New paintings and regular art updates.
Today’s challenge, draw an exercise you are doing to stay healthy. I coukd have added my feet at the top, but I was being realistic (in both the descriptive and actual) definitions of the word, I just drew the stairs. I guess this is a physical as well as artistic challenge.
Sitting on my bottom all day is not doing my health any good. Off to walk up and down ten times
X
It’s a Hoax…. 
My friend sent me this and when I questioned it, she checked and confirmed its a hoax.
I didn’t want to say that to her, but I’ve had this as a voice recording, and also purporting to be from the NHS over the last few days. People want to help. But if they are hoaxed into sending misinformation or completely wrong stuff then it’s not fair on them. They are only trying to help.
She wanted me to stay safe, and I appreciated that. But we need to be careful not to send misinformation. If people get a false sense of security it means more lives will be put at risk.
Stay safe, fact check
Sending love.
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Just wrote to my MP because this happened today….
Dear………. MP
I just had a man knock on the door, he’d spoken to my husband last week, he had nothing, we gave him a bit of money and some bread and cheese. I asked him if he had spoken to the council homeless team. He said they just come out with a flask with a lukewarm drink and a few protein bars. He can’t easily eat them as he has no teeth. He used to run a business but had to sell it. He’s living in a tent by the river. (all this was discussed at a distance well over six foot).
Is there anything that can be done for him. All I know is his name is ……. and he is in his fifties by the look of it.
Yours Sincerely
……………..
What is going on. How have we come to this. I think he would have knocked on the door even without what is going on now. People should not be in this situation.
Stay safe and sheltered.
X
Sent from my Xperia by Sony smartphone
Just had an email from the Dorothy Clive Garden, explaining that they are closing due to government advice.
It’s a lovely place on the border with Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire. It is a magical garden on a steep slope. If you get a chance when things have calmed down do go.
This is what I wrote back to them…
We visit to come and see the wonderful rhododendrons in the quarry garden every year, and have been enjoying watching the ecology section being created. Then the rest of it is just wonderful when it’s in full bloom. I love sitting outside the cafe and drawing the view, or walking down the steep slope towards the pond. Watching goldfish as they quietly go about their lives under the surface.
Ive been visiting over several years. When I was fit I used to cycle over with my husband.
I have a very overgrown small garden with lots of trees, but we have some amazing geraniums that have spread everywhere. We got them from you a few years ago.
Hoping for a speedy resolution to the current situation.
Sincerely
A couple of my friends own restaurants, and now the government has told them to close they are only allowed to do takeaway meals. I feel like I will be buying a takeaway each week to try and help keep them going. With food short in the shops it may be the only way to get something interesting to eat. Yes I can live on vegetables and salads, but it’s nice to have a bit of variety, especially if its well cooked. I mean there is only so much binge watching you can do.
Then exercise. I might drive out to Cannock chase tomorrow for a walk. Somewhere quiet and away from people.
When your cupboards are full,
with tins overflowing,
think of the poor,
who can’t buy their food.
Profiteering raises,
the price of their goods,
people are buying
ten times their needs.
Stop being selfish, or frightened,
or stupid,
care for your fellows
and show empathy.
The world is full of bored people. One of the things to do that was posted on Facebook is to close your eyes and choose a book at random. Find page 109 go to the third paragraph and post the first sentence you come to. Also include the author and book title.
Mine was : The radar maps show features of all kinds. (Patrick Moore’s Astronomy), ( teach yourself book)
isbn 978-1-444-10313-7
It’s random, but something to do…..
Urban Sketchers Stoke-on-Trent is doing a thirty day challenge. Today is day three and the challenge is ‘household chore’ this is my sweeping brush as my hoover is bust.
Pencil in a Daler Rowney ‘simply’ sketchbook.
In other thoughts I’m trying to think of things to do. So far I’ve got as far as spending half the day looking at social media. I think a lot of people will be suffering from vitamin D deficiency and will look like they have recently been in prison!
Anyway, back to my chores…
I’ve joined a group on Facebook where the idea is to post cheerful things, and not mention the virus.
One of today’s challenges was to post a ‘kettle’ view. I think I took it too literally, this is a view of my kettle.
I posted it, then saw beautiful pictures of kitchens, or views out of the windows of neat and tidy houses.
On a seperate page the urban sketchers challenge was to draw ‘working from home’ as I’m semi retired I’m not really doing that. Craft fairs and exhibitions are off for the time being, and I genuinely have not felt that creative this week. But I wanted to do the challenge, so I drew this. 
Washing up waiting to be done..
It’s still waiting…
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Things to do at a loose end… I was asked to try and draw something with a fork for a Facebook group, I don’t know whether anyone else had a go? .. Well it ended up being a sort of forking cat! It was fun, but the acrylic paint didn’t make much of a mark, I tried adding water and then it splodged!
No doubt I will be posting more weird images as the days go on.
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Mallaband-Brown