Giraffes

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Africa, Art, Colour, Fun, Giraffe, Life, Memories, Miniatures, PaintingLeave a comment

I found these on my phone, small, colourful paintings in acrylic an tiny canvases. I think these were done a couple of years ago. I paint so many different things. I remember a lady from South Africa really liking these and getting one of them for her mother.

Today I get my results for my First term doing an MA. I hope I’ve done OK. You have to paint a lot of giraffes to get enough money to live on. So I’m trying to diversify! If I can get some illustration work that would be helpful. So fingers crossed and a deep breath. I will try and stay calm. X

Remembering the panto

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Flat man, Fun, Humour, Life, Memory, Painting, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Scenery, Set design, Stoke-on-Trent, TheatreLeave a comment

In February we were in the local pantomime. It was Aladdin. I also painted the scenery including this cutout of a cast member who had gone through a mangle and had to come out flattened. You would think it was easy. But have you tried painting feet from the back as well as the front? I took photos of the front and back of the person but the feet looked odd? I should have placed them like Charlie Chaplin perhaps? I hope life starts to return to normal and we get to do another panto soon! Oh yes I do! Oh no you don’t!

The ideas that influenced Penkhull flag

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Competition, Designs, Flags, Penkhull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Vexillogical, VexillologicalLeave a comment

My idea was the to middle one. As you can see the Cockerel and the oval were strong influences on the final outcome.

This year the flag has already won the Vexillological Flag institute FA Cup of flags and on Tuesday we are in the final of the Flag institute World Series of flags @flaginstitute #WorldSeriesOfFlags (Hope I got the @and # right?) The competition /vote is over on Twitter from 11am. We are up against a lovely place called Tiree.

Apples

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged apples, Baking, Cake, Cooked fruit, Cookery, Crumble, Food, Fruit, Questions, Raw fruit, Tart, Tasty, TreesLeave a comment

Cooking and dessert apples, over the last few days we have collected lots of them.

I have questions. Can you freeze apples if you just cut them up, or do you have to cook them first?

Crumble or pie? Cake or tart? I’m thinking of what to use them in. Do I cook them till they are mush and turned to puree then freeze it. Can I make Cider? I also have lots of pears on the tree, can I make Perry? I might bake them in the oven after removing the cores and then serve them with custard?

What do you think? Any suggestions?

The cats IN the bag

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Bag, Blue bag, Chasing toys, Dreams, Happy, Paws, Poem, Poetry, Sleeping cat, TiredLeave a comment

He’s in there,

curled up,

asleep,

he fell in love

with this bag.

Soft blue dreams,

wafting from its open top.

Watch out cat,

feet pass you,

within inches,

but you are not disturbed.

You sleep on,

chasing toy mice,

feathered toys,

racing against jaguars and tigers.

Feeling Fleet footed.

Curled up, warm,

happy paws.

Today’s prompt.. Pots

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Band of sketchers, Cartridge paper, Ellipses, pots, Sketch, Sketching challenge, Watercolour drawing, Watercolour sketchLeave a comment

I selected some pots in the kitchen for a quick watercolour sketch before the sun went down. I don’t do watercolours very often, these are Cotman colours which are quite strong. I painted in an A5 cartridge paper sketchbook.

It came out quite well, I could have done a better job of the ellipses, but I did not do any preliminary drawing and I just concentrated on the shadows and colours.

Kitty

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in Cat, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Cat, Colours, Digital drawing, Drawing, Kitty, Oblong tool, Sketcher app, Sketching app, ToolsLeave a comment

Digital doodle, using the Sketcher app on my phone. Instead of lines I used a tool that creates small oblong. Then a ribbon tool for the whiskers. Using a pink background and a dark green pen tool makes an interesting colour combination. With delicate lines I think it gives an ethereal effect.

Apple tree

Posted on September 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged apples, Beauty, Fruit, Gardens, Green, Pears, Plants, Sunshine, TreesLeave a comment

This is a thirty eight year old apple tree that he planted in his garden. It’s huge!

It has been a very fruitful year for some fruit trees.

I was amazed, the tree is covered in huge cooking apples. My friend said he weighed one of the large ones and it was over 900 grams. It was a fantastic visit. Seeing someone else’s produce. He also has a small pear tree that is covered in conference pears.

He also has tomatoes which I’m jealous of because I didn’t get any this year!

Tiny Train

Posted on September 12, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1960's, British Rail, Engine, Fun, Hobby, N gauge, Photo, Railway layout, Train, TransportLeave a comment

A 2-6-2, 3MT, Graham Farish, British Railways, mixed traffic, ‘n’ gauge railway engine. Modeled on a steam engine built in about 1962 during the last day’s of steam trains in Britain before they were axed in favour of type 2 diesel engines.

My hubbies latest train for his n gauge railway layout. It’s a very fine engine and has a very delicate mechanism. He’s happy. X

Up and down hill

Posted on September 12, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Down, Exercise, Life, Meander, Night, Steep, Sunset, View, WalkLeave a comment

Up hill

Steep, hard to breathe

Step by step we struggle.

Into the sunset

Over the ground

Crawling up.

Now we turn around a corner,

Along a street

Looking at stars and planets.

Meander for a while,

Then up again

To the plateau.

Now home

Down hill

Short steps

Teetering down the hill

Steeper to start

Then slowly levelling

Home.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Uncategorized