Ukraine power cuts

Posted on November 1, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Electricity, Energy, Frightening, Life, Power, power supply, Russia, Ukraine, War, Water, water shortageLeave a comment

Russian missiles continue to bombard the Ukrainian infrastructure. They are being used to damage and destroy power stations and water works. The Ukrainian population are being asked to accept regular power cuts so that there will be enough power for hospitals, and drinking water is becoming increasingly scarce, with people queuing to collect enough water to survive, and where can they get food. With the damage that has been done to the buildings in the country it means that as winter begins to bite in Ukraine the population will have to try and cope in such dangerous situations. I hope that they will survive, we have not forgotten the fact that Russia continues it’s cruel war on its Western neighbour.

Moonlight bright

Posted on October 31, 2022October 31, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Burslem, Burslem witch, Cold, Creepy, gravestone, History, Ice, Life, molly leigh, Moonlight, Past, weather frost, WitchLeave a comment

Moonlight like ice, glinting frost, I wish we had cold weather. Walking round a frosty graveyard looking at ice crystals on bushes and grasses. Little pawprints trailing across the lawn, glittering as a stray moonbeam passes through wilting leaves.

A gravestone sits sideways to all the other ones. Because it’s occupant was said to be the local witch, wise woman, healer, giving remedies that were beyond the wit of man? Perhaps that moon shone down on her once, on her cottage surrounded by herbs, witch hazel, foxgloves, woody nightshade.

Don’t move, just listen, hear the rustle of bat’s in the belfry, feel the crunch of ice under your hand. Its All Hallows Eve. Perhaps this is a dream about Molly Leigh, the Burslem witch.

Passion flower

Posted on October 31, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Britain, Centigrade, Garden Centre, Gardening, Life, Passion flower, Plant, Warm, Weather2 Comments

Yesterday in a garden centre, at the end of October we found this passion flower still in bloom. Its amazing how warm it has been over the last few weeks in Britain. Lasr week it was about 23° Centigrade in London and 19°s where we live. About 5 or 7° higher than usual. In some ways that’s good because we haven’t needed to put the heating on much. But it is unnatural. Apparently every month this year has been hotter than previous ones. Animals are not getting ready to hibernate, will they have enough food or energy to survive if the winter gets very cold. Who knows, it’s worrying.

Trick or treating

Posted on October 31, 2022October 31, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Digitally manipulated, Fun, Halloween, Life, October 31st, Pumpkin, Sketch, trick or treaters4 Comments

Only one lot of trick or treaters called round tonight. One of them had a pumpkin on his head that was lit up with LEDs. There were three boys and they were soaked to the skin because it was raining so heavily. We gave them fifty pence each because I don’t usually get sweets or candies for Halloween night. I have to say they seemed a friendly bunch so I didn’t mind it, but it’s not my most favourite festival. I actually prefer Carol singers, and I encourage them to sing a couple of verses because often they come round and sing one line of we wish you a merry Christmas and expect to get money for it. I guess I’m a bit like Scrooge! Oh dear!

Digital cat

Posted on October 30, 2022 Posted in Cat, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Drawing, Filter, Halloween, Life, Photodirector, Pumpkin, Sketching, technique, TexturesLeave a comment

Using a digital filter can steady down analogue drawings. The splodginess of felt pens can get blurred out and the line work becomes more even. I used photodirector to change this drawing. I used the ‘effects’ AI filters and I think I used filter number five on the landscape choice. Somehow the top of the pumpkin looks like a bat….

Hungry

Posted on October 30, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged British Summer time ends, change of time, Childhood, hour, Hungry, jet lag, Life, TimeLeave a comment

Hungry an hour earlier, because the clocks went back. It’s 4pm but it feels like 5pm. My stomach remembers the ‘real’ time. Eventually things will settle down, but then in four months time when the clocks ‘spring’ forward, I will be hungry an hour later! I’ve never suffered from jet lag, but it must be ten times worse. I remember as a child that when the clocks changed in the summer I could not sleep, because it was still sunny! I used to sit on the windowledge and read my book behind the curtains until the sun set.

Pumpkin cat

Posted on October 30, 2022 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Art, Carving, Cat, Etruria Industrial museum, Fun, Life, Memory, PumpkinLeave a comment

I carved this pumpkin cat last year for Halloween at Etruria Industrial Museum. It is meant to be a black cat if it was lit at night. I think they used battery tea lights for safety. I think I carved three or four with different designs. Memories of a more cheerful time. I should say be careful carving out pumpkins. I thing I cut a finger slightly while I was doing this x

A cold?

Posted on October 29, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged achey, covid test, Head cold, Life, Negative test, Runny nose, Sleepless, Sore throat2 Comments

Phew! Negative test. Just got a sore throat and runny nose. Plus hot and achey. Probably a head cold. I will do another test tomorrow just to be on the safe side. If I have caught it then me and my hubby will have to stay in till its gone. In that case I might have to order food in on line? I can’t expect to get someone to go shopping for me. It is, I guess, a first world problem.

Clocks going back

Posted on October 28, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Autumn, clock change, Dark, fall back, Life, Sad, Solstice, Time, WinterLeave a comment

This morning it was dark at seven am. Tomorrow night our clocks go back an hour in the UK. On Sunday morning it will be getting light an hour earlier and we will get an extra hour in bed. Fine, but then we lose that hour in the evening, so it will be going dark at five pm.

I Hate that. I find my spark going out in the winter. I feel like a wraith wandering through the gloom. I don’t think I have SAD, but I am Sad. I wait till the sun starts to go down later every day, as the winter Solstice passes, and the returning Sun starts to cheer me up again.

A favourite

Posted on October 28, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Autumn, Autumn woman, Fine Art, Fun, Life, Painting, Seven years ago2 Comments

A favourite painting done seven years ago. It was called Autumn Woman and was snapped up by an old friend. I like slightly surreal images, thinking about traditional art and giving it a slight twist. I may do a painting that includes leaves and fungi using this as an inspiration. I’m so happy with the colour combinations, I forgot that you can include blue as an autumnal colour.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life