New paintings and regular art updates.
A calendar with a kitten, cat hooks for key rings, a bit congested but an interesting photo I think. If you look closer you can see an umbrella leaning there. The calender hangs from a paperclip. Oh the joys of non style! I’m messy, not stylish, I’m not tidy, I’m a pragmatic housekeeper. If it works just leave it! July, it’s a cute month. (apologies for the use of the kitten photo, I don’t know the photographer).
I continue to play with multiple photos, mostly I don’t know what I will get as an image. I rotate the photos round. When I do that you get four versions of a picture. In this case by having the dark areas at the top and bottom, and putting the curved white cloud towards the centre I get an apparent smile. But look closely at the horizontal centre of the picture you can vaguely see two eyes? My pareidolia again….
This is a lovely ceramic pestle and mortar I bought at a craft Market a few years ago. I was crushing some garlic for a chilli last night and decided to use this instead of my garlic press which falls apart every time I try and crush more than one clove of garlic.
But thinking about it there are a couple of coincidences linked with it. Last Monday I was wearing a mortar board. Not much of a coincidence, but then after our meal I did a quick crossword clue ‘pounding tool, used with a mortar’? Of course I got the answer
Dawn French, comedian, author, actor, amid many other talents, is Chancellor of Falmouth University. She gave the graduation speech for the students who have completed their courses over the last two years or more.
She was handing out chocolate coins to all the graduating students. We have to wait for our certificates to be posted out over the next few weeks. The coins symbolise her status as Chancellor and ‘Queen’ of the University of Falmouth. I was honoured to be handed the coin by her. As I walked towards her all I could say in panic was ‘thank you very much Dawn French in a very loud voice. 😍
I haven’t been around much for the last three days because I had travelled to Cornwall in England because I was graduating from Falmouth University after studying for my MA in Illustration.
We travelled down with @Ivans_UK_tours because I’m struggling to drive any great distance. We must have done around a thousand miles by travelling to Cornwall and back, plus driving around when we were down there. I would not have gone but I decided it was worth it. I’m glad I did. A hectic itinerary was well organised by our tour guide, Ivan Dale. We had real fun and it was am overwhelming experience. Especially seeing Dawn French who is Chancellor of the University.
Cat time, time for your cat. To love them, feed them, play with them, let them ignore you, hide from you. Disagree with your choice of food for them. Accept that sometimes they will bring you unwanted ‘presents’. They go away for a few days, just so they can worry you. Eat your food off your plate, ignore the toys and treats you get them. Sitting in empty boxes so you can’t throw them away.
When your cat friend scratches or bites you it’s probably because you have been a bit heavy handed or frightened them. It’s always better to be gentle. Remember that a cat is probably a fifty or hundred times smaller than you! They have interesting and intelligent abilities, it’s good to find out about them. X
The cat sits outside
In the dark
By the door
Looking at me.
I call her in
She ignores me
Her head starts to move
But not to come in.
She’s watching a moth
She’s sitting on the pavement
As cars drive by
Calmly watching
Flitting moths.
I shut the door
Give up
She’s happy.
The trouble with attaching hanging baskets to the fence is that as they grow and get heavier with watering it starts to bend. It’s quite a strong trellis but I think it will need replacing in a couple of years.
The wall the fence is attached to is the same old bricks the house is made of with curved coping stones on the top to keep moisture out of the centre of the wall.
Each basket has many different plants crammed in them, then there are a series of smaller baskets with single species in them. There are individual pots balanced on the top of the wall and lots of them on the ground below. Planting up pots requires a balance of compost with crocks (broken pottery) in the bottom of the pots so they have drainage, but then I usually place a saucer or a bowl underneath to catch the water so that it doesn’t dry out. We have a hose pipe so we can water everything regularly.
Looking back down the backyard. It was lovely to get out in the sunshine for a few minutes. I decided to take a photo from near our living room window towards the back of the yard which has an overgrown hedge and Russian vine growing through it. Our yard is a sun trap and the hanging baskets and plants are getting very blousy! I must admit we cram a lot in every year.
Thai food, our treat tonight, cooked by a lady called Apple who runs a Thai restaurant in Stoke.
I’ve written about it before, but I just had a lovely time tonight (and too many gin and tonics), so I thought I’d write about her.
Sawadee Thai taste has been open for several years. But it has been much quieter since Covid as less people are venturing out. I think the food is tasty, but its the friendly atmosphere that really makes it. I think Apple has a great personality. She deserves good Karma and support now things are starting to open up more. If you are ever in Stoke give her a try.
Mallaband-Brown