Slept

Posted on March 4, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Awake, Exhibition, Insomnia, Life, poppy painting, Sleep, TiredLeave a comment

Poppy painting, makes me think of sleep, soporific, ancient remedy. Beautiful but dangerous. Trying to channel art nouveau I guess.

Last night I wished I could sleep, all my strategies, thinking of healing, trying to relax, counting backwards,, none of them worked. So I got up after my sleepless night then went out and sang at choir. I could feel the tiredness spreading through me. This afternoon was hard, I was trying to arrange the paintings for the exhibition I’m holding. I feel like I’m having to rely more and more on others and I want my independence.

When I got home I had a bit of tea, but then whoosh! The sleep came without trying. It meant I missed this evenings choir practice, so I felt guilty, I just hope I can sleep tonight. X

Moss ‘n’ grass

Posted on March 3, 2024March 3, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Environment, Grass, Group, Life, Moss, moss appreciation, Nature, Photo, soil, Time, TreeLeave a comment

Green moss spreads over tree roots, a grass seed must have blown in or washed there. It’s nestled in a small pocket of soil in the hollow of two roots. Good to see green when the world is mainly grey and brown.

We were on a walk on a dry day, but moisture from the previous days rain had enhanced the luminous colour of the moss, it was almost lime green in contrast to the darker grass. A real hint of the coming Spring.

I only took the photo because I joined a moss appreciation group on Facebook. Along with other groups, it makes you look differently and more closely at the world.

Paints, brushes, canvas?

Posted on March 3, 2024 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Brushes, Canvas, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1866, Life, Memory, Paints, Poem, Poetry, Thought2 Comments

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

I tell a lie,

I could live

But would life be worth it?

Colours swirl and fade,

Brushstrokes create

Patterned surfaces

Canvas grabs paint

Textures grow

Light seems to flow.

No, without my creative things

A life of sadness it brings.

Give me my paints,

I will build mountains

Canvas for landscape

Or face?

Who knows.

Brushes manipulate

Joy it creates.

Tall friends

Posted on March 3, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged always look on the bright side, Celebration, circus, Fun, Hubby, Life, Memory, stilts, tributeLeave a comment

We just held, a celebration of my hubbys life. He was always interested in acting and theatrical performances so when my friends offered to greet guests at the start of the celebrations on stilts and in circus costumes I had to say yes. They stood outside and looked funny and magnificent. They stayed and enjoyed the rest of the evening. A group of us sang ‘always look on the bright side of life’. A good friend read a eulogy and showed slides and video of my husband. We had almost 200 photos of him on the hall walls. People read poems for him including one specially written and ‘do not go gentle into that dark night’ we had a harmonica playing and a friend singing and playing the banjo. There was a lovely buffet laid on by the hall.

People also wrote memories of him on cards so I could take them away. The plan is to create a memory book of the celebration. I took some of my portraits of him up to the hall.

All in all it was a fantastic evening and I was very pleased with how it went. I think my hubby would have appreciated the occasion. X

I’m starting to

Posted on March 1, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1864, destiny, fate, Humour, Life, Prompt, Thought, TimeLeave a comment

Do you believe in fate/destiny?

Which way do the dice fall for you? Can you control your fate or is it out of your hands? I’ve always thought I have some control, some freedom of thought. I don’t know any more.

Am I fated to end my life cast away on a desert island, or skydiving on a Sunday afternoon? No chance, they are just random thoughts. But I can sometimes see a pathway I don’t like. I will fight against that.

Destiny? A destination that is foretold or preordained? Like a Princess who is destined to become a Queen. Maybe that is what my destiny will be… To be a rich and famous artist? Nah!

Mend him

Posted on March 1, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Broken, Fine Art, gold seams, kintsugi, Life, mend him, Portrait, Sadness2 Comments

From the Internet ‘Kintsugi, (literally gold seams) is a traditional repair method that takes the broken or chipped parts of cherished vessels, glues them back together with a Japanese lacquer, and paints the seams with gold or silver powder.’

I’ve taken that idea to create this possibly last portrait of my hubby. It’s called ‘Mend Him’, and it’s my wish to put him back together again. It’s a bit rough and ready, but it expresses my feeling of loss. I think it captures his tiredness as he got older… I started this a few months before he died.

I miss him so much and if I could I would mend him, turn back time, use any power available to restore him to his best. X

March started wet and cold

Posted on March 1, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Hope, Life, Plans, red sky in the morning, Spring, St David's day, Wales, Weather, Wet2 Comments

Ugh! Red sky this morning, wet and cold warning.

It’s March 1st, St David’s day, symbol the daffodil, saints day of Wales. I have a few uninspiring tete a tete narcissi daffodils at the front of the house but they look a bit sad and forlorn.

Today is the first day of Spring here. I hope it bucks it’s ideas up!

It brightened up in the afternoon, but there may be snow, showers then fog later. What fun.

In other news I’m plotting a joint exhibition with other friends later in the year. I’m hoping I might get some respite from the tablets I’ve started taking. You never know. I just want to feel better.

I don’t have one

Posted on February 29, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1863, Hubby, job, Life, Memories, Painting, Sadness, Studio, Time2 Comments

Do you enjoy your job?

I gave up work to look after my hubby and try and set up as an artist. Sadly circumstances mean that he is no longer here and I don’t have the possibility of keeping my artists studio.

I won’t stop painting though, creativity is my reason for living. Despite health issues I cannot give it up. So I suppose really I do have a job, but it’s very much part time. I will still accept commissions and do my best to produce quality art work. I hope I continue long into the future, drawing on these recent events to produce new art.

Decay

Posted on February 29, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Building, Crumbling, deterioration, History, Industrial archeology, Life, Planning, Spode site, TimeLeave a comment

Some of the buildings on the old Spode works site continue to deteriorate while others next to them are being restored and reused.

My fear is that some, like this one, could literally crumble before they get any work on them.

Time moves on, plans have been made and then stopped because they did not fit in well with both the historical significance of Spode works and the surrounding town. The traffic management needs considering too. Meanwhile the buildings need protection and rebuilding.

Too many historical and unique buildings in the city of Stoke-on-Trent have disappeared recently. Destroyed because of disrepair or fire or vandalism. The industrial archeology of the city needs saving. Otherwise we will end up with warehouses or generic apartment buildings and lose our history.

Where Manchester used old Mills to create loft spaces and apartments, we seem hell bent on hollowing out our citys history.

Mahonia

Posted on February 29, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Gardening, Hue, Life, mahonia, Plant, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, seasons, Spring, Summer, WinterLeave a comment

Mahonia with it’s spiky leaf

Tinged with winter frost

Brushed bronzes

Of Autumn colours

In the Spring.

But orange tints

will be replaced

As soon new life

Engulfs the place

Bright greens and pinks

Yellow flowers

Full of dew

Red, orange, blue

Then colours of

a summer hue..

Till autumn and then

winter comes

And the seasons round

Begins again.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life