Tag: Blogging

Canal

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Yesterday I was chatting with an artist from Spode. He had done a lovely painting of trees on the macclesfield canal, with light streaming through the leaves. I didn’t take a photo  but it looked a bit like this drawing. With blocks of pale green and yellow shining through the vegetation. I can only give a slight idea of what it looked like with this technique. The artist had used a Palette knife to create depth and slanted shadows .

I realise I can’t get an accurate representation. But it gives you an idea of how it looks.

Workshop

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Oh what fun. I went to sing with our choir at a making a difference conference today. We heard about a business woman who had set up a charity to help feed children in the school holidays and from a second speaker about 6 women aged over 100 whose lives tell a fascinating tale of what life was like living through the 20th century. I could not stay for the second half but I really enjoyed a workshop to make a flag using paint a canvas square and masking tape to keep the colours separate and the edges of the colours neat. I was not able to collect mine but I hope someone from the choir will have collected it for me.

One of the songs we sang was “nanna was a suffragette” which talks about the fight for the vote for Women 100 years ago. Definitely making a difference.

New editor?

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I keep getting a message to try a new editor and “level-up your layout”?

I’m happy with what I’m using, I understand what I’m doing. I had a little look and there are options that bewilder me. I have not accepted it yet. Is anyone else using it? I like the simplicity of WordPress and chose a simple option. I know other people who have struggled to start a page here.

I wish social media platforms would not try and impose change. Perhaps they should put tutorials on line to explain.

Like the use of self checkouts in super markets , we have to face changes in life, but I would like some explanation as to why.  We are WordPress customers after all, they should be serving our needs?

Virus

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“My face is turning blue” she shouted from the bathroom, “my skin is cracked”. The fear trembled her voice. Her husband muttered something, clearly not listening. “come here, look!” pleading, she shouted again. His footsteps thudded up the stairs, “what do you want?”  “oh my god what is that?”. “how the hell do I know?” “is it a face mask?” he questioned. But she was on her knees, weeping, “call the doctors, call my mum, what is wrong with me?” she was wailing and crying .

One quiet word expelled by an almost silent breath “virus” he sighed.

Life

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The older you are the faster life seems to go. Whether it is because of all the experiences you have had so you know what to expect, or your mind is so used to days flowing into weeks and months….. Its like the song, you turn around and youth has gone, summer turns to autumn and winter.

This year has been one of the best in my life in some ways. My health has been OK, I’m not at work so I don’t feel all the stress I used to, and because I lost weight I have been able to get about better. In contrast time seems to be affecting my partner more. He is still fit, but struggles to stand up and does not exercise as much. I’m sure it’s more to do with putting on weight, but it’s not helping that he is older than me.

I wish I could go back in time and explain what happened to me as I got older and tell myself what mistakes to avoid.

Life goes on, now I’m more thoughtful and perhaps too cautious. More bothered about going on long journeys and even stupid things like driving in the dark.

Life keeps going. I do as I’m told (mostly) by my doctor. I’m lucky at the moment to have health, home and some happiness. I just hope I’m not tempting fate by saying it!

Poddling

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Argh that’s my leg! My cat is “poddling” that’s kneading it with his big, heavy, sharp clawed paws….I’m suffering from tiny puncture wounds in my thigh…stroke his back and he starts up again. Left, right, left, right…..look of concentration on his face, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, slowing down .. almost..no he’s started up again. Ow, should have worn thicker trousers….finally settled down, ready to sleep….thank goodness…

I once saw a poster “poddle free cheshire” that’s where I found this wonderful word.

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E-mail HELP

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My email server has decided to kick me out so I can only contact people on messenger. I can’t work out what to do. I’m using two devices so I know by trying both that its definitley the server and not the device.

Who do I contact to sort it? My phone company , a computer shop or a phone shop? It’s asking me to verify my password, but it doesnt like what I put in, even though I am right! Argh…I hate when this sort of thing happens. It doesn’t happen often but when it does it can take hours or days to sort out! And is it just me! Is anyone else having problems?

So what should I do? Any ideas,

Please give me some ideas! (NOT RUDE) Thanks PicsArt_1541470184883

STOP PRESS..STOP PRESS…STOP PRESS….

well I scanned my phone and now the emails have gone on that but not my tablet?!

Sky

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Paint blue sky and take photos, take photos of different areas and duplicate and mix them up. Colours are a mixture of ultra marine, cerulean blue and zinc white.

It’s the top half of a painting of spode on a sunny day .There isn’t much progress yet so I decided to this rather than show you a progress picture.  I’ve just been too busy.

Anyway more to come I have a new painting to start of Jupiter to get done by Friday … Help

Play time

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Last year we went to see a play set in the Spode Factory site, it was called Dirty Laundry and was written by one of the actresses from Coronation street. Apologies as I have forgotten her name cat the moment. The story was about the complexities of life in the potteries in the mid twentieth century. It was thought-provoking.

The car in the photo was used to give the play a genuine feel.

Now a new play called Hot Lane, by the same author, is coming to Spode again in November. I’m looking forward to it. It is wonderful to see creativity continuing to return to the Potteries.

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Learning

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Instead of just finger drawing in an app I’m trying to get a more realistic portrait using a Sketch app and a stylus . I am finding that using the stylus stops the slipping that makes more irregular lines that happens when I try to draw with my finger alone.

The drawing is being made up from the airbrush tool and I’m changing the thickness and opacity depending on the thickness of the lines I want to draw.

It’s again a work in progress so we will see how it turns out.