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Last year

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We were sitting on a balcony, looking out over a lake in North Yorkshire. A glass of wine, a comfy chair. The hotel had cabins as well as rooms, all made of wood like American or Canadian log cabins. We had been out for the day to the Yorkshire sculpture park and had driven from there North and East so we could drive over the massive suspension bridge over the river Humber. We then took the road West through Hull and back down towards Otley and the river Wharfe where we had a meal in an italian restaurant overlooking the river, we had a delicious fish meal with pasta and salad, I still remember it. Finally back to where the hotel sits a few miles outside of the town of Shipley. We only stayed a couple of nights, but it was warm and friendly. I would go again, as soon as we can after the virus has faded into a distant memory (hopefully). I need a break. But only when it’s safe.

Abstract and strange

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We know how something natural looks. It is often untidy, not always symmetrical, analogue not digital. But when you play with photos you can create structures that don’t exist in reality, you can expand distances and change perspectives. That’s what I did with the photo I used to create this. A kind of tree tray or chandelier. I don’t know, but abstracting as much fun as I can…

Will Christmas be cancelled….?

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Christmas is coming but will it happen? Our government is locking down the country from Thursday until December 2nd. This is after being advised by the scientists and doctors to bring in a lockdown about three or four weeks ago. No, they didn’t want to harm the economy, close schools, so they decided on a Tiered system, one, two and three… But that doesn’t seem to be working, hospital admissions and deaths are escalating again. So now it’s a lockdown. But then a minister has come out to say the lockdown might extend past four weeks. I don’t know where we will be at Christmas.

The whole thing seems to have been dealt with so indecisively, instead of keeping on top of things we were all given free rein, people travelled across boundaries.

I’m fed up, but I will continue to stick to the rules. I will be careful, I will wash my hands and I will continue to wear a mask, not just for me but also the people around me. Meanwhile the government needs to get its act together. Money is not more important than people.

Walking

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Just a 3 kilometer walk, but only the second since I recovered from tonsillitis. The wind was soughing through the trees. I recorded the sound but I don’t think I can play it on here. I enjoyed the feel of the wind and rain, the dusk came fast and as we extended the walk a little further we did end up getting a bit wet. Got to be wary of wet slippery leaves too. I was tired at the end. My legs were wobbly by the time I got in and had to sit down and rest.

Must do more x

Red

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Today’s sketch for #bandofsketchers, the theme is red. Not many trees in this country turn bright red in autumn. I think that’s because we don’t get cold enough weather to force the chlorophyll out of the leaves to turn them to brighter colours (is the red xanthophyll?) long time since I did O level biology!

Anyway these were on the road outside so I did a quick sketch and then filled it in. I’m afraid I cheated as it was so wet and windy so I did use a reference photo to try and get the right colours. Another sketch with permanent markers.

Grey woman

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Hallucination, dream, ghost?

At 3am on Halloween morning he awoke to see a figure by the bed. Still, silent, watching him. He blinked and it was gone. But it’s memory stuck in his mind. A grey haired tall woman. Middle aged, quite slender. He sat up and looked all round the room, but the only noise was the tick of the clock and the hum of the central heating. There was no place to hide in the small single bedroom. Not even any curtains to hide behind, with a telltale shoe sticking out. He doubted anyone could squeeze behind venetian blinds…..

Eventually sleep dragged him down into its arms again. Then when he was settled, the figure pushed through the wall and back next to him again. Eyes staring, never blinking, a look of sadness on her face. Never knowing her grandson till now. Knowing it was his last night on earth. One minute here… Tick… The next.. Gone.

Still together…

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My mom came and saw me at college one September and made me promise not to move in with my boyfriend till after Christmas. I moved in in the October! With a lot of ups and downs we are still together forty years later.. We hate and love each other! I think the wedding vows have it right, sickness and health, richer and poorer. It gives you a clue that the world is not perfect and that you have to work at relationships. Sometimes it doesn’t work, sometimes it does… I guess we were lucky…

This was last year I think…. Memories of madness…. And fun!

Wooden bottle ovens?

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I have just got involved in an Art project. #theStoke2000 project. Artists are being invited to collaborate in painting wooden bottle ovens. These can have plants put in the top of them to use as planters.

Each artist will be producing an image that relates to Stoke on Trent and they will be used as part of a local art trail. I’m thinking of painting a plaque from the Falcon Pottery Works which is just round the corner from where I live. I think I need to get some more paints before we go into lockdown again. When it’s finished I will post a picture of it.

Filters

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This year for Halloween there have been far more filters on my phone to create strange faces and spooky images. It’s not something I would normally do, but just for a laugh I decided to choose four that I thought were the silliest and most frightful. (I say frightful because I don’t think they are very frightening). Apologies to anyone of a nervous disposition. I think Halloween coincides with a Celtic holiday called Samhain but I don’t know the history of either tradition really. I guess it’s a chance to have a party before the full gloom of the winter season envelops us. Next stop Christmas here in the UK.

Cat in window

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The cat was staring out at the street as we arrived home, he’s nosy, likes to know whats going on. He likes watching cars but will jump down if he sees a dog. I think he’s been sitting in the window more recently because the outside cat has been coming in and he’s out of the way there. He seems content. He almost knocked the TV off its stand last night when he got tangled in the curtains. Now he’s lying on the floor, sat in front of the heater, washing. He’ll be back on the windowledge later. X