Look on any shelf in my house and you will find either a cat ornament or a cat picture or painting. Here is a little cat ring holder, sent from a friend in America, and a birthday card someone sent me. I liked it so much I framed it. Sorry I don’t know the artists name. The little toy car is a spectrum persuit vehicle? From the captain scarlet and the mysterons TV series of the 1960s. The background is my bookcase with a few novels. I liked the colour combinations. I enjoy taking photos of everyday objects…
This was a quick painting I did years ago. Experimenting with a wax drawing then watercolour over the top. The picture has a reflection on it because it is in a cli frame under glass. I think I added the cat later on a piece of paper that I cut out and stuck down. It’s lasted quite well as it was done in 1990!
Todays #bandofsketchers prompt was sweet so I drew this pomegranate before hubby ate it. I only had about twenty minutes to half an hour as I was going out for a walk straight afterwards. Trying to represent the seeds was hard. I had thought of cutting it into quarters but halved was easier and I managed to get a nice curved feel to the outside of it. And it was sweet.
You think a painting is finished then look at it two years later and realise it needs work. This picture is called new green man but it doesn’t really feel right. Then I suddenly thought about it and decided I might try and mix it in with a picture of a maori pulling a haka face. But is this a cultural appropriation? Am I allowed to use this idea. Merging different ideas. I will have to think about it. Whatever I do this will be changed.
Loud knock on the door. I opened the door to see a man in a mask under his chin proffering his elbow?! I stood back. Er can I help you? I’m your neighbours landlord. ( OK, so I know my neighbour owns his own house which is not in good condition). I didn’t believe him.
The man said I’m just doing work on your neighbours house and damp is getting in from your chimney. Is it? I asked. (We have problems with damp from next door). He said I’ve got a man on the roof now and I will go halves, I’ll charge £600 and you will pay £300. I said I can’t afford that, he wandered off and offered £200. I said I’m not sure, will have to talk to my husband. So then he said he was working on a house three doors up? So I said how does damp from my roof get three doors up (we are in a terraced house). He then said the water tracks under the roofing felt (this would be uphill and up brick walls)….. So I said which house do you own and he said the one up the hill with the purple bricks sign.
So then hubby arrived. He was not impressed. We walked across the road and yes we could see one missing tile. We could also see no one on the other roof, no ladder, no scaffolding. Do these people realise we use our eyes? Hubby told the man he wanted to see proof of who he was and proof he owned the house up the hill. By this time the man looked panicked. Hubby can be forceful when he wants and said no we would get our own builder in. The man was now upset, seeing £200 melt before his eyes and clearly worried by my hubbies attitude. I calmed things down. We bumped elbows and said goodbye. I don’t think he will be back!
Wore a hole punch as a hat…. Sat on my bookcase, surrounded by books. ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’ is one of them. What would they have thought of each other? Stern, disciplined, sometimes cruel. Were nort the characteristics of Mr Chips!
This ceramic Toby jug is based on the Spitting Image version of Maggie Thatcher. I also have a (slightly cracked) egg cup of her. That was because I used it as a candle holder.
No I was not impressed by her callous disregard for the poorest in society. Nor her attacks on the Miners and her introduction of the poll tax. So why have I got her? She was a present off a Potter who made her. She makes me laugh, to think about the ideas she had. At least she’s gone now.
Watching from afar, I wonder what is going on over the pond. The TV reports people of faith advocating violence (and by that I mean both sides in the election). Whatever is happening people need to step back and take a deep breath and then count to ten.
Why don’t they all follow the guidelines that are written in the bible and other religious books. Turn the other cheek. It’s not impossible, caring for your fellow man and woman instead of denigrating them or speaking out against each other. It’s not easy to stand back I know. Tempers are rising, but why? Surely we need a world where people support each other. I know there is evil out there, but we don’t all have to follow it. I know I’m naive, and I’m actually not religious, but I wish people would think….
Last year we went to see the exhibition of the terracotta warriors when it was on tour. We visited Liverpool museum of the world to see it. You know what it’s like with phone cameras though, you take too many photos and forget what half of them were of. This bowl or cauldron was one of them. I think this is probably made of bronze. Displayed in a glass case, well lit. Beautiful.
Ooo dear, suddenly buzzing round the front door was a huge wasp, it must have snuck in when I put the milk bottles out. It was big. A queen? I don’t know, perhaps my fear made it seem larger. Boy cat, in his cone of shame, was bouncing up and down by the door, reaching up to the letterbox. He looked very comical in his buster collar, but I was worried the wasp would get scooped up by it!
Then I saw it. It was up on the glass above the door. But I couldn’t reach it! My hubby took the glass I was holding and got a bit of paper, quickly covered the wasp and I opened the front door. Off it flew.
I can’t tell you what species of wasp it was. All I know is it seemed to have a large stinger. I hope it finds somewhere to go, but not in my home.
Mallaband-Brown 