Since todays prompt is beautiful I decided to draw a beautiful view of the Ukraine. So sad about what is happening. Felt pen drawing, #bandofsketchers. I love the mist coming down over the hills obscuring the pine trees.
Beautiful
Madness from Russia
🇷🇺
It’s happened. Russia is invading Ukraine. Why? President Putin seems to have become angry with Ukraine getting on with life and decided to try and take it back into a new sort of Soviet Union. However he tries to justify it, it does seem like madness. His troops have even taken over the old chernobil nuclear power station that blew up disastrously (in the 1980’s I think?). Why? If they shell that it could spread nuclear waste across Europe, Ukraine, but also Russia. Why be so mad? Why try and hurt people.
Russia and the West could get on, we could discuss things sensibly, but children, adults, older people are being hurt and killed. Why? What right has one man got to hurt and maim and kill people in a country that he does not control. Perhaps this is more notable to Europeans as it is happening on European soil. It says bad things about us that we neglect what happens in other parts of the World. We leave places to their fate like Syria and Afghanistan. We don’t understand the internal politics and the problems between different factions. How can we deal with anything if we don’t understand. Russias preemptive strikes are frightening and baffling.
Rusty bars
I played with a photo of our old police station. I duplicated it four times and drew over the lines of metal mesh fencing and turned it into abstract metal bars. The foliage is meant to represent spring and new growth. I like the colour combinations. One day I will try and do some designs to add to bags and tee shirts and duvet covers. I’m a bit nervous of doing that. I don’t have enough knowledge to choose the right site to work with.
Spicy salmon and pasta
I decided to cook some salmon and I usually use a tomato pasta sauce and cook fuselli pasta. This time I made my own sauce from scratch. I don’t know if its the right thing because I’m not a chef, I just cook.
Recipe (serves two)
Two salmon fillets
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 large flat mushroom
A handful of green olives, de-stoned
Half a tin of tomatoes
Olive oil
Half a teaspoon of lazy chilli
Dried Basil.
Method (how I did it)
Crush the garlic cloves and fry gently in the olive oil (other oils could be used)
Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta
Once the garlic is softened I placed the salmon skin side down in the pan. You can skin it first if you don’t like it.
Chop the olives into small pieces and add to the frying pan with the chilli.
If the saucepan of water is boiling add the pasta (a couple of handfuls) and lower to a fast simmer.
Slice the mushroom in thin pieces and add to the frying pan. Make sure all the pieces of veg and salmon are turned frequently so they don’t burn and stick on the pan.
Add half a tin of peeled plum tomatoes or chopped tomatoes.
Sprinkle in some basil to taste (not too much).
Then get some fresh cherry tomatoes and add them to the pan. Turning all the ingredients and cooking long enough to soften the fresh tomatoes. The salmon should be cooked through but not overcooked.
Drain the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste (I didn’t bother) I like my pasta slightly Al dente (a bit chewy).
Serve the Salmon/sauce mix on top of the pasta.
I hope it’s nice, spicy and edible?
Cat pays rent!
Our outdoor, now indoor boy cat (seen sleeping here) seems to think he’s obliged to pay rent for staying here! It is quite upsetting when he brings small rodents like shrews and mice in. Sometimes we manage to rescue them. I hate it when he has a mouse moustache! I’m trying to teach him not to do it, but mostly I shout and tell him off and he looks bewildered (and bewhiskered).
Last night was mad. The mouse he bought in escaped into the bathroom but we managed to get it out by shutting our three cats in the kitchen and opening the back door. Since the bathroom is downstairs it was just a short run out for the mouse. The cats were contented with some cat food and we breathed a sigh of relief. I hope it doesn’t happen again soon!
Race to me
Run to me
Race across the fields
Rush like the wind
Raise dust with your hooves.
Gallop fast
Gather your strength
Give your heart to the world
Gentle and strong.
Fly like a bird
Full of excitement
From steepest of mountains
Farthest shores.
Horse, men call you
Held in esteem
Highest quality of beauty
Happy to see you.
Memories of panto
Some of my scenery painting from a couple of years ago. I had to paint the backgrounds but also one of the stars of the show climbs into a mangle (that squashes clothes to get the water out) and he comes out flattened, a bit like a Tom and Jerry cartoon. I also painted the back of him on the other side so if it came out wrong way round it would also work. Behind me and the actors portrait is a bit of my scenery. It shows an old market or bazaar where Widow Twankey has a stall. If I can I’d like to try and do the same again if my arm and shoulder improves.
Diversion
Tuesdays #bandofsketchers prompt was diversion. This is a totally digital drawing using tools like flower and leaf stamps in the ‘Sketch’ app on my phone. It also has a pixel pen and a ruler that allows you to draw straight lines. I added some crackles and shadows to make it feel like something that has been there for ages. I call it ‘Round the houses’. Or ‘a long way round’!
What should I post?
Am I getting boring? A bit of art and sketching, some poetry, stories about cats.
Sketching, drawing, painting. What more things should I try? More short stories. I suddenly find my stats have dipped. Is it the weather, the time of year. The threat of war in Ukraine. I can’t imagine how that will pan out.
I’m looking forward to a supernova that they have said may flare up soon. I’m strangely enthusiastic about space and science. I’m really more interested in stars not stats. Does that make me boring? Too many questions. No answers
Farewell
This was our local police station, now its being knocked down! What a waste of resources. No doubt they will build a block of apartments. Our city used to have about seven police stations including a headquarters. Police could get to crime scenes or incidents quickly. Now they are miles away. A few years ago the government removed twenty thousand police jobs. Suddenly they decided they wanted to recruit twenty thousand again. Where do they go? What a strange situation. Its a bit like getting rid of all restrictions for Covid which the government are currently doing. Will they, after a few months, have to bring them back again. I wonder how much money they are wasting and how many lives they might devastate by removing the police and relaxing the rules?
Mallaband-Brown 