New paintings and regular art updates.
Thank you Facebook for reminding me that I drew this when David Bowie died.
I didn’t realise how much his music meant to me. But he was there throughout my life. I can’t remember all his songs, but some of them really were Wonderful. Now I try to remember the titles I can’t! I’m useless with music, I have a blank spot. But I loved his music anyway.
I decided to try and make a badge from a craft kit that I bought last year off Belinda Latimer Designs to take my mind off things….
An hour later I’ve got a star made of vintage cloth, a couple of buttons and some felt and colourful threads. The kit also comes with a clip to sew on the back so I can wear it. The original patterns are a heart, a butterfly shape and a little bird shape, but I fancied doing a star. The only trouble was the vintage cotton which did fray, but I think I conquered it. Not perfect but relaxing. X
When I tried to learn to meditate, first I bhad to breathe in and then breathe out, to try and concentrate on my breathing. Count your in breathe for four seconds, pause, then breathe out for three, pause. If you start to feel dizzy just go back to normal shallow breathing. Counting helps take your mind off other thoughts. When you feel calm tighten and then relax your toes, then your calves, thighs, back, belly, hands, arms shoulders, neck and head. Each part of your body is hopefully then relaxed. If you fall asleep that’s OK. If you feel like it, you can imagine yourself walking down ten stairs, they are covered in nice carpet, you choose the colour of the walls, you are safe and can hold on to a stair rail. At the bottom there is a door with a crystal handle. You open the door and go into a warm room with an open fire and a beautiful sofa. There is a cupboard where you can put your worries in. The worries will have disappeared if you open the cupboard again. You can sit or lie on the sofa and relax. For a really deep meditation as you sit on the sofa you can go through relaxing your body in your minds eye again. This was the first meditation I ever did at a yoga class. I try and remember it when I am feeling stressed. If anyone here knows different methods please share?
I thought I would try and lighten my mood by posting about food.
These oatcakes (like savoury pancakes but more oaty,) with a savoury filling.
Traditionally its bacon and cheddar cheese, but that can be too greasy. So I cooked cherry tomatoes and button mushrooms on the hob with a little olive oil. Then when they were cooked I added camembert so I ended up with a melted creamy sauce.
In the meantime I put the oatcakes under the grill and toasted them on both sides so that they were crispy. Then I poured the mixture onto the oatcakes and rolled them up. Result, hot and tasty lunch.
Sitting in the dark,
knocked for six,
Feeling so sad,
so sad, so sad.
Never really met,
But deep inside I knew,
we would always be friends,
buddies, chums.
Artist, faithful, thoughtful,
always so kind.
Mother, aunt and wife,
carer for her family,
Matriarch and home maker,
gentle and kind.
Shocked by the news,
came out of the blue,
crying so much,
So sad, so bad.
So sad.
Farewell friend.
X
I found this posted onto a friends story on Facebook this morning.
I knew she had been ill and had come home from hospital, but because my friend lived in America it was not as easy to keep in touch.
We had spoken over the Internet early last year. I probably should have called he more often. But life gets in the way. I admired her art. I first met her on the Internet at a website called Sketchfu. The site is long gone, but we discussed art and drew pictures and enjoyed our artistic friendship. We both then joined a site called Muzy, which also closed. But a friendship had been made and stuck.
In later years she posted her art to Instagram. Her work was full of beautiful drawings of women and lovely landscapes. All drawn with soft and thin layers of bright colours.
Now she is gone. I won’t see her art anymore. At least a message was posted telling us she has gone. A friend lost. I mourn her passing.
Betelguse the star is shrinking.
Fainting they say.
On the shoulder of Orion,
it’s getting fainter.
Red Giant,
stellar wonder,
obese and middle aged?
Perhaps your sides are about to split.
Red Giants can’t stay inflated.
They use up all their fuel.
Puffed up and massive.
Suddenly they can pop like a balloon.
Not enough energy to push out,
the star will fall inwards,
then boom!
Bounce out…
In a million years or so?
You might be a Supernova!
Make a Betelguse nebula.
Then Orions shoulder will flower.
And we may see an exploding star.
The first in the Milky-way since 1604.
Can’t show you the show, it’s a secret, but rehearsals continue for the pantomime we are putting on in February. (20th, 21st and two shows on the 22nd).
The show is Aladdin, where he has to find an old lamp, which is then taken from him together with his true love by an evil wizard. Fun ensues.
Tonight we were practising the dances (which is why I haven’t posted a photo). It was hard to get right, basically the choreographer is making it up as she goes along and we have to follow her moves. I’m not the most nimble and I can’t keep up. But we’ve got time.
Fingers crossed.
X
I just made a culinary disaster. I decided to make a milkshake with a mashed up banana and some milk I frothed up.
The milk was frothed in a glass container with a metal mesh on a length of metal and a lid (like a small caffitierre).
The disaster? If you try and mix mashed banana with milk make sure it’s properly smooth, or you end up with a cold lumpy mixture. It tasted OK though.
Nutritional facts, I think I read there are 89 calories per 100 grams. There isn’t as much potassium in them as urban myth says. People with latex allergy can become allergic to bananas. They are related to plantains which are more starchy and can be cooked. There are other species including green and purple bananas.
Have you tried moving your camera when you take a photo of the sky? When the sun is rising or setting people generally take photos of the landscape in the direction of the setting sun. Much more dramatic than the other direction. But include too much sky and the light entering the camera can be too much causing over exposure. Include more land and less sky and the sunset colours emerge more clearly.
By including more land the cameras automatic exposure changes. The area in silhouette may even reveal more detail than if you aim more at the sky. Also remember, if you have a crop tool on your camera you can remove part of the landscape while leaving the sky.
The only difference in these two photos is that I moved between the first and the second and I included more land in the second one.
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