentham Gardens, what typeLeave a comment

Walking past these tonight, they hissed a bit, warning us off from their brood of goslings. It’s a good place to be bringing up young. I think they are greylag geese….? I shall have to see if I can find out. Different looking to the Canada geese that usually inhabit the area..

One day I will find out and learn where they come from and what type they are?

Stag at Trentham

Posted on July 8, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Deer, England, lake walk, Photo, Sculpture, Staffordshire, Stag and hind, Stoke-on trent, Trentham GardensLeave a comment

Stag and hind sculpture at Trentham Gardens today. I walked about four miles, not a great distance but it was warm and humid. I think they are casr bronze, they are hollow. There is a small herd of deer at the Gardens, or there were a few years ago. They are up higher on the hill, or they were. There is a path round the lake and a longer one, so I wonder if they are up there. We will explore further.

Sun setting

Posted on July 8, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bright, Clouds, Light, Photo, Silhouette, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Sunset, Trees, Trentham Gardens, WalkingLeave a comment

Back at Trentham after a walk round the lake. I took this looking towards the low sun. It was hard to see the phone screen so it was a bit hit and miss what I would get.

I like the way the trees and clouds are silhouetted. There is a walkway with metal hoops to the right of the tree, various climbers cover parts of it including wisteria and roses. At the far end is a statue, but we came out one of the side entrances and walked down a grassy slope to look back at this.

Le Tour

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Collage, France, Fun, le Tour, malliot jeun, peloton, Poem, Poetry, Sketching, Yellow JerseyLeave a comment

Chasing, racing, riding fast

Le Tour enthrals

France in three weeks

A journey of courage

Tail wind, head wind

Peloton group

Cycling up alps

Down valleys

Rain or snow

Burnt by the sun

Super human effort

Yellow Jersey holder

Speed and elation

And the winner is?!

Water troubles

Posted on July 7, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Garden, Insurance, leak pipes, Life, stop tap, Time, Water, water board, workmenLeave a comment

Two years after we had a possible leak in our garden which we were advised was a ‘spring’ we had the water company round again. They had renewed the water stop taps and could hear water rushing through the pipe, much more than we would use in the three houses it supplies.

So after contacting our insurers two years ago and being told by the workmen they sent that it wasn’t a leak, it now is! Now I’m waiting for a letter so I can inform the insurance it’s real. Hopefully we are still insured and we can get it sorted out. Fingers crossed. I will be pleased if we stop having pools of water down at the bottom of the garden.

Yes I hate football

Posted on July 7, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged dislike, Football, Game, Money, Playing, Poverty, wealth3 Comments

Football ⚽

Used to like it, the beautiful game. The skills, the athleticism, the ability. But I got fed up with it. The prices players are bought and sold for. The money they earn. I hate the way some teams can receive millions of pounds in TV rights, while the bottom clubs languish and are often running out of money.

The other thing I dislike is the way the fans act. They can be so antagonistic, fighting and getting drunk. The rivalry can turn into violence. I don’t think there is any need for it. There is too much racism too.

I hope that things will go OK tonight. That’s when England play against Denmark. May the best team win.

Mallaband-Brown

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