Drawing challenges

Posted on September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Challenges, Design, Drawing, Drawing diary, Fun, inktober, Life, One inch challenge, Pen and ink, Pencil2 Comments

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In October there are a few challenges to get you drawing. The first is Inktober. You can find various challenges based on this theme on the Internet. Each one is based on doing a drawing a day for the month of October. People use a hash tag, #Inktober2019 is this years I think. There are suggestion on what to draw, for instance halloween themes or autumn. These can also be found on line.

The second challenge is the one I may be doing. This is the one inch drawing challenge. You draw thirty one, one inch squares and do a tiny drawing a day. My only problem? I don’t know if I’ve got a ruler to draw the boxes!

Raining again

Posted on September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Britain, Floods, Forecast, Life, Rain, Storms, Tides, Under a cloud, Weather, WetLeave a comment

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The rain kept off till about 4pm, then it started to pour down. There are lots of flood warnings with 30 to 50 millimeters of rain expected in the next 24 hours. Then there are seasonal high tides due aswell. Water levels are expected to peak in the North East and there is talk of an evacuation in one costal area. We are in the North Midlands and are expecting heavy rain. It’s certainly changed from the hot and humid weather of a week ago. I guess though that despite being under a huge cloud we are lucky. There is early snowfall in parts of America!

Going back

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Calm, Going back, Life, Rest, River, Sea, Short break, Tired, WaterLeave a comment

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Going back to a haven in the sun, a place where I was happy, a home from home. I won’t give you a clue, just a generic photo. I hope the weather will be bright. I might take my paints. Now I need a break, a rest. Somewhere to breathe. To be calm, to listen to water and waves. Cold weather may affect things, I’m hoping not too much. May not be about much this coming week.

Exhibition closed

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Closed, Exhibition ending, Friendly, Gallery, Life, Longport, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room galleryLeave a comment

After extending my exhibition at the Waiting room gallery it finished today. I’ve collected the paintings and one at least is going to a new home.

It was a pleasure to work with Frank Foy and Allison Dias who run the gallery. Despite unforseen problems they were very helpful and I look forward to working with them again.

The waiting room gallery is welcoming to artists, it is reasonably priced and they have good knowledge of art. Visit if you can.

A gate to nowhere

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blank verse, Heart, Heartfelt, Life, Locked, Poem, Poetry, Relationships, Sad, Shut outLeave a comment

Seen on a walk in 2018.

Dont let me in,

You walled up your heart,

there is a gate

But you locked it shut.

Tight chested

I sat, waiting for you

Asking to be let in,

But you said no.

You said go.

You locked me out

And threw away the key.

A subject to paint

Posted on September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Design, Green man, History, Life, Old, PaintingLeave a comment

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I was looking for an image to paint yesterday and found the oldest green man that has been found. I think it’s French, or what became France, as it said it was 1st or 2nd century. I painted it yesterday and it was in the craft fair although it didn’t sell. I think I will do a bit more work on it…. IMG_20190928_222312_697 why? Because I think I’ve made it too green. Which is strange as its a green man….

Pear tree collapse

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Crop, Environment, Fallen tree, Food, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Life, Pear, Pear tree, Pears, Plants3 Comments

A shout from outside. My hubby had gone outside to feed the stray cat….

There’s a problem, a catastrophe.. The pear tree had blown over in the heavy rain and wind we have been having…

The tree has been gradually leaning more over the last couple of years, and each crop of pears has grown. Till this year we counted over fifty pears. But that of course pulls on the top of the tree.

We had propped it up with some wood, but that had snapped in half. What to do? We tried using an old exercise bike near the roots…

We also tried to pull as many pears off the tree as possible as they were now in reach. My hubby normally shakes the pears down which may be why it’s leaning!

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Finally we used the step ladder to prop it up a bit more. I don’t know if it’s salvageable, the trunk is split. It’s a shame if it has to go as the pears are very tasty. They were just starting to ripen, but the weather has been mad. We weighed the good pears (disposed of the split one’s). 11.7 kilos. Not sure what that is in pounds but I think it’s around 24 pounds.

I’m going to share some of the crop with friends….

Owlet

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Bird, Craft fair, Life, Market@48, Owl, Owlet, Painting, Potbank cafe, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent3 Comments

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I think this is my last painting for the craft fair, I’m getting too tired. This owlet was on a calendar and I couldn’t resist painting it. I think it is so cute. X

I find painting feathers and fur difficult. You can’t paint every strand of hair, tuft of fur, or every feather but if I can get a good impression of the details, that will have to do.

Cat and Cucumber

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cat, Cat doorstop, Courgette, Cucumber, Fun, Kitchen, Life, Microwave, PlantsLeave a comment

My cat on top of the microwave, despite putting stuff on it to try and keep him off, and a cucumber it courgette growing in the kitchen window ledge. It’s like a greenhouse in there. Grown from a random seed planted a couple of months ago. I saw the flower yesterday and it was open this morning! The cat behind it is a metal doorstop, I put it there agas ago and liked it so left it there.

I think I must be content with chaos.

Boris the 🕸 Spider

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Arachnid, Cats, Funny, House spider, Humour, Life, Scuttle, Spider11 Comments

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For as long as I can remember, if we see a big, hairy, spider in the house, we call it Boris. Nothing to do with politics, its kind of a tradition. I don’t see him very often, but as the nights cool down he tends to scurry across the floor (might be a she?). I think there is a mating season for spiders. The only problem is the cats, they are quite expert at catching spiders (mainly in the bathroom) if Boris was to be spied by one of the cats, we’ll I wouldn’t give him much of a chance of escape. There is something about the look on the cats face, concentration, anticipation, that does not bode well for any spiders in the vicinity.

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Tag: Life