New paintings and regular art updates.
Another four year old picture from my memories. Another one done in ArtRage. Just a bit silly and fun. I think it started out as an attempt to draw an egg, then I got a bit creative. I’ve illustrated a book before, and this could be used for that sort of thing.
Drawing from your imagination is more difficult because you have to have an idea of what you are drawing in your head. I often describe what I’m drawing to myself so that I have an idea of how to depict it. I want to get my mojo back!
Photo my friend took on February 2018, I think it was up until 2019. Its also been exhibited at the Waiting Room Gallery. I liked doing these pottery ‘portraits’, but they are imagined, using pottery patterns and marrying them up with teapots or plates or bowls etc. It’s also about creating imagined backgrounds.
Acrylic on canvas, created, 2018, for sale…
” In its modern-day, politicised context, ‘woke‘ is defined by the OED as ‘originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice’.”
I’m guilty of being ‘woke’ I guess. I try and care about things, I’ve always questioned why people can’t get on. When I was a child in the 1960’s I remember I asked why people were nasty to brown people and not pink ones?
But recently ‘woke’ seems to be being used as an insult. Like you can be too ‘woke’ to be interested in helping others? Too caring? Why? Why is it OK to tell someone off because they are too politically correct, or disagree with populist ideas? The world seems to get more selfish by the day.
I don’t think everyone should agree with me, I can agree to disagree. But what do you do when someone constantly disagrees with you? Or dismisses what you say. Even when I’d agreed to disagree a person who I’m not naming kept digging. Recently they started to call me a snowflake and woke. I said I was pleased to be a snowflake as we can gather together and turn into a blizzard! I don’t want to stop being in touch with this person as it means I’m not totally in my own bubble. But I do wonder if I should unfollow them. The world seems to lack altruism, everyone is in it for themselves, hopefully the tide will turn.
Firstly, I’m not a garden designer, but I just wanted to talk about putting ideas down either on paper or digitally. I’m using my sketch app on my phone to work something out. It’s a bit scruffy but gives you an idea. I’ve used a short oblong because it’s approximately the shape of our garden. I’ve drawn in some of the trees using the elipse tool. Then marked in possible paths using a ruler tool for straight lines. Then filled in with a spray tool. I’ve added a blue patch to indicate a pool and sprayed in colour where I want flowers. As there are a lot of trees I’ve shifted the flowers over away from shade although you can get woodland flowers to cover the ground below the trees.
Basically it’s worth doing a drawing if you can to get an idea of what you want. Also work out the compass points. Then you will know where plants will do their best.
I sold a few pictures today so I need to replenish my stock… So I’m planning to paint a few more tiny pictures tonight! I’ve sketched out a few ideas. If I’ve got the energy I will start painting after I’ve had my evening meal.
Wish me luck!
I’ve been asked to maybe do some pottery with a group at the warehouse at Etruria Industrial museum this morning. I’ve tried to do a digital sketch of one and I will look at photos of them. I can see how to make a slab built pot by rolling sheets of clay out and sticking them together with a bit of slip (clay and water). The only problem will be to get the air out of the clay so if it is fired it doesn’t explode in the kiln my friend has. Wish me luck. I think we will try and draw it first.
My cats play and chase each other every few hours. It starts with the female cat lying down in front of the male cat, he starts to groom her and they start squabbling, she fends him off as he tries to nip her. They then start chasing each other, sneaking up and Pouncing at each other, racing round the room and up the stairs.
Lately it been a game of “I’m the king of the castle, get down you dirty rascal…” a game that children used to play where you would stand on top of a pile of dirt or maybe rocks and your friends would try and push you off and capture the high ground.
I’ve got a pile of clothes and laundry waiting to go upstairs, but the male cat has taken to sleeping on it. His sister objects and jumps up. A few times she has chased him away, only for him to come back and recapture it! I was going to take a photo of him, but he jumped down so I’ve drawn a cat on it. It does remind me of the game we used to play.
X
People seem to think there are only identical twin. Born on usually the same day, unless the Labour is long and continues into the next day. They are from one fertilised egg which splits in two and goes on to form two babies (or in the case of other multiple births, more, for instance triplets). Identical twins might not fully seperate in the womb and can end up being conjoined, that is joined together. Sometimes at the head or the body. It is possible to operate and seperate them if they are not sharing organs. This is not always possible though.
There is another form of twin. Non identical. These are two seperate eggs that are fertilised at the same, or almost the same time. Non identical twins are called fraternal twins. They can be a boy and a girl, a boy and a boy or a girl and a girl. They are brothers and sisters born at the same time, but not exact copies. As they grow up their differences become more apparent. They may be bought up wearing the same clothes…. But they are not necessarily the same shape or size. As with identical twins they may have similar interests or completely different ones.
Life can be interesting, a lot of how we live is often influenced by how we are bought up, not just from our genes. It’s the old nurture verses nature argument.
Someone said to me today? Why Vote, what’s the point? I didn’t jump down their throat, but I thought, why do I vote?
I guess I care about my world, my life, the people around me, family, friends. The people in other countries. Global warming, sale of armaments, waging wars. The impoverishment of many people because of austerity.
Life seems to be unfair, lots of things don’t work out, but that’s the point of democracy, to try and improve the world for everyone. Being able to Vote is important, you can change things, you can make a difference.
In the 19th and 20th century people fought for the vote. Suffragettes fought for it, working class people fought for it. Why not respect their actions and Vote. It is important. I guess it doesn’t matter which party. It may not be the one I think people should vote for but I respect your right to do it. Thinking about countries around the world where voting is limited to only certain people, I think everyone should be enfranchised.
Could this ring read my mood? I’d bought it a year ago, but never wore it. I was always worried the stone, small and dark blue, would get damaged. The stone was meant to tell your mood, but I’d always been calm and had never tested its ‘powers’.
That had changed today, a series of mishaps and then an incident had really upset me.
First a flat tyre, so I had to catch the bus. Then a reprimand for being late, despite my explanation. Finally I was mugged on my way home! Two youths had jumped out at me and grabbed my bag while I was waiting for the bus home.
So why the mood ring? I had got home and realised it had been broken into. All my jewellery had gone, except the cheap mood ring, obviously worthless to the muggers. No, not worth the five ounds I’d paid for it… But anyway I put it on. It only fit my little finger.
It felt warm, it started to glow, red then white. How was it doing this? I wrenched at it but my finger had swollen and it would not come loose. As I struggled I heard voices downstairs! The youths who had mugged me. They must have burgled the house. I felt my throat tighten, and a voice, not mine, shouted loudly ‘stay where you are!’
I flew down the stairs, into the living room where the youths were standing frozen. I pointed at them and the voice, my voice. Told them to stay put. The words seemed to still them. Then I called the police.
I don’t know where I got the courage and strength from. I think the mood ring had boosted my mood and confidence. When the police arrived the youths meekly left with them!
Mallaband-Brown