New paintings and regular art updates.
They were queueing up to see me today. Poddling (kneeding) my knee. I am so glad they tolerate each other. Black and white filter for black and white cats. You can’t tell but the cat on the right is twice as big as the one on the left. But he’s no bully. He does go outside more than the smaller on. But today peace rained. Then later our girl cat came up and poddled too. Good day x
A few days ago there was a news story about a museum that gave children crayons and paper when they visited. Unfortunately one of the children used a blue crayon to scribble all over an old sculpture. I was drawing a female head and shoulders and it suddenly struck me that it looked a bit like the statue. I added lines, and it seemed even more like the scribbled statue. Strange what your mind takes you.
I must be parsimonius
The door stays locked
Money is a great big fuss
Payments will be stopped.
My purse is not bottomless
The moths are growing big
The dust in there is limitless
While fuel bills they still rig
The cost of living crisis
Has got us by the throat
Money goes by osmosis
Out of a sinking boat!
So now I will spend less
Cutting my money cloth
Mcawber rules I will address
No cash now for froth!
Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.
Almost all of our cats have been strays or rescue cats. Starting with an old ginger cat whose owner no longer wanted him. I was at the vets with my friend and her kittens. We saw this straggly, ginger long haired cat, he was thin as a rake and it’s owner who was an elderly lady, could no longer care for him. We asked if we could take him in and she signed him over to us. He was quite old but he lived another couple of years with us. He used to walk along the wall between us and the house next door. He knew when I was coming home and came and greeted me. One thing I always do is teach my cats to come when I whistle them. I have never regretted the risk of taking our first cat in, and now after many years of cat ownership I still feel the same way.
By the splodges on their paws, I could play cat dominoes. I couldn’t do it physically, but my cats have blobs and spots so you could line up photos of them so you get two next to two and three next to three. It’s a silly idea I know, but they have sweet markings. I think black and white cats really are my favourite. Nothing posh. Just Jellicals cats.. A poem by TS Elliott, about cats coming out to play….
For years I painted the scenery for the Penkhull Mystery plays. This one was about the river Trent starting near Stoke on Trent and travelling towards Hull. Each year I would do one or two large sections of painting. The show would start rehearsals in March? And be on in July for one day only on the village green. I miss those days. The excitement as we prepared and made things. Brilliantly directed by Greg Stevens. And organised by him and Kate Barfield. It had everything. Music, acting, tragedy, comedy. Plus morris and molly dancing, a bower of song, a Maypole dance, eukelali players and choirs. I don’t suppose we will do it again?
Thanks to my friend Tim for the photo.
Watching a TV programme about red beaked choughs. The presenter Jim Moir is painting one in watercolours. I found a watercolour style brush in the Artrage app and did a few layers. It’s made up because I was too busy struggling with this to watch what they actually look like! Also hard to erase where the pens have bled out too much.
Youth to age
All one thing
Sliding and slipping
Entwined spirits
Damage and youth
Smooth then wrinkled
The bath of life at work
My hands are aged
Twitching, throbbing
Trigger finger hurts.
But keep drawing
Never give up
Never!
Tuesdays #bandofsketchers prompt was World. A world.. Jupiter. From micro molecules last time to a macro planet x another felt pen drawing. It’s hard to get subtlety with felts, I tried dampening them with a little bit of water.
Eight years ago I painted this. I based it on a broken terracotta wall plaque that I’d had on the wall outside but I think the frost split it. It sort of reminds me of the green man theme and I think I actually bought it in a green man shop in Pickering in Yorkshire….. It was an acrylic on canvas and I guess I must have sold it as I haven’t seen it for years? You can get inspiration from all sorts of places if you look.
Mallaband-Brown