Taking in cats

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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.

Cat dominoes

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The cats make me laugh

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….

Scenery

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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.

Chuffed with a Chough

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Artrage app drawing

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.

Sea face

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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.

Art competition

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Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?

So many times I have missed deadlines for art competitions. I somehow freeze and lose confidence.

I think it stems from a college tutor who told me I would do badly and not get a good degree. I believed him and when I was successful I still questioned my validity. I come from a working class home and I didn’t have the self confidence to dismiss his opinion. I took three years to get over it and forever after I have felt some degree of imposter syndrome. I was once asked as l local artist to judge an art competition. It was so hard, I didn’t know what to do, whether I would disappoint people. The result was announced and I think people were pleased with my choice, but I felt great guilt!

It’s hard to think that those few words my tutor spoke forty years ago, sank deep into my heart. What would I be doing if I hadn’t listened to his poisoned words. I wish I knew then what I do now.

Face sketch

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Artrage sketch

Used as many tools as I could on the Artrage app to sketch this. It could be a design for a stained glass window design. I tried to make it look mediaeval. I wanted it to look translucent. Using different textures. I tried to keep the colours to the blue, green and purple side of the spectrum. I like using lines for this image. Blue eyes.