New paintings and regular art updates.
I don’t do many of these anymore. I find it harder to hold my phone when I’m sketching and drawing. My fingers cramp up round the phone and sometimes round a stylus if I’m drawing with one. Anyway got to keep my hand in as the saying goes. Ten minute digital drawing in my Artrage app.
Hubby played a prophet in one of the Mystery Plays a few years ago. It was outside but his big booming voice could be heard by the audience sitting on the green. He could project his voice over the traffic noise. If he had been bought up in a more middle class environment I’m sure he would have been an actor. But mental health meant he struggled to remember all his words. We also did the local amateur panto together. He got a pretend Oscar one year for most enthusiastic entrance (or something like that). He was a marvellous, memorable man.
I wanted to explain sarcasm, then I saw this sign! British people are quite sarcastic also called ‘sarcy’ ‘taking the pis*’, ‘taking the pee’ ‘taking the mik’or ‘mikky’. We often love to make a sarcastic joke of things. For instance pointing out trump means to fart loudly (break wind) in this country. We find that amusing.
I think some countries just don’t get it, their humour is more literal. That may go to explain why it can be harder to understand each other’s languages and empathise with each other.
Some parts of Britain can be even more sarcastic I think the Midlands are particularly like this? They play with word sounds and make puns and skits that will cause fits of laughter for some but not others. It’s good to have a laugh!
Not right yet, eyes too close together, my nose is too long. But it’s getting there slowly. I need to try and make the eyes slightly smaller too. I tend to paint self portraits straight on although I might try and do a three quarter profile one instead as it can be more dynamic. This took about an hour and a half. In acrylic on canvas.
80 years ago, on the 8th of May 1945, Hitler was defeated in the second world war. But that was only in Europe, the war actually ended on 2nd September of the same year when Japan surrendered.
It’s significant that it is the 80th year as it is probably the last time that many veterans from the war will be able to celebrate it because if they were 21 (start of adulthood) when they joined up they would be 101 or older now.
Memories fade but this is a way to remember the joy of the ending of the conflict, although not for everyone. We should remember those that were injured or wounded, either in the military or civilian. Those that were made homeless or those that lost relatives and friends. I’m glad and sad in equal measure.
I have a good friend who has become slightly obsessed with a subject. She is determined to get her point of view across but I fundamentally disagree with her. I said as much on a post today but she wasn’t impressed. I can’t get her to understand you shouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush. Not everyone is the same, not everyone of a certain type of person will act in a specific way.
She started to talk about someone and I pointed out that my examples were not that person and I wasn’t going to describe or identify them. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do in public.
So why talk about communication? Well it’s that thing about nuance. Unless you write exactly the right words it’s hard to get your point across. Typing and texting don’t show emotions so maybe physically talking to that person might get your message across better than in writing. At the moment I’m nervous to respond to her, I don’t want to lose her friendship.
Do you vote in political elections?
Yes I vote, voting is important. If people abstain or spoil their ballots they leave the opportunity for a different party to be elected. In one byelection this week someone won by 6 votes, overcoming the other party’s majority of 15000 votes.
Unfortunately Reform, a right-wing Trump style party won several council seats and a MP position and a few mayoral posts.
Reform is a bit like the republicans in America, they want to set up a Doge department to cut back spending in the UK, make people pay for health insurance (we already pay national insurance to fund the NHS). Our health care is currently free at point of contact, they would take that away.
I’m obviously telling you how I feel, I don’t know how my readers will react. I feel very strongly that people should vote, it lends stability to the country. I also want to honour suffragettes who fought for a woman’s right to vote.
The world was simple once. No one had smartphones. If you wanted to find something out you either looked it up in a book at home, in the library or looked in an encyclopedia at school. I’m remembering my school now.
Lessons were many and varied. We had a choice of Art, Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, History, Pottery, Woodwork, Domestic science, Technical drawing, Sewing (can’t remember what it was called), Geography, French, German, Spanish, Music, Sport science, English language, English Literature. At “O” level or CSE.
These were the days when Comprehensive schools had recently been created and our school had been amalgamated from two other senior schools. I found out later that our area was well thought of and the money used gave us standards equivalent to London and Edinburgh! We had an orchestra and other clubs. Computing was just coming in but I never used one. We still had exercise books and biros and pencils.
The school had a swimming bath, sports hall, science and art blocks and a music block later on.
We were just normal council house kids, we were really lucky to have a wonderful school. I remember my time there with mostly joy.
Abstract eye
Blur like romantic film
Smeared out colours
View impeded
Glare at night
Sunshine glows
Tones changed
Eyes dimmed
Distorted life
Fed up.
Today I had a check up to see if I was suitable for cataract surgery. I went to a clean, bright, smart clinic. I had to have transport because I was not allowed to drive.
After a short wait and having read the booklet about cataract surgery I went to see the technician to have eye drops put in and then photos taken of my lenses. She also did a check of my eyes looking at an eye chart with and without a small grid that you had to try and focus through. I found I could see the chart better with it, less fuzzy. Finally they checked my blood pressure which was a bit high but the bottom figure was OK as I managed to relax.
A short wait and then I saw the optometrist. This time she checked my retina and also the pressures within my eyes that would indicate glaucoma. Everything was OK. Now I just have to choose when I have the operation as I have other things to deal with before I can get the first eye done.
Wish me luck. X
Mallaband-Brown