Chocolate coin

Posted on July 12, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Chancellor, chocolate coin, Dawn French, Falmouth, Fun, Life, Speech, UniversityLeave a comment

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. 😍

MA celebration

Posted on July 12, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged @ivans_uk_tours, Art, away, Dawn French, Fun, graduate, Illustration, ma, Short break, Travelling2 Comments

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

Posted on July 9, 2022 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged behaviour, Black and white cat, Cat, Fun, Learning, Playing, Thinking, Time, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

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

Outside

Posted on July 8, 2022 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Flitting, Fun, Life, Moth, Outside, Poem, Poetry, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

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.

Weight on the fence.

Posted on July 2, 2022July 2, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Colours, Fence, Fun, Gardening, Hanging baskets, Plant, Planting, pots, SummerLeave a comment

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.

Back yard

Posted on July 2, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Back yard, Colours, Flowers, Fun, Gardening, Plants, sun trap, Sunshine, urban gardening, ViewLeave a comment

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.

Apples food

Posted on June 26, 2022June 26, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Apple, Cheerful, Food, Fun, Night out, Noodles, Restaurant, Sawadee Thai taste, TastyLeave a comment

Glass noodles and mixed vegetables and beansprouts.

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.

Table pattern

Posted on June 22, 2022June 22, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Animals, Art, Fun, Imagination, Layout app, Life, metal table, Pareidolia, Patterns, wallpaper2 Comments

What do you see? I see a butterfly, a bears head, an owl, a rabbit head, moths on either side, a goats face, probably other animals and things too…. I met someone yesterday who has the same thing going on with their mind.

I used to have a shower curtain covered in an overlapping bubble pattern. I swear I could make cartoon characters out of them. There were four people I made out of the bubbles, a mum, dad son and daughter. I even think I could sometimes see a bubble dog.

As a child I could see things in the patterns on our wallpaper. I imagined fairies and elves with leaves making their limbs and hair. When I watched rain drops on the cobbled stones in our back yard I also saw fairies, or ballerinas in tutu’s. I have a strange imagination.

Earth rise?

Posted on June 22, 2022June 22, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Antarctica, Arctic, blow up globe, earth rise, Equator, Flat earth, Fun, latitude, longitude, seasons, Thinking, WorldLeave a comment

I made this image using a blow up globe and a bath towel..

Trying to replicate the globe rising over the limb of the moon. But obviously our world doesn’t have latitude or longitude printed on it! And we don’t have different countries coloured in to indicate where there bordered are. I wonder how flat earth believers react to the real image. Do they think the other half of the world is on the back? If it was flat the sun wouldn’t rise slowly but it would illuminate half of the world straight away (unless you are behind a mountain) then after twelve hours set immediately. One side of the world would be in daytime at the same time, the other night time. Get rid of most time zones! Only two needed, twelve hours separating them. Plus you’d notice crossing the edge! And no seasons, so no equatorial heat or Arctic and antarctic regions! And where does the edge fall and wouldn’t the international space station notice?

Thinking… Its good to try it out!

I did it!

Posted on June 19, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Fern, Fun, Gardening, Layout app, Mirrored, Nature, Pattern, Photo, PhotographyLeave a comment

I thought it would look good! Symmetrical fun! It would be great to actually have plants that were this shape. Perhaps a bit of genetic engineering? Why not have fun with your photos? Keep an eye out for things that might make a pattern and use something like the layout app I have on my phone to get creative…..

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Fun