Tulips

Posted on May 5, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aqualegia, Bluebells, Exercise, Gardening, Layout app, Lesser celandine, Photo, Plants, Russian vine, Tulips, Wild garlicLeave a comment

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This image was something I did last year. We had some pure white tulips in the garden.

This year we have had less tulips. I think because our squirrel has taken to digging them up in the winter. We are going past the tulip season now. Instead we have Spanish and English bluebells, aqualegia starting to flower and wild garlic and lesser celandine adding splashes of colour to the garden.

Today we were pulling out hunks of ivy from the ground and from trees where its thick stems have scrambled up. We will fill our recycling bin completely over a couple of days. I was also pulling more pieces of Russian vine out of the trees at the front of the garden, it’s amazing how quickly it grows.

Tired and achy. But it’s good exercise.

Colourful, today’s usk challenge.

Posted on May 3, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Colours, Drawing, Fun, Photo, Picture, Staffordshire, Urban sketch day 15, Usk challenge, Usk Stoke-on-TrentLeave a comment

Today’s challenge was to draw something colourful. My eyes fell on an owl sculpture by a blacksmith who works at a Forge at Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent. She’s called Charis Jones and her company is called Sculpted Steel.

Behind the owl is a plate that my hubby painted at the Gladstone pottery museum in Longton.

I started by drawing the outlines in black ink. I then filled in the colours with permanent ink markers and a few coloured pencils.

The colours are not all accurate, but as the brief was colourful I added some to the books and cds in the background while trying not to overdo it.

I’ve included a reference photo to give you an idea of what I was working from.

Tulips

Posted on May 1, 2020May 1, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Garden, Growing, Memories, Old photos, Photo, Plants, Squirrel, Time, TulipsLeave a comment

These were growing in our garden six years ago. The garden is more overgrown now and we didn’t put in as many tulips this year. I will have to put in more next year. Part of the problem is also the squirrels digging them up. I think they eat them in the winter.

Tulips were precious plants in centuries gone by. Some were more expensive than gold. I can remember the details, but they are beautiful plants. I’m afraid this post is a little lacking in detail. I shall try and add more to it.

Descending stats…

Posted on May 1, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Descending stats, Fun, Internet, Life, Lockdown, Me, Months, Photo, Random, Stats, TimeLeave a comment

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Oh dear, I must be a bit more interesting, my monthly stats seem to be descending… But like everyone else I’m a bit limited in where I can go. And do you really want to read about face masks and social distancing.

So what can I talk about? My hair is growing, it seems to be evolving!

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It’s turned frizzy and white (not overnight, and not from fright). I did mess it up a bit on this photo!

So if you don’t mind me, I will keep posting bits and bobs here.

Three years ago

Posted on April 30, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and White cats, Brothers, Cat, Fun, Kittens, Memories, Photo, Sisters, Three years agoLeave a comment

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The kittens were starting to grow, getting ready to pack their bags and move in with their new parents.

I came across this photo today. They were so mischevious. The one with the black mask is still called Bandit, the new owners changed the other ones name.

I sometimes see photos of the two girl kittens, but I’ve lost track of how the boys are doing. Their mum and uncle are still here safe with us.

Egg cups

Posted on April 30, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Collection, Colourful, Egg cups, Eggs, Fun, Hand decorated, Hand painted, Photo, portmeirion, Smarties, Thatcher7 Comments

I have at least eight egg cups!

More than one a day. I’m particularly pleased with a couple I hand painted. I even have a Margaret Thatcher one, although I didn’t like the woman. And a plastic smarties one (the British firm of m and m’s. There’s one with a hate chasing round the cup and another with thorns and flowers, from a ceramics firm that has sadly closed down.

There’s one from Portmeirion. One that is too big except for duck eggs.

I had a glass hen shaped one, and one like a tigers head, but they may be broken or lost….

Other collections? Paintings, cat ornaments, books, hats….

When you can’t get a birthday card or a cake for a friend…

Posted on April 29, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Birthday card, Can, Candle, Candle holder, Card, Design, Drawing app, Graphics, Photo, Picture, Sketch app, Text3 Comments

I wanted to send a friend a card… sketch-1588070609298

I found a tin with a slight dent in the rim so I could push a candle holder into it. Then I added a tiny birthday cake candle and lit it and took the photo.

Added the text later in a sketch app.

I sent this to my friend with her name edited onto it. What is it they say ‘necessity is the mother of invention ‘?

Disco ball

Posted on April 29, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Design, Experiment, Fun, Learning, Photo, Playing, Poem, Poetry, ThoughtLeave a comment

I shone a bright torch on our disco ball (yes I’ve got one) took a photo, then another one with the torch on a lower power. Duplicated the photos, and ended up with a couple of interesting pictures that are quite abstract…..

Playing with shapes and light is fun.

Experimental things teach you

How to make new things.

If you don’t try,

You never learn….

Green grows

Posted on April 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Colour, Duplicated, Exposure, Foliage, Garden, Green, Manual exposure, Mirrored, Photo, Plants1 Comment

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Playing with pattern again, took a photo of the garden on manual exposure and the sky and blossom on the trees was very over exposed, but the darker areas were more defined.

I then did my usual thing of multiplying the image onto four, then turning each square so it lined up into a pattern.

I get a great enjoyment out of creating these semi abstract images. The final result is interesting because of how soe of the foliage seems to float in the centre of the picture.

Finished fairy in the garden..

Posted on April 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Fairy, Fun, Garden, Laurel bush, Photo, Plant, Sculpture, Sketch, Wire fairy2 Comments

I finished the wire fairy about three am, fighting to get the wings attached and in the right place. I gave her a long ponytail that looks like it’s blowing in a gale.

This afternoon she was attached to our laurel bush outside. She is hung on a nail, not very graceful but it works. I tried drawing her. All those curls of wire are difficult to draw. I didn’t want to be too precise. I think the drawing is quite spooky.

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Tag: Photo

Tulips

Colourful, today’s usk challenge.

Tulips

Descending stats…

Three years ago

Egg cups

When you can’t get a birthday card or a cake for a friend…

Disco ball

Green grows

Finished fairy in the garden..