Scones

Posted on April 24, 2024April 24, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Brampton museum and art gallery, Butter, Cafe, Cream, Food, Scones, Sugar, TastyLeave a comment

Photo by my friend Lin, she met up with me yesterday and we popped over to the Brampton museum and art gallery to collect some of my paintings and have a drink and a scone each. It didn’t help that as I cut mine in half my hand shook and I dropped the bottom half on the ground.

Bother! We shared the other scone and had another quarter each.

But what comes first on a scone? Cream or jam? I always go jam first, then cream on top (preferably clotted cream, but whipped cream also works). It just spreads easier. In this case we also didn’t have butter, but to be honest I don’t think you need it. The scones were moist and didn’t have too much of a flavour of baking powder. 10 out of 10. Tasty.

Blue birds

Posted on April 23, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Blue birds, Brampton and and art gallery, Fine Art, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Willow patternLeave a comment

When the Orme Art Group Exhibition finished this weekend the gallery at the Brampton museum asked if they could use my willow pattern painting in their next display of bird paintings and images. I was pleased to leave it up. It’s there till the end of May!

The painting is done in acrylic on canvas. It’s based on a few willow pattern pots, I took different aspects from different images so it is unique.

Confused

Posted on April 23, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Confusing, Happiness advisor, Life, likes, new system, unread posts, WordPressLeave a comment

Is anyone else having problems working out which posts they have viewed? It used to be that once you had looked at them they would disappear off your list of viewed posts, but now I’ve got a load of posts where people have commented and they keep staying. It’s getting so I can’t tell which I’ve viewed and the page is filling up. If any “happiness advisors” read this please explain what I need to do?

Artrage doodle

Posted on April 22, 2024 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Abstract, App, Artrage, Black, Doodle, Drawing, Experiment, Fern, Green, Grey, metallic pens, Plant, WhiteLeave a comment

Based on a fern plant. Just grey black, white and green using different pens in the Artrage app. Included a metallic background on this abstract drawing.

Old cat sketch

Posted on April 22, 2024 Posted in Cat, Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Biro drawing, Black and white cat, Boy cat, Cat, Clever, Life, Memory, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

One of our cats from thirty years ago. Drawing in biro. He lived until he was about 17. He was a lovely quiet cat and I remember him and his sister were sweet. His mum came to us, as a pregnant stray. She was very intelligent and liked riding on my shoulders but her son didn’t do that. But he was still clever and would always come when I called or whistled him. He used to sneak into my neighbours house through their cat flap and he came home once with a huge steak in his mouth, growling when I took it off him. I never dared tell my friends what he had done!

Driving

Posted on April 22, 2024April 22, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1916, Distance, Driving, Health, Life, Nervous, Prompt, Time, TravelLeave a comment

What makes you nervous?

As you get older you become more aware of your infirmities. If you are sensible you will take that into account when you drive. It’s not just for your benefit, it’s for the people who are driving or who are travelling around you.

Things like sight, strength, hand eye coordination, reaction times are all important. You must notify the relevant authorities if there is something wrong with you.

There are many places I would have happily visited until recently, but I’m nervous of travelling any distance without someone alongside me. I will continue to take care and drive carefully and not put anyone else at risk.

Wire fairy

Posted on April 21, 2024 Posted in Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Black and white drawing, Fairy, Garden, imp, Memories, Sketching, Trentham Gardens, Wire weaving4 Comments

Wire fairy I made 4 years ago and a sketch of it. I enjoyed making it although I would say it’s not as delicate as the ones I’ve seen at Trentham Gardens in Stoke on Trent, England, where there are some lovely examples. In fact looking at it again I’d call it an Imp, not a fairy!

It resides somewhere in my garden, probably overgrown by the laurel bush that is overwhelming the bottom of the garden.

Fall asleep

Posted on April 21, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1915, Dream, Insomnia, Nightmare, Poem, Poetry, Rest, Time, Tired5 Comments

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

I don’t sleep well at night

But after a demanding day?

I fall asleep in the chair

I close my eyes and hours

Days? Go by…

Sleep is a benefit and a curse

Memories and dreams

Nightmares and revelations

Thoughts and fears

After that I go to bed

Insomnia hits like a brick

And I lie awake for hours.

Old drawings

Posted on April 21, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Illness, Life, nurse, Parkinsons disease, prognosis, Sketching, tests, Time, Waiting2 Comments

Years ago I could draw well and u think I had good skills but now? The real thing I regret about having Parkinsons disease is that my manual dexterity and hand eye coordination are getting worse. I don’t know what the prognosis is but the Parkinsons nurse I spoke to at my last appointment told me that the tablets I am taking do not necessarily calm down the, shaking and tremors I’m experiencing. I thank the Internet for spellchecker because I don’t know if my writing would be OK without it. I can still draw but it takes time and at least I can digitally erase my mistakes. If I draw normally the shakes on my left side mean the sketchbook I’m using jerks around all over the place. So it’s easier to use an easle. My right hand is a bit more controlled if I concentrate hard. But Art is my whole life, if I can’t do it what will I do? I must learn to adapt, take the treatment I am given and hope. But there are other health problems I’m facing. I just have to have more tests…

Happiness?

Posted on April 21, 2024 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Anxiety, Black and white cat, Cat, Feeling down, happiness, kitten photo, Loss, Memory, Sadness, Time2 Comments

Looking at these kittens from 7 years ago cheers me up. The sun is shining, there is a nice film on the TV. But I really feel down and anxious. I want to talk to someone, but everyone has their own lives to lead and I don’t want to bother them. I could ring up but my phone is on the blink. I talk but the person at the other end can’t hear me although I can hear them. I feel like it’s a metaphor (is that the right word?) for my life, frustrated and worried. Will things ever be good again? Will I find a modicum of happiness? I don’t know.