#bandofsketchers prompt was flag, just experimenting with digital textures. I used Artrage for this with a slight metallic tinge. It’s not very exciting but I’m trying to drag myself back into doing art.
Flag
Black and white
Black and white tree doodle I did a few weeks ago. I really want to go back to drawing #bandofsketchers prompts but life’s been a bit up and down lately. Black and white was today’s prompt.
No tree
What traditions have you not kept that your parents had?
We always had a traditional Christmas tree, decorated with glass baubles, lammetta to look like icicles (thin strips of shiny metal tassels) also dodgy Christmas tree lights which would regularly stop working. It was a treat to be allowed to decorate it with my mother’s help. I think we always managed a tree with nicely placed ornaments and would then add bits of cotton wool to represent snow.
Scroll forward a few years. Now I rarely have a tree because of my cats. They like playing with the baubles and breaking them. They have also knocked the whole tree over. I haven’t given up on the idea. I even think I could hang a tree from the ceiling just to keep the cats at bay!
Lock
Slimy algae
On the lock wall
Only revealed
As the water flows
Out of the lock
Through large wooden gates
Made to be moved
When you use a windlass
To raise the sluice gate.
A way of travelling
Up and down hill
In a boat or a barge
Through summer fields.
Day out
After a long wait we finally went on our choirs boat trip. It was arranged for the singing for lung health group I am part of. It had been postponed due to a mechanical problem, but today was gorgeous, hot, sunny. Ideal for a canal trip on the boat Beatrice which is used to give people with disabilities the chance to get out on the water.
It was a slow journey, a bit nerve wracking because there were steep steps to got into the barge then uneven paths to negotiate to get to our destination a pub called the black lion at consall forge. We sat under an awning and sang a few songs that we have practiced for months. We didn’t have an audience except for a few people sitting on benches at the front of the pub.
Then I carefully picked my way back down the steep path with someone helping me as I was feeling very unsteady and a bit breathless. We meandered our way back along the river Churnet, entering a lock to get back onto the canal and back to our dropping off point. I was tired but I’m glad I went.
Grey hair, short and chubby
How would you describe yourself to someone?
I once read a Garfield the cat quote “I’m not overweight I’m undertall” . I think that precisely describes me. I also have greying hair, glasses and I’m a bit shaky.
If I was to meet you how would you describe me? By appearance or by personality? I hope you would find me pleasant and friendly. I think I’m interesting and have definite ideas about the world and how important it is to look after it. I’m not sure if you would like me, but that is your choice. I don’t judge a book by it’s cover and I hope you feel the same way.
Fed up of AI
I keep seeing images of things that are clearly done with AI, people with scrambled faces or 6 fingers. I love astronomy, but sometimes the pictures can’t be real. There are videos of the moon being hit by a massive asteroid and disintegrating, or photos purporting to be close ups of black holes. At best these are using AI for artistic licence or an impression of what something looks like. But at worst they are meant to fool you. Maybe to confuse or to scam? I’m glad there is an option now for people to label their posts as AI generated. But do you think the scammers would use labels? I doubt it.
What’s also annoying is that websites use algorithms, if you like this you might want to look at something similar. But the new group isn’t necessarily well managed and then the garbage sneaks through.
So beware of what you see and try and fact check if you can. Don’t be fooled or scammed.
Headache
My heads been aching all day….
I don’t normally get headaches. I have a pain behind my eyes, a thudding. I hope it goes soon. I think its caused by tension. I also ache, I hope it’s not some sort of bug. I’ve had a buzzing in my ears for a few days, maybe I need my ears syringing?
I’ve had some tablets, I hope they kick in soon. It feels scary. But it will pass. I’ll see how I feel in a bit x
Our Art group
I forgot to talk about being in an art group because I was interested in what I had painted. I know that talking to people helps my mood, it’s just going that’s the problem….
I knew I needed to get some sleep but after going to bed relatively early I was awake from 4 in the morning until 9am. Then I fell asleep again so I was late getting to the group.
I am glad I went. It was a good session. I managed to work on my green woman painting. I noticed how helpful people are making suggestions and supporting each other. Sometimes I just keep my head down and just concentrate on what I’m doing. But listening today made me feel less anxious. X
Olympics
She wasn’t going to watch the Olympics in Paris, it was on the TV but she knew if she watched her countries athletes they would lose.
In the last games she had watched assiduously and each and every player had come to grief. The swimmer hit her head on the wall as she tried to tumble turn. The cyclist had a puncture, the gymnast got tangled up in the rings. No she could not watch.
But then, the first days results were on the news. There were mishaps galore. Maybe it wasn’t her mental influence that was causing disasters? She realised she should watch, and enjoy. She didn’t realise that it was an alien who had infiltrated her countries team. Until he left they were jinxed. He was investigating the emotion despair and this was merely a scientific experiment for him.
Mallaband-Brown 