
Funny photo
Another day of lockdown.
Trying to look cool
Keeping safe
He is funny
He makes me laugh.
He is mine
After forty years.
New paintings and regular art updates.

Funny photo
Another day of lockdown.
Trying to look cool
Keeping safe
He is funny
He makes me laugh.
He is mine
After forty years.

What to do with our art group? The other one I’m part of is doing a Cezanne project based on a still life. Each of us chooses a square (1 of 9) So I wondered if we could do the same in the other group? But we have decided to do hexagons and include our own ideas inside them. I’m looking forward to what people create. Then I will have to stitch them together, maybe in photoshop.
Doing art in lockdown has ket my mind on track. Being in groups of artists challenges me to do different things. It helps my practice, and helps me learn.

I don’t know how it happened. I just mumble on here and sometimes people like what I say.
Maybe I should assess how I write things. I’m sure my grammar isn’t correct. How is it that people are following this? I don’t think I’m particularly profound. I have some strong feelings, that people should be treated fairly and equally.
I talk about my art and how I create it. I’m not pushing sales of my paintings. If someone is interested they can get in touch. I like talking about science and nature and the environment. I try and keep informed but I’m not an expert.
What else? I’m getting older and hope I can use my experiences to help people if I can.
I really like trying to write poetry. I wrote something called ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’ a comic poem about my experiences of using a self checkout at the supermarket. That was my first poem here a couple of years ago and it kickstarted my writing.
I occasionally write short stories here. I tried writing to photo prompts but I struggled with keeping to the image. I also write short, five word, challenges where you have to include a word, FOOL for instance. Also the challenge of writing limericks, working out how to rhyme things.
I also love sharing my art. Lots of funny little pictures, or murals, or acrylics on canvas or even urban sketchers and other art groups that I’m interested in. I do a lot of digital stuff and I’m on a college course on illustration.
So thank you for following me. I can’t promise to be interesting and exciting all the time. I think I’m learning to write and blog, and your help is much appreciated.
X
Oh why can’t I cut your hair? It is curly and long, unruly and greying. It brushes your shoulders, grows out of your ears and nose. Could be used by birds for nesting material or as a pan scourer.
I could sneak up on you with some scissors whilst you sleep and might get half your head done. But then I would have to nudge you to turn over and risk waking you up. So you would have to remain half shorn till the next night.
Then each day you look more like Einstein, but you are a proper professorial person. Pottering round the potteries. Perambulating pointedly with your apparent perm… Oops got a bit carried away!
So like Sampson you hair stays uncut… Till later
tonight…
I painted a dog today. 
The colours are a bit out in this picture. It’s nose isn’t that red. I might change it to tone it down a bit. It looks like it’s owned by a clown! I wanted to paint a dog because I’m always drawing and paintings cats, so it makes a change. I’m not sure if I should look at a picture of a red setter. This is from an old black and white photo that I found in a book. So the colours are made up… I haven’t used it here because it might be copyright.
Another acrylic on canvas, for the craft stall on Saturday.
X

Hard to copy, this is a small acrylic on canvas, based on the Japanese artist Hokusai’s picture of a massive wave seemingly threatening mount Fuji and boats fighting the turmoil of the water.
How does he draw that wave? Finger like curves protrude from the water, white wavelets curve all in one direction. The water becomes a threatening mountain about to collapse. The height of the wave threatens not only the people in the boats, but it even dwarfs Mount Fuji itself.
When did he draw and paint it? He was a famous artist I think for a long time. We’re there other pictures and sea in his career? I think there were.
The image is so well recognised. Type in 🌊 wave on your phone and you get an icon which seems to symbolise Hokusai’s wave and mimics it.
How do you analyse such amazing work. How can you understand it. He makes me wish I could copy his style.

I’m not quite sure what sort of lobster it is? Maybe a blue kneed one? Acrylic on canvas. Will try and finish it tomorrow.
I was talking to someone months ago and discussed painting a lobster. But this is just a small canvas, a bit of fun. Seeing if I can capture a crustacean in acrylics. It belongs to the same family as crabs and scorpions I think?
X

I’ve just downloaded a trial of Corel Painter Essentials 7
In English I mean I have downloaded a drawing package onto my computer. I hope it will be easy to use, I have got to explore it. What I ended up with after five minutes of playing is like a cave painting! so I guess that’s appropriate as I’m learning.
There are lots of things you can set on it, various AI things (artificial intelligence) like an AI Van Gogh. But I haven’t sussed out how to use them, I clicked on the buttons but wouldn’t say that I could see any difference to the mark making.
Later I’m going to read “Where the Wild Things are” by Maurice Sendak (if that’s how its spelled). Its a book I read in my childhood and I am interested in using it as part of a case study for my course, what fun!
X

We were friends, twenty years ago, me and her, inseparable. I painted us together, and remember her with fondness. She was so bright. She understood me. She pounced when I threw a ball for her. Jumped when I tapped the wall outside. Purred so happily. She was my soul mate.
This weekend two friends lost their cats to illness. It reminded me of how felines can be so loving. They may sometimes be aloof, but a glance of joy from there eyes is enough to entrance you. Cats are bright, sneaky and sharp.
Never underestimate a cat.
X