New paintings and regular art updates.
I enjoyed painting this a few years ago, I used a phone app to change the texture of a photo then worked off that. This is acrylic on canvas. I keep meaning to do a few more pictures like this. It’s just deciding what images to work from. I’ve hit a bit of a block recently so I’m hoping if I do something like this it might encourage me to do more.
Blue footed, grey blue bodies, black heads with white blazes above their beaks. Not a good photo but my arm shakes too much so this was the best shot of the bunch!
The other birds which are similar have red blazes above their beaks, darker bodies, those are Moorhens. The photo was taken at Westport lake last weekend. I did think about going back today but I didn’t feel well enough on this grey, foggy, cold and drab day.
One spring a few years ago we went to Rode Hall in Staffordshire and walked round the bluebell filled woods. Hubby took his little red motorboat to try and sail it on the lake but there is not a safe place to launch it from, so I took this photo of him looking longingly at the lake, boat in the bag next to him.
He did sail his boats on the smaller of the two lakes at Westport later in the year. One day he sailed it and it ran out of power a few feet out from the shore. He tried to pull it back in with a broken branch. It drifted further out! So he took his shoes off, rolled up his trousers and waded out! As he clambered out with the boat his legs up to his knees were covered in black mud. We didn’t have a towel so he had to sit on a couple of carrier bags in the car. The mud was very smelly so we drove home with the windows wide open! He was always adventurous bless him X
I joined a moss appreciation group recently. I’ve taken a few photos but I’ve not come across anything as spectacular as some of the members post. You can just see a reddish orange cup shape in the bottom right quarter of this photo. I think its a type of fungus?
Here’s a closer look. Can you identify it?
I like the idea of eccentric groups of people adding information and images to the Internet. That’s what makes it interesting.
Westport lake tree, off the beaten track, down a side path.
Somebody has taken a sign off this tree, they have left two “eyes” in place. My friend saw it first and it made me laugh. Is it an ent? Is it Treebeard… I can imagine a mouth and nose! It was good to escape even though it was drizzling and grey. Good to enjoy time outside.
Working on this but the twigs are too thick and dark. I might try and thin them down or paint over them and make them lighter. I need a thinner brush, just a few bristles. Hmm…. And daylight, it’s hard painting under artificial light.
The visitor centre at Westport lake stands on stilts and appears like the curved prow of a boat above the lake. The roof juts out over the balcony and offers some shelter from rain that can blow in on the prevailing wind. The visitor centre has a cafe, and sells gifts relating to the wildlife on and around the lake and wooded areas. You can buy bird food and bird nesting boxes, and books including natural history. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust manages the park and does various activities to encourage children to get into supporting the environment and nature. There is also a children’s playground. The only drawback is that the council has bought in parking charges.
The silver blue water of Westport Lake in Stoke on Trent today. This Swan was one of many that were searching for food. It had cygnets in tow, almost free of the pale brown plumage. The swans got out of the lake later as visitors were feeding them bread (not an ideal diet) but in this weather they need sustenance. They even tried a swift peck at my friends arm!
We only walked a couple of miles but that was enough for today. I was chilled by a cold breeze and glad to get back to the car. I will do more walks.
The ugly duckling hides in the reeds, brown feathers gradually lost, snow white feathers uncovered. Soon it will be a majestic Swan.
Photo from a walk in 2020, Westport lake in Stoke on Trent.
Westport lake. A splendid place to visit is one of our local reservoirs. It helps supply the Trent and Mersey canal. In winter when the trees and bushes are skeletal the warm glow of a sunset can make it seem anything but cold. Pleasant memory of a walk with my hubby.
Mallaband-Brown