World

_20200303_224853what would happen if the Earth was tipped up on its axis?

The world would spin so the equator was spinning at nintey degrees or so to where it is now. Every twenty four hours it would still spin West to East as it does now, but the Sun would not rise and set every day. I think it would only do that when the Earth was mid way between when either pole faced the Sun. Because the Earth rotates round the Sun. So the North or North East or North West would face the Sun for half  of the year and the South, South East and South West for the other half.

So what would happen to the poles? Even now, because the Earth is tipped at an angle and doesn’t rotate vertically, we get summers and winters. So there  twenty four hour days in the polar summer, and twenty four hour nights in polar winter. If the Earth was tipped over more the twenty four hour days and nights would last for months. The side away from the Sun would be colder, the side towards it would be hotter. Perhaps all the ice would melt at one pole and freeze much more at the other? Who knows? I’m sure scientists would have the answer. Thankfully we don’t face that question. Sadly we do face climate crisis. We need to sort out the current situation. How? I don’t know the answer to that. But perhaps we should follow what teachers put on school reports. We must try harder?!

Another WIP

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After finishing my ‘green people’ I’m about to start work again on this kingfisher painting. I intend to try and leave the background quite blurred and try and get a lot of detail into the Kingfisher. They really are the most beautiful of birds, with iridescent plumage. It’s acrylic on canvas as usual. About 10 x 14 inches? Maybe slightly bigger than that. Might do some more to it today.

I think you can see these down on the river Trent, although I don’t know if there is too much fish there for them.

Cold garden

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Ladybirds sleep,

Tucked in the crook of a branch.

Butterflies hang dormant,

asleep in shed roofs.

Frogs start to spawn

ignoring the cold and ice.

Plants hunker down,

below the ground.

Fish are deep in the pond,

torpid, sleepy, quiet.

Where are the bats?

Hibernating in a loft,

huddled and shivering,

waiting for warmth.

Last years temperature was 21°C

Today it is 3°C…….

Cold garden

chilled fingers,

icy wind,

frozen nose….

Nature

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Walking through the snow she came across some peculiar shaped trees, each one in flower with cherry blossom. In mid winter?! Was that a face? How could this be, what spirit of nature could have created this?

The trees seemed to breathe mist into the cold, crisp air. The frost turning it to tiny ice crystals. Sound reverberated from the mist. A whisper but so loud it shook her body.

“I AM SPRING”….

Life is here, waiting in the ground, waiting for water.. Now you are here this will be your place. You will not leave, you will nurture us with your body.

She realised she could not move, she could feel her feet lengthening, pushing into the soil, her arms were rising in supplication. Twisting and growing longer. Her eyes became knots in the wood, her body a trunk. No she would never leave here….. And she silently screamed as she transformed.

Spider crab

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We saw this in Liverpool during a trip to see the terracotta army statues several months ago. I was amazed at its size and took a photo, then forgot about it.

I couldn’t get a clear image due to the lights reflecting on the case. Like any other living animal I would rather it was still alive and in the sea swimming around. How old was it when it was fished out of the sea? Could they have thrown it back? Or was it kept as a trophy because of its size? I wonder what age they reach, and how big.

Nature is wonderful, we need to look after it. X

Spiders webs….

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Now the winter is starting there are less of these about. Spiders are probably finding quiet corners to hibernate. So what to do….? Spiders catch all sorts of creepy crawlies, keeping pests down without using pesticides and insecticides. Hopefully your garden finds a balance.

Recently we found frogs in the garden. They eat slugs and insects.

The only other incomers are a couple of squirrels but they do like digging up spring bulbs and planting walnuts and pinching bird food. But they are lovely so I wouldn’t do anything about them!

Hare minus bells

I went out this morning to go to the Orme Art group. We were supposed to do limited pallette paintings, white, red, yellow ochre and black. I cheated and used some cerulean blue in the background. I want to add harebells, a beautiful bell shaped flower found in the countryside. The image is an amalgum of a photo from a magazine that I’d taken a photo of and a photo off the Internet. I’m not sure if I will finish this or any of the other paintings at the moment. Every time I feel better I do stuff, then I feel ill again. I guess I’m trying too hard. But I wanted some really strong paintings for the exhibition. I hope they look good. Anyway I’m having a rest for half an hour.

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Favourite flower

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An acrylic on canvas from 2013. This was one of my favourite paintings and I used it as my profile picture for a few years. I’m no longer sure it’s as good as I thought. I would change the background to a darker grey green now to make the red Zing even more.

I think I will base another painting on it though. I’m  thinking of doing a long thin painting that could be hung horizontally or vertically. The design would have to work in both directions and perhaps even upside down. 

Giant beetle

 

A model of a waterboatman. They swim upside down on the surface tension of the waters surface. They eat duck weed and algae. Not to be mixed up with great diving beetles or pond skaters. When I saw this I was amazed at its intricate structure.

This model was in a local shopping centre. It was about four foot across. Fascinating

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