Simple swirls and spirals
Helical, spring like,
Layered pattern,
A tornado or galaxy
Hurricane or sink outlet?
Spiralling out of control.
An intricate web has been spun.
Whirlpool spins and tugs
Ties you in knots.
Spiralling
Still swollen
I’m fed up. My leg and foot are still swollen so the nurse is getting me compression stockings! When will my leg get better. Today they changed the dressing again, it’s still weeping slightly. I’m keeping my feet raised but it’s not comfortable. So yes, I’m a bit peevish.
Train
Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt was train. Train design, didn’t look at an image, just channelling a screen print idea. The Green light is on the front of an American style train with a snow plow sort of thing. Obviously based on steam trains. Maybe in a transport museum? Artrage app drawing.
Style-eye
Artrage doodle of an eye and nose, just playing with colour and line thicknesses. I liked the combination of yellow, beige and green and brown. I wanted it to look like a lino cut print. I used different pens to create the image.
Friendship paw
Morning all, I just woke up and my cat decided to say hello. He puts his paw out to greet me and I stroke it, he is very sweet, it’s almost turned into a ritual as I’m still sleeping on the settee which I think he sees as his territory. I might go back to sleep, I woke up cold and shivering in the night, the temperature is definitely becoming autumnal.
Ancient civilizations
Which topics would you like to be more informed about?
I recently did a course in illustration and one of the modules was to do in depth research into a subject of our choice. I chose dragons.
I was aware of Chinese imperial dragons, and Japanese dragons, as well as western European ones. But I had no idea about the complexity of the subject. For instance how many wings they had (if at all), how many legs or toes? Whether they were good or evil. So much to know.
Then I found out about other civilizations, Australia, various African countries, ancient Greece and Rome, North and South America, each had versions of dragons (also called great snakes), The Australian one for instance was a snake that seemed to link rivers and water holes. The American ones might have been linked to dinosaur bones. How would they know they were fossils and not recently deceased? It was fascinating.
But that’s when I realised I know only very little about ancient civilizations. And watching I Claudius on television recently, I understand I know virtually nothing about the Romans, let alone the Celts, ancient Chinese, Vikings, and so many peoples from across the whole world.
I know I cannot gain an encyclopedic knowledge, but I want to learn more. I’m interested in finding out.
Quizzical
What’s happening? She thought. A noise murmured in the night, voices whispering, almost below the level of hearing. Then… A tapping noise, but quietly, hidden.
In the morning, on the little footstool, a small pair of red shoes, deftly tacked together, leather and small nails and stitching. Where had they come from…?
That night she tried to stay awake, ears straining. She let her eyes get used to the dark. She saw, a tiny old man, an elf? sitting on the footstool. There was a shoe last in front of him. He was expertly turning blue leather around the last. In a few minutes a new left shoe was finished. It shone like sky blue. He laid it down and created a second shoe, righthanded, crystal blue as was the first.
The girl sat back, she was entranced, impressed by the skill of the tiny fairie. She fell asleep in wonderment and amazement. In the morning the blue shoes sat proudly on the footstool, a label pinned to them. ‘for Lucy, with love, we shall not visit again’. She never wore the shoes.
Mug design
Badly drawn mug with a photo superimposed on it. I was just trying out the idea of what would work on a mug. I’m sure there are templates so you can see how things would work, but I don’t know which application is the best to choose? I think spoonflower and red bubble have them but I don’t know of there is a charge to use them. The pattern is a collage of a photo of my crocheted blanket, it was square so I had to draw curves so the top and bottom fitted into the shape. It might work?
Bedtime
Where do I sleep? I still can’t get upstairs. I guess I move the cats or sleep upright at the other end of the settee! I’m a big softy and I don’t like pushing them about. They have never slept together before. Their sister is upstairs but will probably sleep on the cat tree. Goodnight
Music?
What would your life be like without music?
To be perfectly honest I don’t really listen to much music. I have not been to many concerts or watch much on TV or radio.
If there are quiz questions on TV I can sometimes get answers about classical music, but I’m useless at pop music bands or songs. I don’t know why, it just doesn’t engage my brain. I know the music from my youth, I could even name some of the groups, Ultravox, Blondie, Elvis Costello. They are linked to me becoming an adult, but after that there are very rare songs or music that stir me. Maybe Bowie, or the band Queen. After that, grunge, hip hop, garage, trance? They are all just noise.
I will listen to Desert Island Discs to hear the choice of eight records a celebrity would take with them if they were marooned on an island, but that’s more about finding out what they are like rather than the music itself.
I get irritated with loud background music on TV and radio. Sometimes it’s really distracting.
I would say I have an eclectic taste in music, just not a strong taste. But the fact that I love singing, that I love being in a choir, does mean that music has somehow got a hold on me!
Mallaband-Brown 