Warm Arctic?

Posted on February 26, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged arguments, Flat earth, global warming, Globe, Life, north pole, South Pole, Summer, Time, Weather, WinterLeave a comment

I just read a post from a flat earther on a flat earth page asking why people can stand outside in the sunshine with just a tee shirt or hoodie on? I tried to answer.

Arctic and Antarctic summers happen at opposite ends of the year. In the North it’s around June/July and in the South it’s December /January. In the summers the temperature can rise well above zero, because in the summer months the sun doesn’t set (in the winter months it stays dark for several weeks), hence, yes people can wear hoodies and tee shirts. It’s getting warmer because of global warming and it means sea ice takes longer to form. In addition the temperature rises at the poles are happening more strongly than at other parts of the globe.

I hope this makes sense.

Spied (#bandofsketchers prompt)

Posted on February 25, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Dragons eye, Drawing, Felt pens, Fun, Life, Prompt, SketchingLeave a comment

Another #bandofsketchers prompt, spied, I’m way behind, this was set about 5 weeks ago! I’ve not wanted to do these for a while perhaps I’m feeling a little better?

#bandofsketchers prompt crow

Posted on February 25, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Cartoon, Crow, Drawing, Felt pens, Funny, Late, Legs, SketchingLeave a comment

I’m miles being doing sketching prompts and this is five weeks late!

The #bandofsketchers prompt was crow, i drew a cartoon crow today. It’s asking why it’s legs are short. It’s because I drew the rest of it too big!

Writing group

Posted on February 25, 2025 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Creative, Design, Iife, off cuts, Paper, Pareidolia, prompts, rorschach, Words, WritingLeave a comment

I joined a small writing group today. There will be writing prompts which I might post here. Like a pile of off cuts on a table, I think I need to put the bits of paper together to create a coherent image. It is like seeing a Rorschach test and being able to tell a narrative based on those ink blots. I might try and see what else I can do with this? I can see faces and a bird and animals in this image. Pareidolia again.

Celtic cat, an old painting

Posted on February 25, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Cat, Celtic knotwork, Design, Fine Art, Memories, my history, Oil on canvas, Old painting, PaintingLeave a comment

When I finished college I still loved Celtic art so I tried very hard to create a Celtic cat including Celtic knotwork. This was really difficult to do.

I was pleased with the work and glad I did it. I don’t do such complicated things these days. Very difficult to follow the rules of knotwork so that the overlapping patterns need to follow. Oil on canvas think.

Tub of pencil crayons..

Posted on February 25, 2025February 25, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged B'arts, Burslem, Meeting, molly leigh, Opera, Planning, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, WikipediaLeave a comment

I went to an event planning meeting today at BArts in Stoke. It’s going to be an opera based on the witch (wise woman) from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, who was alive in the 17th and 18th centuries. She was buried at 90 degrees to the normal North South orientation.

From Wikipedia :

Margaret ‘Molly’ Leigh (1685–March 1748) was an English property owner in the Staffordshire town of Burslem who, in her will, left substantial sums to charity. She was also accused of witchcraft, and, after her death, her grave was disturbed following claims she was haunting the town.

We had a singing session based on some of her life and the treatment she received from her neighbours. We were also invited to create some art based on her life. (hence the tub of pencil crayons. The opera is due to be put on later this summer.

Purrs paws claws

Posted on February 24, 2025 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Claws, Food, Fun, Happy cats, head butt, Paws, Purrs, Staring, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

Cat paw on my hand, he likes saying hello. Hello in the morning, when he comes up to me, assumes the “staring” position and waits to be fed! Then sometimes he will reach out with his paw to greet me. My other two don’t do that. One sharpens her claws on my leg, pulling holes in my leggings, the third likes to head butt my hand in greeting. Sweet.

Cat on a step

Posted on February 23, 2025 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Blank verse, Cat, Danger, Grey, Poem, Poetry, Relief, Stairs, Tuxedo cat, white bandLeave a comment

Going downstairs?

Mind the cat!

Black on dark grey

Only a band of white

Saves me from standing on him

He sleeps on one side

Of a step

Leaving the other half

For my feet.

He doesn’t want to move

Only shifting

Reluctantly.

Each morning I get

safely downstairs

I feel relieved

Thumb painting?

Posted on February 22, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic, detergent, dried, Fine Art, Oil, Oil paint, Paint, Painting, stains, Thumb, turpentine2 Comments

Squeezing a tube of paint for today’s picture and the top of the tube was blocked. I tried to gouge the piece of card stuck to it and paint squirted out all over my hand! I cleaned most of it off but then thought it would be interesting to take picture of my thumb….

It’s an occupational hazard, that and getting paint on my clothes too. I managed to get blue paint on my top. Most of the paint I use is waterbased, like acrylic, but if you don’t wash it off quickly it can dry and form a skin of plastic on your clothes. In the case of oil paints, they stay wet for longer and can be cleaned by wiping off the excess with a cloth or paper towel, then using synthetic turpentine to dissolve the oil paint and wash it out with detergent.

Seascape

Posted on February 22, 2025February 22, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, art workshop, Emulsion, Fine Art, Ink, Jo Watson, Landscape, Painting, Palette knife, Seascape, Sky, WorkshopLeave a comment

Painting of a seascape done at a Jo Watson workshop. It’s not finished but I ran out of time. The top photo was taken in bright sunshine, the second at home in a darker space. Interesting how the second one has warmer tones, but it’s exactly the same painting. I went a bit Bob Ross, but I’m after more of a Turner feeling. Acrylic, ink, emulsion on canvas. Using brushes, palette knife and scraper card. Although I might have added orange later.?