Two sketches today

Posted on November 21, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Black and white sketch, Bridge, House, Life, Today, Trent and mersey canal, Urban Sketchers, White bridgeLeave a comment

Two sketches in Etruria today. A corner house and the White bridge over the Trent and Mersey canal. Both were done in response to an online virtual sketch out with #uskstoke (Stoke Urban Sketchers). There was a zoom meeting, but I couldn’t join as I was out and about and had no Internet access. These are hopefully going to be included in an online ‘street’ of people’s images that represent the city. They were very quick sketches and I tried to draw the corner house a few times, it was difficult to get it to fit on a small sketchpad page…..

Duplications

Posted on November 20, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Black and white, Blanket, Fun, Haligen heater, Layout app, Life, Memory, Pattern, Photos, PlayingLeave a comment

If you start with a photo of an object and multiply it you can get some interesting effects and patterns. I started with a photo of our halogen heater, changed it to black and white in a filter and then duplicated it over and over again with my photo booth layout app. I have put them next to each other so you can see the original black and white photo and the duplicated ones. I think the second photo reminds me of a wool blanket I had on my bed as a child.

Red

Posted on November 20, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acer, Autumn, Fall, Gardening, Leaves, Life, Photo, Picture, Red, Tree, Trees2 Comments

Beautiful tree I saw on a walk. I love red trees, but we don’t get many in this country.. I’m not sure what species this is. It does not look like an Acer which are the the ones that look like maple leaves? Are they called Japanese maples? Anyway, this was before the wind got up and blew them all away!

I would love to visit America to see the ‘fall’, every time I see photos of the East Coast at this time of year the colours of the forests are magnificent. I guess this is the last chance to photograph a red tree this year?

Snail

Posted on November 20, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Climbing, Flower, Garden, Hanging basket, Life, Plants, Red, Shell, Snail, SummerLeave a comment

I was reviewing my photos from the summer and saw this in my hanging basket flower. Not a bee but a snail! How did it get up there.. Must have crawled up the wall, then the fence and finally across the hanging basket to get to this flower. I hope it enjoyed its meal.

Tablets….

Posted on November 20, 2020November 20, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Delivery, Humour, Life, Manufacture, Missing tablets, Pharmacist, Tablets, Wondering, Worrying2 Comments

I’m sorry we don’t have some of your tablets today, was my greeting when I visited the pharmacist today. Why what’s happened? Didn’t the doctor include them.? I asked. No its a problem with getting the right strength, there’s a problem at the manufactures I’m afraid.

Well when will they be in, I asked, I can’t not take them. (Do they think they are an optional extra?)

Should be in Monday. Give us a ring then. I asked for assurance they will be in. We will try, we might have to ring round, she said. Well I’ve got a few spare. I said, but what if they aren’t in? Then I said ‘and what happens with Brexit? We both looked at each other askance…

Keeping warm

Posted on November 20, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Baking, Central heating, Cold, Halogen, Heating, Life, Microwave, Oven, Terraced house, WarmthLeave a comment

Almost too bright to look at, our small halogen heater is in the living room combating the cold of our old terraced house. Rather than putting the central heating on, or switching on the gas fire. I don’t know whether it is cost effective. Would running a blow heater be less expensive. I wish I knew where there was a comparison site to check on?

For instance, for baked potato’s I now part cook them in the microwave then bake the outside of them in the oven. But is this fuel efficient or should I just microwave them?

One pproblem is that the previous owner had the two reception rooms turned into a through lounge, plenty of space but more difficult to heat. As climate change increases and a move from fossil fuels is instigated what will be the new means of heating?

In outdoor cat news…..

Posted on November 20, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Abandoned cat, Black and white cat, Cat, Cold, Garden, Learning, Life, Loved, Outdoor cat, Tuxedo cat, Waiting, Well fed4 Comments

Talking to a friend about our outdoor cat I explained that he’s generally in our garden which is about the size of two terraced houses and their yards…. There are lots of other cats about that come and go (I fear for the bird population but they have plenty of cover). There’s a shed and a summerhouse, two cat beds and cushions. He’s a big cat, twice the size of my other two, well-groomed. Tidy, but not a dominant cat which is why I think they can integrate…

He comes in and sleeps sometimes but he’d found a space on the settee and now the indoor boy cat sleeps there. I will have to find him a new space, it all seems to be about territory. I also think he gets too hot when we have our heating on. He will eat, then mooch over to the back door and yowl to be let out… Such is the life of an abandoned out door cat, we want to love and care for him, but he hadn’t made his mind up fully about us.

Falcon Works painting.

Posted on November 19, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Falcon works, Industrial archaeology, Life, Painting, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Woman artist4 Comments

Painted a year or two ago. The derelict pottery at the back of Portmeirion pottery. I love painting bricks. Most of the windows are boarded, and the Falcon symbol is on the end of the building. Painted in Autumn, acrylic on canvas.

It’s still standing but I think I will take some more photos of it before long, it’s worrying that it’s not being maintained or restored as far as I know. I guess it might be taken care of one day, but I’m not sure when.

Dying plant

Posted on November 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Annuals, Chilled, Cold, Dying plants, Frost, Gardening, Life, Perennial, Plants, WinterLeave a comment

Hubby ‘rescued’ this, but I think there is no chance of survival. Its a blackened mess of sagging stems. The result of a particularly cold night and a very tender plant. I’m afraid it’s going to be relegated to the compost bin tomorrow after rescuing some spring bulbs that have started to grow even before the winter arrives. I have even seen blossom on the apple tree a few weeks ago. Gardening is tough at this time of year. The day length and cold kill the annual plants and shut down perennial ones. Can’t wait for spring……

Our challenge

Posted on November 17, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Art group, Bonnard, Collaboration, Copied, Joined, Life, Numbered, Oil on canvas, SquaresLeave a comment

Painting by Bonnard. The art group I’m in are taking squares from this image and producing copies to be linked back together. I think the plan is to get it finished by the end of December. Plans are also being discussed to collaborate over a Christmas card. It’s good to be doing this despite being in lockdown again. At least we get to share artwork even if we don’t physically meet.

I think this is the third or fourth one we have done. I’ve already completed square 2 but I’m doing square 6 as well. I’m going to try and get it done soon.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life