New paintings and regular art updates.
Oh it was wet today! My feet were wet, my coat soaked, my glasses were both steamed up and splashed with rain. My hubby had a body warmer and his old tweed coat on. But we had a good walk. I bought myself valentine flowers and him a packet of chocolate biscuits. Then we had a Thai takeaway for our evening meal… Not the most romantic day, but comfortable…
Walking every day for a couple of weeks seems to have put me back in touch with the seasons. I’ve been frozen for the last few days, the sun has been shining brightly but the wind has been blowing from the East. It actually made it good to wear a mask, it helped keep my face warm. Seeing the sun setting slightly later each day, when it gets past 5pm I really feel like we are heading back to Spring. Seeing a few snowdrops and crocuses about now. Soon it will be the turn of Daffodils. Hooray!
Walked across the Croft today, a green lung in our city. Frequented by dog walkers who were out in force today. Its like a patch of common land, open to the public, but the local council wanted to open it up as a housing development. Basically to make money. A lot of people protested but it’s still being discussed as far as I know. It would be sad to lose it.
In some ways it’s like another development, HS2, ancient land and forests and trees being grubbed up for a train line which might knock 30 minutes travel time off the journey between London and Manchester. The tickets are likely to be massively expensive, £250 a time, so only someone on a large salary will be able to afford it. Yet again work to support the prosperous and damage and destroy nature.
Well not all of it, where the water was running through the locks there was less or no ice, but some sections were solid with ice about an inch thick. This was in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, by the Etruria Industrial Museum. At least it was sunny and out of the easterly wind.
A thaw is due, but then wet weather too. Oh well at least I’ll be able to save on my heating bills!
Took in wooden heads in Stoke that are part of an art project by bArts to bring art to the town centre. There were also banners but sadly the festival that was planned was cancelled because of covid. I wish I knew who the artist was but all I can say is they are interesting and very noticeable on a sparkling sunny day.
Little Oak tree
Not great yet.
Just middle aged
Not ancient
Will you survive
Into your centenary?
Have your acorns grown,
Have you got galls?
Surviving a winters day
With a squirrels dray.
Snow between bricks and cobble stones #bandofsketchers Tuesday 9.2.21 prompt ‘Winter’ . Watercolour on cartridge paper.
Snow clouds, but not much snow, just little bobbles like polystyrene bits, or tiny fuzzy flakes. Apparently the east of the country is badly hit with thick drifts of snow, we just have the freezing winds at the mo!
It hasn’t snowed yet, but snow showers are expected in the next couple of days. Its very cold at the moment with a driving easterly wind. I haven’t been able to get the house warm all day. I was OK after my walk, but my hands are cold now. I’ve just put the oven on to cook our evening meal, and hopefully it will help put the temperature up. Tomorrow I’m planning to walk along the canal, about five miles. I must be mad! The wind chill might be down to – 7°C
Todays #bandofsketchersprompt was signage, and as I was walking home after a long, wet, cold walk I decided to take a photo with my very soggy camera, of the view. Since my college course has me doing observational images every day this fit the bill for both prompts.
Felt pens for the signs, a bit of underdrawing with a felt pen thats running out, and watercolours to give it a “wet” feel.
