New paintings and regular art updates.
The world is full of bored people. One of the things to do that was posted on Facebook is to close your eyes and choose a book at random. Find page 109 go to the third paragraph and post the first sentence you come to. Also include the author and book title.
Mine was : The radar maps show features of all kinds. (Patrick Moore’s Astronomy), ( teach yourself book)
isbn 978-1-444-10313-7
It’s random, but something to do…..
Urban Sketchers Stoke-on-Trent is doing a thirty day challenge. Today is day three and the challenge is ‘household chore’ this is my sweeping brush as my hoover is bust.
Pencil in a Daler Rowney ‘simply’ sketchbook.
In other thoughts I’m trying to think of things to do. So far I’ve got as far as spending half the day looking at social media. I think a lot of people will be suffering from vitamin D deficiency and will look like they have recently been in prison!
Anyway, back to my chores…
It’s a fact, EIGHT people have as much wealth as half of the world’s population.
That’s over 3,500,000,000 people!
The current world crisis will cost Billions or Trillions to resolve. Add to that the wars that are going on. The deforestation and damage to the lane through plastic and other pollutions. Also the death of animals through poaching or poisoning that will cause the extinction of them within a few years.
And yet we are not fair, we do not share, it is survival of the fittest ( for that read richest). We have religions, all of which tell us to care for one another, love one another, not to cause harm. But what do we do… Ignore sensible rules and become more selfish…
And yet, in these times, people suddenly seem to have remembered compassion.
Let’s hope it lasts…
We live in difficult times,
In a bubble where nothing can touch us,
In a dream world of Internet lies,
In a world where one touch can kill us,
Yes we live in interesting times.
We live where a cold can be fatal,
Where a virus is writing our fate,
In a world where borders can’t save us,
We must act before it’s too late.
Don’t think the world is over,
We must fight till the end is right here,
No one knows what resolve will save us.
But we live in interesting times.
About nine years ago I had a birthday treat, we went to Gentleshaw Animal sanctuary and I got to hold and fly owls. Its amazing how light they are, they are all fluffy feathers. I think this is a Great Grey owl.
The sanctuary had bad luck a few years ago when a fire severely damaged some of the pens. It was a sad time, but they rebuilt. The staff are some of the Kindest people I’ve ever met. They treat all the animals with great care. They rescue animals from poor circumstances and help rehabilitate them.
Wonderful afternoon out, wonderful people.
I’ve joined a group on Facebook where the idea is to post cheerful things, and not mention the virus.
One of today’s challenges was to post a ‘kettle’ view. I think I took it too literally, this is a view of my kettle.
I posted it, then saw beautiful pictures of kitchens, or views out of the windows of neat and tidy houses.
On a seperate page the urban sketchers challenge was to draw ‘working from home’ as I’m semi retired I’m not really doing that. Craft fairs and exhibitions are off for the time being, and I genuinely have not felt that creative this week. But I wanted to do the challenge, so I drew this. 
Washing up waiting to be done..
It’s still waiting…
X
The photo was at Westport lake cafe last week….
Fly high
Be free
Chase stars,
Find the sea.
Love life
Soar away
Chase shadows
Enjoy the day
Spring soon
Will be at hand
Daffodils
Across the land
Give hope
To one and all
Fly free
Natures thrall.
Selfie’ portrait, including phone and the canvas of a kingfisher it’s propped up on. Old brushes and easle. Background on the phone is a painting I did in about 1982,of my imagined self, so a selfie of a self portrait? Happy to join the challenge. Why is the photo a mirror image to what was on the screen I was drawing?
Oh my double chins! How difficult it is to draw while trying to look over your glasses because I can’t see clearly. I need varifocals, but after spending loads on a pair a few years ago I hated them so much I never wore them again!
Sketching with urban sketchers means including the background and having the image in context. Why not do your own selfie?
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Things to do…
Spring cleaning,
Painting,
bread making,
Cat watching……
Archeology in the garden,
Helping build a train set,
Home brew?
Read books,
Laundry…. Ironing, folding, fetching, carrying.. Read more books.
Reality? Procrastination…
I need some inspiration for new paintings. Now I have to stay indoors or in my garden because of the orders to self isolate if you have underlying health issues, I can’t get out and look at things, I can’t go and see the sea. I’m trawling through my phone to see if I can find images to paint. This is a strong candidate (taken at the waiting room gallery, which is closed for the time being). This has an old fashioned look of a still life, with strong shadows and modelling with the sunlight.
I will try and find a canvas for it. I’m worried that the shops I get them from might close? I will have to go out tomorrow and panic buy canvases! And that is not sticking to the self isolating rules!
X
Mallaband-Brown