Anyone see a face?

Pink profile?

A fellow blogger mentioned Pareidolia today because he noticed he could see a face in a piece of lichen. Of course I then had to look back over my recent photos to see if I could find anything that looked like a face?

I’m one of those people that see faces in everything. I had to get rid of my shower curtain as I could see five or six bubble faces in it which was quite disturbing! I wondered if the designer had done it deliberately!

When I was a child I would often lie on the grass and looked up at cloud faces and animals, elephants chasing camels across the sky….

I might write a poem about that….

Negotiations for paintings

Mother

I’ve recently been commissioned to do a large family portrait for a friend of a friend, but I’m concerned about what they want to pay for it? They also sent me a great many photos in different conditions with lots of different groups of people on them. The problem is I can’t make a coherent image or composition using them.

I replied ‘That’s twelve portraits for £50?, it would have to be a small painting or a watercolour. Please can you choose the best photos that I can work from. I will do it but it will take a while. Possibly a couple of hours per portrait which works out at a cost of £4 per portrait or £2 per hour. I would normally charge £50 (normally £60) for one portrait, but I understand you might not be able to afford any more and I don’t want to ask too much. I want to do a good job for you and as you have already got a couple of my paintings I will consider only asking for a small amount for the painting. But please can you choose the twelve images you prefer as then I won’t get it wrong. “

I want to paint for people, but I don’t think they realise the work that goes into things. I would Never overcharge, but on the other hand I’d like to be paid at least the minimum wage for it!

How would you respond? Should I have questioned the request or refused it?

Note * I’m now just doing a very small painting, but I do wish people understood how hard it is to paint something like this, it’s not a snap!

Today’s #bandofsketchers sketch

Today’s prompt for #bandofsketchers was a drawing of a body part, so I chose to draw my hand, drawing the sketch! I’ve seen other drawings where a person has drawn their hand and a sketch pad balanced on their crossed legs. Adding the shadow of my pen and my hand on the sketchbook to try and indicate this is a sketch, also not completing the line at the base of the box. When I do a sketch like this I have to try and think logically about how it works, what it’s meant to indicate and whether I need to include all the details or if I can leave some more sketchy.

Autumn patterns

Doing my usual trick of multiplying photos makes these abstract patterns. I love the spectacular autumn colours. Ot as brash and gaudy as the trees over in the USA. I like the subtlety of our trees. Perhaps we don’t have the right climate conditions to bring out very bright colours except in Acers, or maybe we have different trees? Anyway I hope you enjoy these fun patterns.

Turn over club

The back stamp on the bottom of pottery can identify where it was made, it’s country of origin, and sometimes indicate what it’s worth, although sometimes people fake the marks to try and con people thinking a cheap teacup or vase is worth more, sometimes a lot more, than it actually is.

This happens in pottery manufacture across the globe. A Ming dynasty vase might have been made last week, a Delpht plate might have been made somewhere in Britain..

The thing is an inanimate lump of clay can be transformed into something delicately shaped and beautifully glazed or enamelled. People want to know it they are looking at a Clarice Cliff or a Susie Cooper. That’s part of the reason they look. But also if you live in a pottery manufacturing town you want to tell the difference between them. And the turn over can be enlightening!