Wednesday 26 November 2014

GAY FRIEND

A girl needs a gay friend.  Most of my life since being a teenager, I have had a gay male friend. The first was when I was seventeen.  His name was Lukas and he came from a very conservative background.  He was an apprentice hairdresser.  I remember when he 'came out', the despair and pain he suffered when his family completely rejected him. Today he has several salons and although he never reconciled with his Dad, he and his Mum and two siblings are a very close family unit.

A gay friend is one who is always there for you through disappoĆ­nting love affairs, shopping sprees (always honest) and someone with whom to share a good weepy romantic film. 

I still have gay friends but they are far away.  Well I now have several new ones.  Who would have thought that I would enjoy their friendship in Luxembourg and Bavaria.  Lucky me.

My husband and I are of the opinion that tolerance and acceptance are absolute criteria in a world so full of hatred and bias.  

Keep smiling and don't forget to give someone a good hug today.

Tuesday 25 November 2014

POLE DANCING

Today is misty and chilly and a good day for painting and drawing.  I had just done this pen and wash in my sketchbook a day or two ago and thought it would give you a little giggle.  I am enjoying thinking up captions for my sketches - always with some humour. 

 Our world is so full of brutality, hatred, racialism and everything that causes one to feel helpless and depressed. We cannot change the wider world but we can change the little world around us. The way I can change things is by buying fewer plastic bags.  How about getting a cotton one and decorating it yourself with fabric paints.  Nice way to get your artwork noticed too!! 
I also feel that many elderly folk are lonely and neglected often by their own families.  A visit of maybe half an hour a month could make all the difference to that loneliness. 

We are such a 'throw-away' society.  Do we really have to own the latest model of everything?  My mobile phone is several years old and does the job just fine thank you!!  

It saddens me to see young people with eyes glued to their tablets and i-phones etc, ears plugged and fingers constantly in motion. They are missing the sound of birds, the ocean, the wind through the trees, a glorious sunset,  animals, plants and flowers and sometimes even the sound of each other's voices.

How can we as artists help.  How about the possiblity of giving a few free lessons to the kids in your neighbourhood.  Take them out into a park and dish out some free paper, a few markers or watercolours and let them enjoy a little of the nature to be found around them.


Monday 10 November 2014

PUFFIN ISLAND - (with fond memories of reading Enid Blyton books)

When I was a little girl, I was a total Enid Blyton fan.  I lived vicariously all the adventures of the Famous Five and Secret Seven.   The story of a mystery on Puffin Island was my favourite.  The puffins were the most delightfully colourful and funny creatures.  I longed to see one.  Eventually I did. It was on a trip to the far north of Scotland.  I was totally enamoured and still am.  There was an interesting article about these birds in the National Geographic and I soaked up all the information with much interest.  The puffins depart in winter and nobody knows where they go.  They are excellent at flying with a large wingspan and are also extremely proficient at diving.

This diptych is my tribute to these birds.  It is the second of two fairly large works.  The first just did not work out and is now covered in a mix of teracotta and gesso giving it a nice soft pinky look as a base colour for my next painting.

A tip when painting these large works is, get the sky in first.  It sets the scene for the light and ambience of the entire work.

Hope you enjoy it.