Upside down Moon

Posted on January 20, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Hemisphere, Interest, Life, Magellanic clouds, Moon, Space, Thinking, upside down, ViewLeave a comment

Stand on the North of the Earth and look at the full moon. It seems to be one way up. Stand in the Southern Hemisphere and it will be the other way up. Basically one view is 🙃 upside down compared with the other. In fact if you are near the equator the view will be at right angles to the normal view. I think some people see the moon as a boat crossing the sky when it is waining. ie a young or old moon. When you only live in one Hemisphere you dont realise that other people can have a different perspective. Trying to put yourself in there position can change the way you look at life. I’d love to go south of the equator and see the Southern Cross and the greater and lesser Magellanic clouds (small galaxies near our milky way galaxy) which are not visible in the North.

Penkhull Wassail!

Posted on January 19, 2022January 19, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Apple tree, Cider, Dance, Eccentricity, gathering, Life, Music, Penkhull, song, Stoke-on trent, WassailLeave a comment

Memory of Doomesday Morris at Penkhull Wassail a couple of years ago. They danced and beat sticks to encourage the ancient Penkhull Apple tree to bud, flower and bear fruit later in the year. They were surrounded by a crowd of people, maybe two or three hundred. Some if us carried flaming torches to light our way. A walk around the boundaries of Penkhull and into local hostelries. I was part of the Mystery Singers choir who sang Wassail songs as we stopped off at the pubs…

Crowds and laughter, mad jolly japes, humans being gregarious. That’s what I miss. Thank goodness for Mysterious madness and eccentricity. Let’s pray to the gods of Wassail for this to come again one day, drink cider, jingle your bells, stamp your clogs, crash your sticks together! WASSAIL!

Don’t underestimate the common cold.

Posted on January 19, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Covid, Fed up, Ill, lateral flow tests, Life, Mask, shivering, sneezing, Time, Tired2 Comments

Atishoo! Atishoo! We all fall down?!

Three negative lateral flow tests, but my nose is blocked and I keep sneezing. I’ve started with a tickly cough… Feeling hot and cold and shivering.. You forget that there are other illnesses out there that can get you. A cold I think, not as bad as flu, but I feel rough. I want to curl up like a hedgehog and fall asleep for the rest of the winter.

Seriously though, I’m not sharing this with anyone. I’m going to carry on wearing a mask when I finally get out again. And make sure you get all your jabs, Covid and flu. Take care, stay well!

Using an ink roller

Posted on January 19, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, College, Design, Experiment, Fun, Ink roller, Life, Portrait, Sketching, techniqueLeave a comment

When I drew this, and a few other portraits for college I decided to use an ink roller. It’s one of those that you can use to cover over your address when you get rid of letters. It makes the drawing feel a bit like it’s been collaged with newsprint. I like using unusual techniques to draw. Why not?

Fluid

Posted on January 18, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Beach, Drawing, fluid, Life, Sea, Sketching, Texture, Water, Waves3 Comments

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was fluid. I tried to draw a beach scene from above. I used an image off the Internet to give me an idea. I watched an animated film called ‘love Vincent’ about the life of Vincent Van Gogh last night so I’ve also done this with texture. (see second photo).

Condensation trail

Posted on January 17, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Afternoon, Condensation trail, contrails, Life, Plane, Science, Sky, vapour trail, WikipediaLeave a comment

We don’t see many planes overhead these days, but the last couple of afternoons we have seen a condensation trail as a plane has flown over.

Condensation because water vapour in the atmosphere condenses out on soot from the plane engines as the plane flies through the cold moist air. It makes a cloud that can hang in the sky for ages or dissipate quickly. In this case it was almost gone by the time the plane had passed over.

There are conspiracy theories that the trails are releasing chemicals into the atmosphere. This isn’t true but stems from some experiments years ago by scientists seeding clouds with silver iodide to create rain by giving water droplets a nucleus for the water droplet to form on.

So there is a grain of truth, but just that. The reality is far simpler. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail. For more information.

Almost a year ago

Posted on January 16, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged 2021, Art, Dragons, Fountain, Hanley Park, Life, Sketching, victorian, water featureLeave a comment

I was standing by this fountain in the small part of Hanley Park. The main section is over the road. I decided to draw this in my sketchbook. It’s a felt pen sketch and I could include it as an urban sketch. The fountain had been restored after many years and looks wonderful. I think it’s probably Victorian in origin. The previous year it was frozen almost solid with icicles all over it. I particularly like the dragon fountain heads on it. I will have to try and research its origins.

Sore throat

Posted on January 16, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ache, cold bug, covid test, Disease, Illness, Life, Negative, Sleepy, Sore throat, Tired2 Comments

Sore throat, aches, tired. But at least I tested negative for Covid. I don’t know how I’ve got this ‘cold’. I go everywhere outside in a mask. But I suppose I could have picked it up off a surface when I’ve been shopping. At one stage I was washing all the shopping that came into the house. I guess I’ve dropped my guard a bit..?

One thing, I won’t be going out to anything while I have this cold. Just because it isn’t Covid doesn’t mean I should go out and share it. I’m just going to take cold medicine and keep my fluids up. I didn’t wake up till 3pm, not good. The sun has now set and I feel dull and sleepy.

Merged

Posted on January 15, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Life, Memories, Merged, partners, People, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Thoughts, TogetherLeave a comment

Merged,

Me and he

Forty years together

Him and me

Us.

Blue and brown eyes

Beard and bare face

White hair and brown

Smile and frown

Friendship, partners

Together.

Thinking of you

And me

Life sentences

Words

Time.

Cat again

Posted on January 14, 2022January 14, 2022 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Cat Food, Cheeky, Food, Life, persuaded, Photo, Time, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

Big head, tiny paws. An example of foreshortening. Those dark eyes do stare at me. You have to be a mind reader sometimes with cats. But they are persuasive. In this case its his ‘feed me…’ look. Then when he’s eaten he’ll be back out through the cat flap. Padding around in the dark, exploring his territory.

You know, cats are sneaky. They get humans round their little paws. They are incredible cheeky creatures!

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life