New paintings and regular art updates.
Artrage oils drawing from several years ago. This is the free version of the app. You only have the oil pen tools but it certainly can be used to create interesting effects. I like this a lot, I used the metallic option to give it this sheen. If you tone down the metallic effect the colours become paler and you can draw over the darker parts (where I have outlined the bird) as it seems to be more opaque and covers over the darker areas.
Sweet boy
I see him smile
His eyes crinkle
His nose soft
White paws and socks
Whiskers bright
He loves me, is happy
No claws today
Except in the new chair
But I forgive
Purr…
Then grab a toy
And play!
Blue footed, grey blue bodies, black heads with white blazes above their beaks. Not a good photo but my arm shakes too much so this was the best shot of the bunch!
The other birds which are similar have red blazes above their beaks, darker bodies, those are Moorhens. The photo was taken at Westport lake last weekend. I did think about going back today but I didn’t feel well enough on this grey, foggy, cold and drab day.
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?
I lost interest in learning the trumpet because of lock down. I had to stop because I wasn’t allowed to visit the teacher for months. Then I got involved in other things. So my trumpet is in it’s case, with papers piled on top. I wonder if I will be able to take it up again? The trouble aswell is that I can’t really afford to do it anymore. I think I am fit enough and I can manage the breathing for it, but I need to find a cheaper tutor and work out if this fits in with my current finances.
I still enjoy choir practice and music making. I will have to see what happens. I might even try and join a brass band.
I joined a fun science page on Facebook this week. But soon realised that there were a lot of sceptics there. For everyone discussing a theory five seemed to be completely anti the facts! I should have laughed but I could not believe it! There were people who were anti everything.. I decided to leave the page.
I also posted to a page about clouds and again there was a discussion about chem trails (saying the condensation trails from aircraft have chemicals pumped out of them!). The trails are water vapour condensing around dust and ice particles in the air. My question to the commenter was to fact check his theory, he told me to check mine. What fun. I give up. Maybe science was taught differently in my childhood….
Westport lake tree, off the beaten track, down a side path.
Somebody has taken a sign off this tree, they have left two “eyes” in place. My friend saw it first and it made me laugh. Is it an ent? Is it Treebeard… I can imagine a mouth and nose! It was good to escape even though it was drizzling and grey. Good to enjoy time outside.
Orme Art Group Exhibition in the display window at the Brampton museum and art gallery until the end of March 2024.
Orme Art Group is a group of local artists that meet up in Newcastle under Lyme in Staffordshire. We have annual exhibitions but also try and get our art displayed in other venues. The groups art is varied, colourful and interesting. I think we compliment each other and create beautiful pieces of work.
The Brampton museum and art gallery is in Newcastle under Lyme and has a variety of displays and exhibitions and has a lot of local historical information and knowledge. There is a vintage cafe in the museum so you can get a hot drink and hot and cold food and cakes. Worth a visit.
Playing with Artrage again. I started out trying to create something like a stained glass window, but it morphed into a more sci-fi style image x
I tried my hand as (bad) sculpting yesterday. I think because I bodged this together there might be trapped air and I am a bit worried this might explode or the tail or front legs fall off in the kiln. I did hollow it out to make that mess likely, and using that extra bit of clay I made a pinch pot in the shape of a flower. I expect both pieces to shrink when they are biscuit fired and then I might glaze them. Anyway it’s a bit different to painting. X
I missed choir last night so I was pleased to go to a brand new one tonight! It’s monthly on the third Wednesday of the month in a local library. They have got funding to run a choir for at least a year. My friends from the Boat Band, who run other choirs in Stoke on Trent were leading it.
It was a cold and frosty night but 16 people turned up! Three of us were choir members but the rest were new to singing and wanted to see what it was like. We learnt by repeating phrases and didn’t use sheet music and it was…. Amazing,
We managed to sing in two parts, then three, we managed to sing low and high harmonies. By the end of the evening everyone was buzzing, we even thought of giving the group a name! Me? I loved it. I hope it gathers force and keeps going X
Mallaband-Brown