Struck

Digital drawing. Playing with the idea of being struck by lightning.

I used a sketch app with various pens. In this case I had to overlay different pen tools like a sparkler pen or a crackleur one. They gave too much texture so I tried smudging the marks, giving an out of focus look, then building up again with the crackling surface and then using a black spray can pen to take out some of the marks. I posted this on Instagram, but used the clarendon edit on that which gave the image a slightly blue tinge. I’ve posted both versions so you can see the slight difference that makes.

Art lunch.

I still feel ill but I was pleased to go to the Art Lunch held at the Etruria Warehouse today.

A lovely lunch was organised by my friend Chris, with mostly vegetarian options. One thing that was really unusual was beetroot hummus. This was made with boiled beetroot and potato with walnuts, all whizzed together with garlic and a bit of vinegar. You could use lemon juice instead.

Sitting in the sun listening to musicians, with a beautiful lunch. Lots of cups of tea. Birthday cake because a friend is due to celebrate his birthday. Plus drawing some of the people who came. It was great fun. Both of us have come home exhausted but I’m glad we went.

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Flowers

The hanging baskets were fine last week but when we came home two of them were upside down on the ground. The screw they had been hung on had given way under their weight and with heavy rain they had collapsed down onto the ground. Now they are hanging forlornly lower down the fence. They might grow and recover. I’m feeding them and watering them. Anyway the photos are of the growth of the other ones. Some are doing better than others. I really need to dead head them (take off dead flowers). It will have to wait till I feel better.

Here’s some patterns I did from them…

Life drawing

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One thing I’ve missed this year is life drawing, but I’ve been too busy to go to my usual group and things were just happening at the same time. So I’m looking to go to another group perhaps.

This painting was done in watercolour  several years ago. I’d been doing life classes and decided to exhibit some of them at Burslem School of Art before it was taken over.

I felt really please with the interest in the show and was amazed when one person wanted to buy 10 of them. Other people also wanted the same pictures but we decided the person wanting so many of them could have them. But at the end of the exhibition it turned out he didn’t have the money to pay. I was so disappointed and felt very let down.

Life has a tendency to do things like that. You just have to roll with it.

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Tidying up

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My world is full of stuff

it’s mainly layers of paper.

Carefully stored in piles.

I might use that photo as an inspitation,

For a painting or a drawing,

I might need that statement,

I might read that book

Eventually.

But piles of stuff turn into columns,

Columns start to tower over you.

Idea. ” I’ll tidy up”.

Trouble is you have to deconstruct.

Build new towers to winnow out stuff.

So,

Some stuff to burn or shred,

Some stuff to give to charity,

Some stuff to read,

Some stuff to pile back up,

till I find space on a bookshelf……  

I’ll just go and lie down in a darkened room. 

Old watercolour

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Painted a few years ago at Bovisand Lodge, near Plymouth. The tree is really old and at the back of the carpark. I painted it in situ. I think I must have sold this one a couple of years ago as I can’t remember where it went. I quite like trying to use strong colours in watercolour. It’s more interesting than building up pale layers.

Annoyed

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Long day, some nice people came in and saw the exhibition. Then as we were thinking if packing up a man came in and said something along the lines of “this isn’t the sort if exhibition I was expecting” and walked back out. It felt rude. Dismissive, inconsiderate. I didn’t know what to say, perhaps I should have challenged him? Maybe he wanted to see sculptures, or abstract pictures? He might have wanted to see digital photos of canal boats? But it does say art exhibition. Then you get the fear that it’s not good enough. Not fine enough. Not special enough. But I it a lot of love and effort into what I do. It’s my art. I don’t want to do something like anyone else.

So I’m peeved, I feel annoyed, dismissed. Maybe I’m being thin skinned. It’s partly that, and partly because I got £40 out of the bank this morning so I could get us lunch and also buy Richard a book about trains. But somewhere between the cashpoint and the car, or the car and the museum, I lost it. I tried going through my bag and cleared all the old receipts out of it. No sign, I rang the lace I got the money from. No joy. I looked in the car. Again no. So. Deep breath. I must ut it behind me as an annoying day. Tomorrow is another day. Life is like that….

A little exhibition

I’m at Etruria in Stoke-on-Trent today, at the warehouse along the Trent and Mersey canal from the Etruria industrial museum. It’s at the point where two canals meet. The Trent and Mersey and the Cauldon canal.

If you want to find me I’m next to summit lock 40 of the Trent and Mersey. To get in you either have to walk up a steep cobbled surface then walk down some steps, or walk through a work yard which is currently partially blocked by two big palettes of coal. We are not well signposted. I might try and rectify that!