New paintings and regular art updates.
Are you a leader or a follower?
I am not a leader,
so I must be a follower?
Following up a hill,
Always behind
Lost in a maze
Following my gaze
Happy to be lead
As long as its fair
and honest advice
Why don’t I lead?
I’m not bombastic
Or over confident.
I can and do try
But I prefer
Supporting
Caring and thoughtful
I hope….
I’ve just got round to drawing Sundays #bandofsketchers prompt beauty. This was a narcissus flower I think at Rode Hall on Sunday. I was thinking of drawing bluebells but my photos were a bit blurred.
Hubbys ear with hearing aid sort of visible
He’s got grey hair but I didn’t have the right felt pens to draw them so I’ve suggested dark hair. Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt was listening. Felt pen drawing.
What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?
OK, but why?
The Earth is quite a large planet to humans, but it is also a finite place. It doesn’t go on for ever and it has limited resources.
I know there are wonderful places to visit and also terrible places, it depends mainly on human activity. We may preserve a place or tear it apart. Every time a person travels though they have a carbon footprint, the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the vehicle you travel in, what energy it takes to make it and what is used to fuel the vehicle.
But with satellites, television and the Internet I can visit almost every corner of the world without actually going there. So why should I? I visit places in the UK because it doesn’t cause too much pollution. If I could, I would cycle to where I want to visit. If I want to go abroad I would prefer to use a sailboat or at the most a ferry. I don’t want to fly unless there are solar powered planes.
Another reason not to travel is the fear of disease. There have been films about escaped viruses and diseases, but I never thought I would experience a real pandemic. I guess it’s a case of once bitten, twice shy. I don’t know what I might catch ‘out there’. I am not xenophobic, I’m happy for anyone to come here. I just want people to think first. Do you need to visit, do you want to increase your carbon footprint? It’s a different situation if you are fleeing violence or oppression, then in my opinion you are very welcome. The world is a strange place. I’m lucky to be here.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I will be riding in a sky car over a largely flooded coastline. Cars will all be electric. I will have sold every single painting and be a few thousand pounds richer. My house (on a hill) will be above the waterline.
Seriously, I don’t have any plans that far ahead in time. I hope to still be clinging on to life for a little longer, I want to see Halleys comet come back in around 2060?
Ten years from now
I will be older
I will be poorer
I won’t be free
Of gas bills
Aliens arrived
In 2029
And fell in love
With chickens
Who mutated
Into dinosaurs
Using ancient DNA
In a mad max type world
I will be
Glad if I’m free…
Tuesdays #bandofsketchers prompt was View. We have a Robin flitting round the garden. Rather than drawing a real landscape I tried to draw our bird table and vegetation. I sketched the Robin from a photo because it wouldn’t stay still long enough to photograph! Felt pen drawing.
Sundays #bandofsketchers prompt was drink. I’m finally trying to catch up with the prompts. This is a digital finger painting of a drink can. I used the Artrage app to draw it. I’ve adjusted the colours with Instagram because it looked quite dull.
Tuesdays #bandofsketchers prompt was Spring. My sister bought me a couple of bunches of daffodils at the weekend. It’s wet outside so I decided to draw them. Close up and using felt pens decided to make it slightly abstract.
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
If I can help somebody I generally will. I do think about it though. I have gone out late at night and picked up a friend because she missed the last bus home, I have helped people out even though it inconvenienced me. Why? That’s the way I was brought up. Fair shares, kindness, modesty were things that we had drummed into us. Don’t be selfish, don’t be jealous. We were not perfect, but we could see that if you helped others it makes the world a better place. Yes there is a risk of getting ripped off, but I don’t give money away, I’d rather help.
Talking about scams, a man stopped us in the street outside our house. Can you give me the bus fare to a maternity unit several miles away? I have gone to the wrong hospital in this city and my wife has just rung to say she’s having the baby! Instead of offering money I said I would drive him to the right hospital. Needless to say he turned us down! Strangely another man stopped us with the same scenario a year later. I couldn’t resist offering a lift too, and when he said no I asked him if he had a brother who had the same problem a year ago. He walked away…..
What do you wish you could do more every day?
I used to paint and draw a lot more than I do now. I feel though that recently I’m quite blocked, stuck, nervous of creating. Yes I sketch every couple of days, but my easle is resolutely empty. The paints in their boxes, the brushes lying fallow. The trouble is my physical health. My left arm keeps shaking and I have pain in my elbow. I’m still waiting for a full diagnosis. I don’t think it’s anxiety, but not painting makes me anxious….
I just saw a painting/art competition online, but the entry needs to have been created after 1st January 2023. The painting I had in mind, and it was a good one, was from a couple of years ago, so it was not suitable. Also the entry date is tomorrow, I’m not going to have time unless I get my paints out NOW and paint all night..
I have a list of paintings to do for friends and family. I feel oppressed by that. I should feel glad. I need to break the block.
Mallaband-Brown