New paintings and regular art updates.
Playing with pattern again, I created this digital drawing of what could be a paisley patterned scarf.
I like the idea of an intensely coloured swirl at the center and a red border. But the outer edges would be black so it would appear to be floating in space, in fact if I added a few tiny dots it would look even more like that.
The simple power of computers is amazing. People have such creativity at their fingertips.
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It’s Halloween and the sense of foreboding hangs heavily in the air. Birds fly around the house, their fluttering wings catching at the windows as they fly up in panic from something slowly shuffling about the building.
Leaves are falling in a mimicry of snow. A crumpled carpet of browns and gold, dulled by the cold dark air. Sound is muffled, but even through it there is a lurking, grinding shudder.
As the darkness falls a tremor shakes the ground. The stems of ivy entwined around the walls of the house seem to stretch and shiver, the leaves expanding and contracting, pulsing, throttling. Dragging down on the building, pulling through cement, brick and concrete. Crumpling the floorboards and ceilings. Slowly the house changes shape, slumping down into itself like a car in a crusher.
Finally a spray of water rises above the debris as the water main bursts.
The birds fly and flutter down, settling on the rubble. Quiet descends.
We got here today and have been busy sitting around for a lot of the time, interspersed with standing around on the stage being set in position, then singing as loudly and brightly as we can for our songs. I’m shattered, I hope I can keep my energy up for the performance.
To be honest I’m actually enjoying being fitted for a costume (a tee shirt). I brought my own silly blingy jewellery to wear. I’ve actually got some stuff from the 1990s which I was given one Christmas.
The play is called Beautiful Thing at the New Vic theatre at Basford, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Performances run till Saturday and start at 7.30pm.
The play is about the blossoming relationship between two teenage boys. It is set in 1993 and we are singing music by Mama Cass and hits from the 1990s. I hope I don’t break my leg
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I’ve had a really busy day so I haven’t had time to do much on line. Just been rehearsing again.
Anyway just for fun I bought a kaleidoscope last week. Instead of using a digital app this is a real tube with bits of plastic in the end. You turn the end of the tube and the bits move about and the pattern changes.
So I stuck the lens of the camera against the eyepiece and took photos… These are the results. Fun to see patterns that I last saw when I was 6 or 7.
Reminisence is something you do more as you get older.
I thought they were holding hands but my friend said dancing. Imagine the branch in the middle is two arms entwined, clasped hand to elbow Then the branches on the other side of the trunks are like outstretched arms, and the other branches higher up are like hair flying outwards as they spin each other in a dizzy whirl of autumn leaves..
An idea for a painting. I also like the way the hedge cuts between them and splits the composition.
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I went to bed two hours early (the clocks changed on Sunday night to Greenwich mean time). So now I’m awake…it’s just after 5 am. I was shattered from rehearsing for two seperate things I’m in (only a choir member in one, and three lines in the other as well as singing in the chorus) nothing impressive, but it all takes time to learn. Somehow the rehearsals ended up on the same day, one an hour after the other. So came home, grabbed a sandwich and went out again.
Rehearsing for things can be boring, a lot of standing around if you have a minor part, or full on if you are singing to accompany a show and also going into the acting space. At one stage we have to try and intimidate the audience!
So…..I’m awake and buzzing. I’ve just had a decaff coffee, oh for the joys of cocoa..I will have to buy some. The songs we are singing are spinning, spinning, round in my head oh what a poor soul.
I’m going back to bed and hope to Dream a little dream…sounds like I still have a bit of teen spirit despite my age! Then of course I might shoop in my sleep instead of snoring as I still have this cold ? I would write some more clues to the songs we are singing, but I have forgotten…..a bit if late night/early morning amnesia I think…
Rehearsing again tonight for this weeks show..oh joy!
Ripening,
Your bruises show on your skin.
Where wind and birds have scratched
And clawed at you.
But impenetrable until ripe
Your green skin is freckled and dented.
Even squirrels attempted a nibble
But the weight of your plumpness denied their grip,
Instead hurling you to the hard ground.
Collected to be put into a pie,
Cut up or discarded.
Your fate awaits.
Digital red horse…
When I was a child I was fascinated in trying to draw horses and horses heads. At one stage I drew a lovely picture of a dappled grey horse in pencil when I was about 9. I sold it for sixpence! I just remembered it after all these years after doing this digital drawing of a horse. It’s red because the original drawing in ArtRage oils was a flower, then a poppy, then a heart and now a horse.
Here are two of the previous drawings. I can’t find the heart, but I think that might be on my phone. I seem to be saving things in two places so it depends which I use to create the art.
What I’m getting at is the fun to be had by morphing one drawing into another, covering your tracks, but being influenced by colour and shape.
Back to horses. I always seem to draw them in profile, and facing to the left. I also seem to do the same thing with profiles of faces, but when I draw people in 3/4 (half way between profile and straight on) the faces are turned slightly to the right. I tried to discuss this with a friend who also drew profiles. She always did faces looking right in profile. I wondered if it depends on if you are right or left handed. She was left handed and drew opposite to me.
One of my main struggles with horse drawings I that I’m not good at their mouths and also their eyes. I don’t use a photo to copy from when I’m drawing them. I try and use my memory.
So there you are, not much about real horses except obviously I love them.
Last year we went to see a play set in the Spode Factory site, it was called Dirty Laundry and was written by one of the actresses from Coronation street. Apologies as I have forgotten her name cat the moment. The story was about the complexities of life in the potteries in the mid twentieth century. It was thought-provoking.
The car in the photo was used to give the play a genuine feel.
Now a new play called Hot Lane, by the same author, is coming to Spode again in November. I’m looking forward to it. It is wonderful to see creativity continuing to return to the Potteries.
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One cute cat.
Not for sale, because we are his…
We feed him. Water him. Tend him.
Stroke, pet, hug him.
Spend time with him.
The other cat objects.
She is cute too…
But she doesn’t pose this well!
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