New paintings and regular art updates.
I had a lovely afternoon out so I gave my friend this small painting to say thank you. It’s only about three inches square. We had gone to a garden center so I felt it would be nice to give her something floral. Poppies are my favourite flower, vibrant and silken looking. This is a simple painting in acrylic. Drops of dew or rain sit on the petals and shimmer in the light. A bud ready to burst sits next to the flower with it’s promise of further beauty.
Tomorrow will be cool,
or not
It will be wet, 40%,
Or not?
Wind and rain
Or sunshine again?
We can say with clarity
There will be weather
But we don’t know
Whether
It will be fine
Or rain will make
The pavements shine!
Precipitation!
Be alert….
It’s a struggle to dry my washing in the back yard at the moment. The washing line snapped and I’ve tied it back up but it’s a bit saggy. It is also surrounded with hanging baskets which are a riot of colour and lovely scents which I hope will infuse into the drying clothes (although it’s already rained this morning!). I can’t fit a dryer in the kitchen even if I could afford one, or afford to run it. Just hoping the day stays dry now.
What are you most worried about for the future?
The heat is on..
The world is melting
Tides are rising
It’s happened in my lifetime
Sea water is hotter
Glaciers are drying up
No water to drink
Once it’s gone.
Drought hits crops
Why not be concerned?
Just because I might be gone
I still need to worry
For the ones that come after.
Do my best to restore things
To how they were?
Not much effect maybe?
But one fingernail holds me
Stuck on a cliff
Of hope to change things
We cannot turn back time
But we may make a difference
If we all try?
We just gathered some cherries off the ground because the rain and wind has knocked a lot off the tree. This is about a third of them that were too bruised, damaged or pecked. The rest have just been washed thoroughly in salty water and I’ve put them in the fridge to eat tomorrow. I will thoroughly rinse them again first.
The plan is to get a broom or a stick to try and pull some more down and collect them in an upturned umbrella. I hope the weather doesn’t intervene in the meantime! Praying the wind doesn’t whip up and blow them off. There’s still plenty left for the birds…
Bench at Westport lake last year. It was taken on a drizzly day like today. It’s good to see the weeping willow tree a bit further round the lake sweeping like a curtain across the side of the waters edge. It brings back memories of another one I knew….
I used to hide under a weeping willow when I was a child. It stood on its own in a park and I would sit with my back against it and imagine I was in a green tent or hiding behind a green waterfall. I had many adventurous thoughts sitting there in peace and quiet.
Relaxing on a bench is good when you have a view like this at Westport. After you have walked half a mile it’s nice to stop for a chat. Or a sandwich and a cup of tea. Refreshed and calm you can carry on with your walk. By the way there is a bench appreciation society page on Facebook for those that are interested….
Pottery head I made over twenty years ago. It’s planted up with straggly snapdragons this year but this photo from two years ago looks better. I really need to get out in the garden but I don’t seem to have the strength to sort things out at the moment. I’m fed up and I know gardening would help but the heat over the lost few days has made me really weary. It’s been close to 30°C. At least my hubby has been watering plants. Today? We are expecting heavy rain showers, so the plants will get a little water.
Don’t dip your brush in your tea!
It might make it taste foul..
You’ll see!
Oil and water doesn’t mix
And you’ll be in a fix!
Cos your tea isn’t water
Remember you ought’a
Put your mug somewhere else
Linseed oil, or turps taste
Vile, what a mistake…
Take it from me!
What are the most important things needed to live a good life?
Obviously we all need the basics of life, food, water, shelter. Without them people would struggle. They are the basis of a good life. But on top of this I think education is important too.
The more you learn, the more you can do things. Simple biology is useful for growing crops, understanding how to maintain and feed them, how to breed them so you get better crops over the years.
Learning languages can help you to understand other countries, their communities, the ideas behind their beliefs. And also help prevent things like xenophobia. The more you understand the less anxious you should be.
What about mathematics? You would struggle to run a business without basic arithmetic and if you want to understand marketing or the reach of your products you probably need an understanding of statistics too….
Fishing? Ecology would be a good subject.
Designing cars? Either Art so you can draw a design and work out how it would fit together, or engineering if you want to get down to the nuts and bolts…
So many things to learn, and in some places that could cost a lot of money. So I think education should be free and paid for by the richest people in society.
Of course not everyone is educated to a reasonable standard. But it’s generally understood that the better educated you are, the better off you will be. You might not have a rich life, but hopefully a good life, a life of knowledge, discovery and understanding. And an improved wellbeing.
Collage of my dove of peace based painting. The dark line across the centre makes it look like the birds are reflected in water. I did this to show my support for Ukraine.
Hearing that the Russians have destroyed a dam in Ukraine makes me wish for peace even more. Villages are flooding and water levels are rising. The hydroelectric plant there has been affected anf the Nuclear power plant nearby is also at risk. This is awful. Inhumane, violent, innocent citizens will lose (have lost) their homes. It’s also an ecological disaster, destroying habitats that were homes to animals on the delta. How can Putin be so evil? Those responsible need to be bought to account. Give peace a chance.
Mallaband-Brown