New paintings and regular art updates.
Today is day 8 of the October 1″ drawing challenge. This is just a quick sketch of our hanging baskets outside the window. Because they are in the back yard they are a bit walmer than in the main garden so although it’s got chilly there has not been a frost to kill them off. If I remember I will take a few photos tomorrow. I also coloured the picture in with a sketching app.
The flowers are Begonias, Fushias, Lobelia and others I don’t remember.
I’m just watching the film ‘Contact’ starring Jodie Foster. It’s about an astronomer who is searching for alien life. Her search leads her to find an alien signal and the story continues by exploring the affect on humanity.
The story was originally written as a novel by the astronomer Carl Sagan. He was also involved in the NASA Voyager programme, and suggested the spacecraft turned its camera back towards Earth as it headed out of the solar system. He coined the phrase ‘Pale Blue Dot’, when the image showed a single pale blue pixel where Earth sat in the darkness and infinity of space.
I love Sci-fi, and am interested in the possibility of contact with another civilisation. Who knows what might actually happen.
There are so many sad things in the world today and sometimes they are overwhelming. We were singing quite a sad song at the music workshop today and one person could not join in. I think they were recently bereaved. Perhaps the song had special significance. I don’t know, but it made me think about love and loss, about how you can’t always know what’s going to happen next. It also made me feel sad about a relative whose situation has become difficult because they are spending a lot of time caring for someone else but are then neglecting themselves. Sometimes the burden that we put on ourselves can be debilitating.
Finally there are destitute people just in our neighbourhood, with no means of looking after themselves. The idea of austerity is wrong, no one should be put in a situation where they are homeless and hungry. This country has to ask itself why? Why don’t we care enough to turn things round? It’s easier to go out and buy things than give to charity, or pay a decent amount of tax to support those in need.
I’m not preaching, just thinking.
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I seem to have collected a lot of these over the years. There’s a cat, two owls and a reindeer at least. I was given a couple of them and bought a few more. I like cute things, although I do wonder whether collecting them is sensible. Humans have a tendency to feel attached to inanimate objects. Like children love their toys, I guess adults love ornaments and objects. Sometimes this leads to hoarding, other times if the person is rich it might lead to collections of fine art. I think these could be described as two sides of the same coin. Both are ways of giving you pleasure, a good feeling each time you buy something, or hold it. But that feeling and impulse to buy can be an addiction. Or just holding onto belongings from a parent. Even a crisp packet that a good friend has eaten out of can have significance. So much so that it cannot be disposed of. Collection and hoarding are not so different…..
It’s day 5 of the one inch drawing challenge for October. I decided to draw what’s in front of me. A dining chair with a small box easle sitting on it a canvas with a half painted lion and my snowman mug (just big enough for a decent dollop of decaff coffee). Lots of old paint brushes in the tray of the easle. Books on the floor behind…. I don’t care where I draw as long as I can.
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The first one is various daisy flowers, cone flowers, asters and grasses in the fountain flower bed at Bodnant Garden.
Then there is a drawing of pine trees and evergreens. Waterplants and other species. With an added Robin, along pools and a stream, at Bodnant.
The third is my hubby walking on the beach at Prestatyn this morning. He was trying to fly a balsa wood plane in drizzle and rain….
Finally, sitting in the car looking at Llandegla Forest this afternoon. Door open, just while I was waiting for my hubby.
Bright colours
Extend the season,
Bishop of Llandaff,
Daliahs, Red.
Verbina and ice plants
Feed the bees.
Roses and autumn crocuses.
Asters and cone flowers
All sparkle and show.
Dont fade yet,
Wait for the snow.
Driving towards Betws y Coed from Llanrwst on the A470 in North Wales. The mountains of Snowdonia in the background. We were travelling South West after coming off the A55 at Abergele and driving along a senic route because of traffic jams and roadworks on the A55.
I woukd have taken more photos but it was too beautiful to remember to take my phone out. I wasn’t driving for once so I had a proper opportunity to look at the world. These are cropped to cut out the windscreen and stickers because they just add clutter. Some of the details at the sides may be missing but at least they look picturesque.
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What to draw? It was five past midnight and I decided to draw a coaster on the table which has a picture of a ship and a yatch on it. A coaster on a coaster! But now I’m not sure if I should not have done it. I could have done something later today…. Oh well, it won’t be the last drawing I do in this challenge.
Could this ring read my mood? I’d bought it a year ago, but never wore it. I was always worried the stone, small and dark blue, would get damaged. The stone was meant to tell your mood, but I’d always been calm and had never tested its ‘powers’.
That had changed today, a series of mishaps and then an incident had really upset me.
First a flat tyre, so I had to catch the bus. Then a reprimand for being late, despite my explanation. Finally I was mugged on my way home! Two youths had jumped out at me and grabbed my bag while I was waiting for the bus home.
So why the mood ring? I had got home and realised it had been broken into. All my jewellery had gone, except the cheap mood ring, obviously worthless to the muggers. No, not worth the five ounds I’d paid for it… But anyway I put it on. It only fit my little finger.
It felt warm, it started to glow, red then white. How was it doing this? I wrenched at it but my finger had swollen and it would not come loose. As I struggled I heard voices downstairs! The youths who had mugged me. They must have burgled the house. I felt my throat tighten, and a voice, not mine, shouted loudly ‘stay where you are!’
I flew down the stairs, into the living room where the youths were standing frozen. I pointed at them and the voice, my voice. Told them to stay put. The words seemed to still them. Then I called the police.
I don’t know where I got the courage and strength from. I think the mood ring had boosted my mood and confidence. When the police arrived the youths meekly left with them!
Mallaband-Brown