New paintings and regular art updates.
I just found this photo from a year ago. When we had a series of clear cold nights and the sunsets were amazing. This was taken at Alsager mere I think, although you can’t see many reflections on the water (mere is another name for a lake for example Windermere in Cumbria). I remember driving home after this and banks of fog were drifting across the road as I got close to home.
Walking as the sunset, I saw these seed heads silhouetted against the sky. I thought they would make a fantastic photo and by mirroring it I think it makes an interesting composition. I used layout to do this. I also rotated it 90 degrees and added some effects in the photodirector app.
Up hill
Steep, hard to breathe
Step by step we struggle.
Into the sunset
Over the ground
Crawling up.
Now we turn around a corner,
Along a street
Looking at stars and planets.
Meander for a while,
Then up again
To the plateau.
Now home
Down hill
Short steps
Teetering down the hill
Steeper to start
Then slowly levelling
Home.
Painted a few years ago. Each dot of paint chosen to fit together and the branches and twigs manipulated to form faces. This was actually based on a photo of a tree up at the Croft at Penkhull, when the sun was setting and the sky looked like it was on fire. But I had to embellish it. I really like finding ‘spirits’ in my art. Sometimes I paint a subject straight, without playing with it, but other times I let go. This was one of those occasions. It might not work for you, but it made me very happy when it was finished. It went to a new home. Wish my photo of it was better.
X
My friends and I set out late this evening for our weekly walk. We’ve been walking up my steep hill every week for a few weeks, but tonight it was not to be. We’d got about 20 yards when splat! Big drops of rain. Lots of big drops. At least there was no thunder, no lightening. Just rain!
So… We could see bright pink clouds over the brow of the hill so we decided to drive in seperate cars over the hill to the local viewpoint. I was hoping to se a lovely sunset, but no, by the time we stopped the rain was falling fiercely there as well.
Plan C, we went into a local bar for a cool drink. By this time one of my friends had found a plastic bag to put over her head.
As we entered we had our temperature checked. I was still wearing a mask and because the bar was quiet felt reasonably happy removing it.
But it’s baby steps. I’m nervous of mingling with people I don’t know. It’s not something I will do without some trepidation.
X
Two images taken with the phone on my camera tonight. I took both on the manual setting on the camera as the auto choice was over exposing it. I altered the exposure so that the sky appears darker and the moon is more defined. I didn’t know how to do it. I just clicked on the tools and messed about with it. (This was the last time I took a photo of the moon and I haven’t altered the settings since).
I also had to zoom in x 5 to get a big enough image to see the moon. Then I cropped it to enlarge it. In all of that I was expecting some camera shake but its not too bad. I leant my elbow on a large glass jar on the kitchen cupboard to try and make my image steadier and I also held my breath.
We visited Devon about ten years ago and stopped in a caravan site near the sea. We walked down to the sea at sunset on the first day as there was a glorious sunset. Then as we got near the beach and were walking through tall grasses along the path to the beach, I saw this. I was stunned. I knew it was something to do with the sun, that had set. But I had my camera, so I took this photo. I think it’s called a sun pillar. I’ve seen sun dogs since. They are bright spots some way from the sun on either side. And brocken spectre, where your shadow is cast onto cloud by sunlight being you and it creates a sort of glowing rainbow halo. There are many other effects caused by the sun and light from it.
The world is a fascinating place.
X
A mess of branches
before they were covered in green.
When air was cold and blue,
when stems bore ice.
When it was cold at night.
It was chill, and the moon shone,
through miriad twigs.
When night lasted
in the cold darkness,
from early dusk,
to late dawn.
Now the sun rises early
the heat rises to meet it,
I wake up late and fall asleep
late,
in the warm morning air.
I wanted to write a poem that rhymed more. A lot of what I write is in blank verse (a poem where words don’t rhyme). I tried to do something more flowing here. Don’t know if it worked. (Could be a song?)
Different time
different place in space,
we’ve moved on,
you and I,
its a different sky.
My time is here,
your time has gone,
my life moves on,
you are almost forgotten.
Don’t force a smile,
you will be fine,
just let me go,
the stars say so.
Do say farewells,
and stay a friend,
but our sweet love,
must have an end.
I wish I could direct my dreams, if I could, I would travel to the seaside, or to a hilltop above a wood. I would look over at the setting sun. Red auburn hair of clouds wrapped round the bright orb. Wind blows streamers of air across the waves, or treetops, glistening light flickers over the boughs and branches. Gulls rise, then fall to roost. Night ascends, stars glint as shimmer. Sleep deepens. I doze.
Mallaband-Brown