Storm Ciaran

Posted on November 2, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ciaran, Cornwall, Devon, isle of wight, Kent, Life, Rain, Sea, south England, Storm, Time, Weather3 Comments

Hundreds of miles of the South of England have been badly affected by Storm Ciaran (pronounced kiaron).

Rooves have been torn off, trees uprooted, a branch like a spear pierced the roof of a mobile home and punctured the bed the occupant had just vacated. A woman woke in the storm and grabbed her baby from it’s cot just as the windows blew in. 107 thousand homes had their power cut off. Many have had it restored but 20 thousand are still without electricity.

The channel islands have suspended ferry crossings and their airports are closed. There was a red weather warning indicating danger to life and property.

Meanwhile Northern France was also badly hit by the storm. I think there were wind speeds over 110 miles an hour. We are lucky to be far north of this weather event.

Blue swirl

Posted on November 2, 2023 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Autumnal, Circular, incollage, Instagram, Leaves, Life, Memories, Photo, Photodirector, Time, WordPressLeave a comment

A photo from 3 years ago morphed a bit more by using incollage and Instagram. I chose the circular template in WordPress to finish it off. It could be a blue glazed ceramic plate. Autumnal in feel but also frosty. I also used the AI style effect in photodirector to get the textured patterning.

Three magic wishes?

Posted on October 31, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2105, Education, global warming, Learning, Life, Peace, pestilence, Thinking, Time, wishes7 Comments

You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

I’m going for two of the traditional Miss World answers from the past…

1. World peace, ie, an end to fighting and the horrors of war, and crime. No doubt someone will start an argument about the Peace five minutes after it finally happens.

2. An end to famine, with sufficient food for everyone, always.

With these two wishes granted I would hope humanity could get it’s act together and sort out pestilence and the other existential crises.

3. The third would be sorting out global warming. Without this, the other two wishes would be wasted. To have the luxury of knowing the world is not going to fry would be wonderful.

We always want wishes. But why not solve things ourselves instead? Take responsibility instead of taking resources. Consider others. Only use the power you need. Only travel where you need to. Give up some air miles. Share a car, share a thought.

Education is key. A broad spectrum of knowledge must help. I’m convinced that uneducated people are more likely to be repressed or oppressed by their employers or governments.

Life is hard, but rather than looking for an external answer we need to look to ourselves.

A sketchbook page

Posted on October 29, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Colours, Drawing, Felt pens, French Impressionists, Hand, Renoir, Sketching, summer challenge, Time5 Comments

Trying to draw part of a Renoir painting yesterday was hard work. I didn’t get the shape exactly right, and trying to use felt pens was hard too as I only had a limited range of colours. I didn’t do a good job of the hand on the woman’s shoulder, the felt pens bled and I really should have used a fine liner pen. But at least I completed a challenge.

Walking

Posted on October 28, 2023 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Age, Car, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2103, Hurt, Life, Memory, Pain, Thinking, Time, Walking10 Comments

What is your favorite form of physical exercise?

I haven’t been able to do much walking recently. Injury will do that. I used to love running and cycling, but I got a car and that was my biggest mistake. A sedentary job didn’t help either.

I tried to get into walking with a friend, that happened for a year, then I pulled a calf muscle which caused a lot of pain. For months. After that I started again. Only to hurt myself again! I literally feel like I’ve taken one step forward and two back. But I will try again, it’s cheaper than driving and better for the environment. Don’t get a car unless you have to!

Facing my fears

Posted on October 27, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Anxiety, Artrage oils, Concern, Digital drawing, Face, Fear, Finger painting, Life, Time, Worry4 Comments

This came up on Facebook memories and I thought it was so close to how I’m feeling now. Jangling nerves, my heartbeat spikey, thoughts all over the place moving at a million miles a second. Suspicious of everyone. Anxiety and tiredness mixed into a morass of stress. It’s been a bad few days and I don’t know if it’s going to get better. Fingers crossed.

Artrage oils digital drawing.

Jobs not career

Posted on October 26, 2023 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged career, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2101, History, Interview, Life, Memories, Prompt, Time, Work2 Comments

What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in?

I’m not a banker, politician, doctor, vet. I’ve done jobs that have lasted weeks, months or years, but none I would call a career. This is the Internet, so I’m not going into details. Why should I tell all and sundry? I did think of taking up a career, but it didnt work out (I failed the interview) I might be rich or at least well off. I didnt follow that path, so in ended up with a series of jobs.

But through it all I’ve been creative, I make art, it might not be the best, but I love painting and drawing, taking photos, making pottery, experimenting. Who needs a career if you have the freedom to be yourself?

Whatever you do, be open to chances, take care, I wish you luck

In better news

Posted on October 25, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Age, bandaged, Damage, healed, Leg, Life, nurses, Time, Walking, Weeks4 Comments

My leg, that was wrapped up like this several weeks ago, is finally healed! Yippee! No more waiting for it to be re-dressed. No more washing it carefully. I can have a long shower (in the daytime when the bathroom isn’t freezing). I can start going for walks again. Probably in the rain. It’ll be small steps to avoid knocking it, but, Yippee!

The Moon landings

Posted on October 25, 2023October 25, 2023 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged 1969, Aldrin, amazed, Armstrong, Black and white tv, Collins, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2099, landing, Memories, Moon, Time2 Comments

What major historical events do you remember?

It was the summer of 1969. My dad got us up from bed so we could watch the moon landing on TV. I remember Patrick Moore explaining what was happening excitedly. Micheal Collins filming the moon lander from his vantage point in the command module, it was dropping down towards the surface of the moon, then the landers own camera as it seemed to creep down toward the surface, it’s retro rockets blowing away the lunar dust as its shadow started to fill the screen. Then “the Eagle has landed”….grainy black and white TV pictures…

Man had landed on the moon after a journey of about 250,000 miles. It doesn’t sound that far when you write it down. Did it only take 3 days to get there?

Then after a while Neil Armstrong climbed down the ladder and stepped onto Lunar regolith. “it’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Nowadays there would be a proper speech, but it was fantastic to see both Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moons surface. I don’t remember any more than being utterly amazed….

Pain

Posted on October 16, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aches, Age, anguish, army, fighting pain, fronts, Hurt, Life, Pain, Poem, Poetry, Thinking, Time2 Comments

Pain attacks from different directions

Trundles like an army on alternative fronts

I need to relax

Let my body un-tense

Then the pain flows away

Fear and stress exacerbate

Anxiety cramps me up

But starting to understand

I can calm my impulses

Like a frozen bag of peas

Soothes the army of pain

Descalating aches

Deflating anguish.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Time