The Beauty of Autumn

The Beauty of Autumn

I walked yesterday along one of my favourite places, the coastal path. It has been the inspiration of many of my artworks and I have no doubt will continue to be so in the future. I did not take many pictures but I would like to share just one or two with you today.

Beech trees along the part of the path that has rightly been called Beech Avenue.

I could not resist this marvellous grass which sttod tall and proud and the white in contrast to the colours of autumn around me.

This I think speaks for itself.

Another of Beech Avenue this I think is screaming out to be painted.

This blog is linked to my other. Scary Faces





Portraits

Portraits

I have always enjoyed looking at faces and people. The face is the doorway to the heart and the eyes the gates to the inner being. There are some faces that just call out to be painted because they show the inner being of a good person.

I showed you yesterday a portrait I had painted and asked if you could guess who it was. I laughed and laughed when Katherine said she thought it was my father. He is old enough to be my father but no he is just my dear old friend Archie whom I talk of often.

On my other blog today I am telling a bit more about his philosophy of laughter and I have used this picture of him. He will die a thousand deaths if he ever sees it on here but here it is. This is him at his very best, making people laugh just by being his old self.

I asked if you could see the glint in his eyes in the portrait? I hope I captured that you sure can see it in this real life picture of him.

I said I was going to paint this, but I never will because I know I never could catch what this is all about.

Laugh with my good friend Archie.

This blog is linked to my other.Laughter In The Rain

The Beauty of Age

The Beauty of Age

I still look in wonder at that drawing that Barbra did of the roots of the trees I pictured. She saw in those roots exactly what it was I saw the day I took the picture, and managed to convey it with pencil.

Today in my other blog I was talking about how age can often affect us, but we must not let it diminish us. Sadly youth often only lets us see in others what we see with the eyes. When they see me out running they do not see the hundred and more marathons that lie behind the runner. All they see is an older man who they could run faster than, if they had a mind to.

I have today added another marvellous picture or two of the roots of trees. I am not sure they would make the same beautiful painting that Barbra created with the other one, but let me tell you above these roots were two magnificent trees. Without these old and gnarled fingers and their years of age they would be just two more trees.

Art has the power that few other things have of letting us see something that others do not. The inner being of nature and of people.

I have also once again shown you a painting I did of an older man. I hope like me you see his inner wit and wisdom. I will leave you to guess who he is.

This blog is linked to my other.Now What Was It I Came Up Here For?

The Apple, Can I Tempt You? (Completed)

The Apple

Can I Tempt You?

(Completed)

My apologies to those who must be tired of seeing this painting and commenting on it. On my other blog today I was talking about an apple tree that I pass most days when out walking and running. It is an apple tree that bears beautiful apples and one of its fruit was the subject of this painting.

I have passed it so often, I have picked and enjoyed its fruit and yet until yesterday I have taken it so much for granted. It was there to be enjoyed. I never gave thought to the story behind it.

How often that is the way of art, or the published word, we take it for granted. Never giving thought to the toils and the musings that lie behind it. The nurture and the care that brought it to this point.

This was brought home to me yesterday by Jennifer on her blog. A painting she has had for some time and worked on had her thinking of a title. She spoke of the work she has had to get it framed and ready to show. Now it is and a dream has become a reality. .

For more on this thought of dreams and bringing them to fruition see my other blog. The Motorway Apple Tree

A Painting in Thought.

A Painting in Thought.

I have not had a minute to myself to sit down and paint or draw since the completion of the apple pastel. But that does not mean that I have not been thinking art. I had a marvellous walk during the last few days. I walked in the highlands of Scotland with my son and daughter in law.

The beauty at this time of the year is stunning. I could not help but take pictures of some of the views. I am sure I have taken the same scenes many times before but strangely enough I have never painted any of the places here, that I have walked so often.

I have added one or two to this blog just to let you see them.

I am hoping that seeing them on this blog just might inspire me to the next stage. Turing one of them into a painting.

Maybe I have so many I can never choose?


This blog is linked to my other.  Oh My Goodness Look at That

Can I Tempt You? - Pastel

Can I Tempt You? - Pastel

You watched as I struggled with the new pencils. Some of you gave me a great deal of help and advice. Some even had a laugh at my expense. Maybe I will be remembered as the man who painted apples with straight lines. You know who you are and even now I am still laughing.

I took a larger sheet of pastel board and had another attempt at the same painting. This time I used pastel pencils. I painted it on white board in an attempt to make the colours of the apple brighter than they were on the black paper. I am not sure that it has worked out as I hoped but I think this subject still has worth for further exploration and attempts.

I have had a terrible time photographing it. I either get the apple looking good or the hand looking fair. I cannot seem to get both on the same picture. So please forgive the photograph I have put on here to share with you.

I am having to head off early tomorrow so not sure when I will post again but hope in the meantime you all feel creative and create a marvellous memorial.

I am not being sad please read my other blog to see the positive thoughts that lie behind this statement.

This blog is linked to my other. The Things We Remember

Rain Along The Coastal Path

Rain Along The Coastal Path

I painted this painting and the one on my other blog some time ago. One sold very quickly and my son has the second of them.

They were both painted from one experience of a run along the coastal path on a windy raining day. I can remember the day so well. I ran out to a point on the shore then turned and ran home again. The point is a measured distance from my home so by turning there I knew without checking how far my total run would be.

I can remember when I turned to make the homeward journey how much easier the running became. The wind was now at my back and helping me along. Oh such joy comes to those who venture forth.

That day I passed not a single person on the path. No dog walkers, no fellow runners and not a single person out tackling the long walk of the coastal path.

So I was alone to soak in the unexpected beauty given to me by the wind and the rain.

Today is such a day and the minute I hit the “Post” button on blogger I am off out that back door to once again enjoy what the day will throw at me.

You also have a great day.

This blog is linked to my other.  Grasping The Moment

Gates For Jerry

Gates For Jerry

I have started work on a painting using pencils, but this time pastel pencils. I know that Susan and Ruby have told me often that it is always more difficult to paint the same subject a second time. I also remember Heather doing a second version of a portrait and at the time saying she was finding it more difficult.

I have decided to try and do the apple painting again in a larger format using pastel pencils. I am trying it this time on white pastel board. I hope this might let me make the colours glow a bit more and the hand maybe slightly more sinister. I know it will mean making the background dark by using dark pencils over a large area, I am not sure if this will work.

I will not this time bore you again by showing it in progress and will only show it complete if it works.

So today the artwork is not mine but for me an unknown craftsman. The craftsman, who made these marvellous iron gates. I promised Jerry I would let him see them.

I was running through a large estate. I was aware that there was a castle, or at least a very large house on the estate but not sure where. I ran up a steep hill by the side of the river and there it was.

I was not sure how close it was safe to go without alarm systems giving warning of my presence. I was aware of cameras and the alarms they were all around.

I took this picture with my cell phone. Sorry Jerry I will make an effort next time to get a bit closer. I am sure the detail is marvellous.

On my other blog I was talking about knocking on doors and gates. These gates were very firmly locked. But who knows?

This blog is linked to my other.  Doors and Gates

Coming Home To Roost.

Coming Home To Roost.

I was told that it would not be possible to upload to blogger at the time that I normally write my post. So I will not be able to share with you the marvellous gates I came across yesterday on the new running route I found. I was so sure Jerry would liked to have seen them. The artistry was amazing.

As I was talking about living in the past on my other blog I added this painting about coming home to roost.

I often watch the birds return from the sea to roost overnight. Or the starlings in their hundreds gathering together to roost in safety.

But our past can often come back to roost and haunt our present. It was this that I was trying to think about on my other blog.

This painting was a very large painting. I thought it was never going to sell and was giving thought to using the canvas again. Thank goodness I took ages to get round to doing it because it did in fact sell and the person who purchased it has had many hours of pleasure from it he assures me.

This blog is linked to my other. Let Us Not Dwell In The Past

The Lilly Pond

The Lilly Pond

If you are not here because you have read my other blog and you are looking for the answer I apologise. On my other blog today I finished with a question and said I would give the answer here. So let me just do that.

There were still three frogs on the Lilly leaves. You see one of the frogs had made a decision to jump but he had not yet got round to putting the decision into action. Now how often can we all be like that, full of wonderful decisions and short on wonderful actions?

I often make decisions, sadly I do not always consider the consequences of the actions and end up in a mess trying to do far too many things at the same time. The other week there I decided to stop doing that. I have still to put that decision into action and here I am sharing a painting with you I have shown you before.

It does however fit well with my other blog. Between the two blog I have shown two versions of Lilly pond paintings I have done. Neither ever will match the wonder of the great Lilly pond painter Monet. In fact the decision on my part to paint this second one was maybe not such a great idea. The first one sold this one has as yet not and may never.

Not all decisions are good ones.

Have a great day.

This blog is linked to my other.  It Is Not Enough To Make A Decision

The Heart Of A City

The Beating Heart Of A City

In my other blog I spoke about this little village at the very heart of Edinburgh. It is surrounded by the city but lies much lower that the city itself. One of the main entrances to Edinburgh crosses over the Dean Bridge which towers high above the village.

It is a little place almost unknown by the majority of even the locals. As a student I spent many a happy hour sitting by the river edge reading and meditating. It has a very special place in my heart. I have to some extent been selfish about this place sharing its beauty only with those closest to me.

I have photographed it often from many different angles. As yet I have never ever painted any part of it.

One day soon I will do just that. I may even venture over with my pencils and sketch there in my favourite spots.

Here today I share another picture here.

Yesterday I had the most terrible of days unable to stop and think at all. I started at six am and was still driving down a dark winding highland road late into the night. Today I am still tired. So I apologise no art today but I hope this picture in some way brings joy.

Oh just a thought about the apple. The markings on this apple are very distinctive and the lines do in fact run up and down as I have shown. I did try to take advice and go round but it began to not look like the apple I was using as my source.

This blog is linked to my other. It Is What Lies In the Heart That Really Matters

Can I Tempt You? (Final)

Can I Tempt You?

I think I will now call this one a day. I wonder if you notice that I have in fact added a signature to this one, the first of the drawings I have done that I have done so.

I know that some of you who have been producing work with pencils for a long time will still see things I could do to improve this, but for now I feel happy with it.

I like, as I have said before the title of this and because of that I may now try this again on white paper to see if I can get the colours to speak more to me. I might also try it using pastel pencils.

Seems that at last I have began to find that pencils and me are not so alien to each other.

When I saw the work of others in pencil I could not help yield to temptation. I hope in the long run my failing to resist will lead to joy and not in the end sorrow.

For more on the topic of temptation look to my other blog. I Can Resist Anything.

Can I Tempt You ? (2)

Can I Tempt You?

Yesterday I was given some encouragement to both carry on with this and to leave well alone. Now give that same option I ask you in all seriousness which would you chose? The wise decision would probably be to leave well alone. If at least one person is happy with something the way it is then it cannot be entirely bad.

The trouble is we always see something that we can make better. Katherine mentioned that she added layer upon layer to try and get the desired depth of colour. As I was doing this painting as a learning process I thought I would go with her suggestion as the best way to learn more about these pencils.

I am using different pencils from her. I am using Derwent Artists Studio Pencils.

I have added more layers of colour to the apple and defined the hand a bit more. I can already see that there may still be a way to go. The good thing is I feel that I am getting a better depth of colour.

I have stuck with the black paper for the moment but may do this painting again on white to make a comparison. I may also take this topic and develop it in pastel.

 This blog is linked to my other. The Man Whom Nobody Knew


Ruby was telling me yesterday she is having problems posing comments on my blog was I deleting them. No I never ever delete any comments so I am sorry if this has happened to you. I am aware that I have not been getting many comments there may be something I have done.

Can I Tempt You?

Can I Tempt You?

Here I go again looking for a bit of guidance. No I am not to be tempted but I am seriously wondering about the coloured pencils I purchased. I have no doubt whatever that they are good quality pencils. Rather I think I am expecting more from them than I should.

I thought I would try this drawing in both black and white and colour. I chose to use a sheet of black drawing paper which does work well with bright white pastel pencils.

I wanted the apple to be in full colour the hand to be hinted at with white.

I have tried to layer the colour to build it up on the black but I am just not sure if it is working at all. Maybe I should start again using white paper?

The one thing I do like is the title. I am sure that it is obvious where it came from? Being a theologian I am aware that there is never ever any mention of an apple in the story this alludes to. There is the fruit of the tree of good and evil and the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Where the apple came from I do not know at all.

But I do like the play on words and for that reason I would love to make a good painting out of this one way or another.

This blog is linked to my other. A Tree Is A Wonderful Thing

Dog For Last Time

Dog For Last Time

You must be really tired of seeing this poor animal. This I promise will be the last time. Thanks to all who took the time to offer me some very valuable advice. I have added some darker tones but already I can still see where I need to soften the blending yet again.

I think it is time to do as both Barbra and Ruby have told me to do to lay it aside and maybe return to it again at a later stage.

I have enjoyed using the pencils but long to get back to using some colour again.

I tried the coloured pencils but could not get anything like the beauty that Katherine manages to create. In fact I found it almost impossible to get any feeling of colour at all. Still I am not in reality a person who gives up on a venture easily so will get them out and try again.

Ruby has twice now hinted that maybe I should try getting back to flowers. My fear about that is that I will maybe end up striving to create something like those who paint botanical illustrations. I just know I will fail miserably at such a venture.

So I will give it some thought and see what today brings.

So goodbye to the dog drawing for now.

On my other blog I was talking about acts of kindness. Can I say it again as boring as it may sound there are so many bloggers on here who day in and day out do acts of kindness by taking the time to give help and advice. I would like to remind them it is noticed and noted.

Thanks again.

This blog is linked to my other.  A Kindness Repaid

Dog 3

Dog 3

I am having problems with blogging this morning so my apologies. Yesterday I downloaded the new windows Internet Explorer 9 and since then I am having problems with blogger and with my email

So here he is my latest update of my dog drawing. I am sorry he does not fit into my scanner but earlier blogs will let you see the missing parts. I am aware that there is much that need to be done. The darks on one side of the face are darker that the others and there needs to be some work done on the blending and also the eyes. I am not at all sure about the mouth but I am open to advice and help.

Once again I thank you all for your help.

When reality hits you and you see the drawing on here and you see the original you sure do become very aware of what needs to be done.

This blog is linked to my other. When Reality Hits You In THe Face

Textured Sunflowers.

Textured Sunflowers.

On my other blog today I was talking about losing sight of my goals. I think it was in the creation of this painting that I began to lose sight of what I was trying to do in art. I had had a measure of some success in terms of producing one or two textured paintings that I liked and felt happy to have created. Sadly not too many people have agreed with me on that and I still have most of them laying about the place unsold.

I then tried to do some drawing with pencils. I have also been trying to get to grips with airbrushes.

I have been writing not just this blog but the other. Then on top of that I decided to get back into fitness.

So the goals have become many and I have got lost in the fog.

So as I said on the other blog I am going to be more precise about what I try to achieve on a day to day basis.

Instead of a bundle of goals I will set smaller goals throughout the day.

1. Today my first goal was to add an extra two miles to my morning run. Done.

2. To write my Blogs. Done.

3. To do a bit more work on the dog. Still to be done.

4. To read and comment on some blogs.



I think that will make for a manageable and good day that will lead to the sleep of joy.

I hope you all have a good day.

This blog is linked to my other. Losing Sight of the Goal

The Jazz Player

The Jazz Player

Yes you have seen this before, well some of you have. I have put it in today because a fellow blogger admitted to me a love of the saxophone. On my other blog I was talking today about getting priorities right and how easy it is to get into a mess because you fail to do so. I was doing it very much tongue in cheek.

The reality is though that it is so easy to get it all wrong. As we get older, and sadly we all do, we reflect back on what just might have been.

At one time I was a sax player. I played sax and clarinet. It was not all wasted I had some great times and I suppose in one way or another I learned much from the experiences I had at that time in my life. Music in turn led me into the ministry in a round about kind of way. I wrote some modern hymns and tunes that are still song in churches today.

I swopped the clarinet and the sax for a new engine for my car and the music came to an end.

I tell you this because I am aware that I am in grave danger of swopping my art for something else. I have regretted the loss of the music often and writing that down here for you to read will make me think about the art again.

Anyway here it is again posted just for my blogger friend who loves sax players.

Done in pastel on pastel board it still lays around my home somewhere. One that got away and nobody wanted to give him house space.

This blog is linked to my other   How Wrong Can We Be

Sunflowers

Sunflowers

Today in my other blog I was talking about anger, how easily it finds its way into our lives. Sometimes it comes from unexpected places, or people. One minute calm and peace and from nowhere it is there.

Art offers a marvellous means to help keep such anger at bay. I have never shared this with my fellow bloggers but I do today. On this page I have added a painting of my own, not one of my best, but it is one of my favourite subjects, sunflowers which runs very close with poppies. Such flowers have a marvellous calming effect on me.

Yesterday, as I have said on my other blog my day kind of drew to a close walking the woods as the daylight disappeared. It set on what had been a wonderful day. It could have been so much otherwise.

So back to you my fellow bloggers. I have bookmarked many of your blog pages. Pages that contain paintings that I find so helpful in meditating for calm.

I thought I would share that with you today without going into any detail of how I use them. it does though I think remind us of the many dimensions of art.

Thanks once again.

This blog is linked to my other.Anger is best Kept in Its Place

It Is Not Just Any Dog 2

It Is Not Just Any Dog 2

Yesterday I had a busy day one way and another. As usual, well it is my new usual, I began with a run. It was cold and windy but I still had a good run. I arrived home ready to get on with the dog drawing, first the blog, that had to be written. Then one thing after another and the day seemed to be flying past.

I did though in the midst of it get a little bit more done on the dog. I am sorry I have cut a bit of his ear off in the scanning. He is just too big to fit onto my scanner, maybe I should have taken a picture rather than use the scanner, but I have left that in my caravan so not an option without making a visit to it.

For better or worse here he is slowly progressing. I hope to finish him this weekend but having a visit from my daughter today will probably rule out any progress on that today.

Family always get my first attention. Hopefully we will either run or walk together.

How is the dog progressing? I am not at all sure. I can still see that I need to learn how to move from the darks to the lights more gently. But it is indeed a wonderful learning experience.

Thanks again all who are offering advice and encouragement.

For something much lighter and for a possible laugh visit my other blog. It Is Time For A Laugh

Not Just Any Dog

Not Just Any Dog

Well yesterday I did as so many of you have said time after time; I made a start on another drawing with my new pencils. I spent a fair bit of time on it but hoping that I get some advice from you experts.

I am aware that I need to work on the blending between the darks and the lights. This dog is black and white but just leaving the paper white seems far too harsh?

I have already been told that it will look better once I begin to bring it all together and that the eyes will help also.

Now with the eyes should I stick with just shades of black and white or add the beautiful big brown eyes this dog has?

When I paint abstracts I never feel the need to ask myself too many questions about what I am doing it I just do it. When I paint landscape or seascapes I do not seem to worry over the colours I use or what I put in or leave out. It all just seems to happen.

This is what makes this both frustrating and yet exciting. I am sure I will never be good at this but it is mind consuming and that has to be good.

If I was doing this dog in pastel I would be working on black paper and would be using only white pastel. This is like working negative for me. Does that make any sense at all?

I feel like a lost soul in a sea of questions.



This blog is linked to my other where I am talking about. The Judgement But Not Of Solomon.

Hands That Can Do It.

Hands That Can Do It.

I had a real rest day yesterday. I cleared up my work space. A laborious task but not one that was going to make me tired with the hard labour.

I did not run, thought it best to give my back a chance.

I did walk down to the village and had an hour with my dear old Friend Archie, who I have spoken of often before and shown his portrait.

He is a man of few words but a man full of wisdom, and it is amazing how a glass of his favourite tipple can bring that wisdom to the fore.

He asked me what I had painted in the morning. I told him in all honesty that I had painted little in the past month. That I had bought some new materials but was not getting on fast with them.

He looked at me and said, “Son it is not the materials or these hands of yours that is at fault. It is what is going on between your ears. Stop trying and look at what you have done before. Once you have done that come back and tell me again you cannot do it.”

The paining I have added to both blogs today is one of my very early artworks. I have put it on here before. I painted this one day after I had already painted an abstract that I did rather feel happy with. Two paintings that day, and both made me feel good.

The reason I painted the hands was simply because I had been pleased that those same hands had produced something of joy.

So I put them on again today to remind me of that moment and to remember that these, “Hands Can Do It.”

Painted on black pastel paper using hard pastels.

This blog is linked to my other. Laziness is Just Resting Before You Are Tired

A day that only got worse.

A day that only got worse.

Have you ever had a day when you wished you had stayed in bed, or a day where you could have just missed it out and moved on? Well yesterday I had just such a day.

It started off very well, a nice hard uphill run, things could only get better. I managed to write my blogs and post them, as some of you will be aware. I then went to print off what I hoped would be the picture I would attempt to draw.

The day went rapidly downhill. MY computer began to play up. The printer would not work, my camera would not connect. The screen kept blacking out. No matter what I tried nothing seemed to help. I got more and more frustrated. Eventually I discovered a loose connection to a usb hub which was causing all the problems. The trouble was I had let it get to me.

The painting was not coming on as fast and the way I wanted it, so I gave up and consigned it to the bucket. I did a further two tasks that went the same way.

I eventually gave up and decided at least if I went out for a walk nothing would go wrong there. I was correct. I had a great walk and decided on the way home to call in at the hairdressers and have my hair tidied up.

Thank goodness there is only a week or so between a bad haircut and a good one. To be fair the hairdresser made a great job, just took off more than I had wanted.

I got home and decided to shower off all the loose hair. I slipped on the bathroom floor and landed on my back right on the spot still weak from my much more serious accident. To make matters worse I knocked my brand new novel into the shower where it has ended up soaked from cover to cover.

As I lay down to rest it I thought, “All I need now is for somebody to knock on the door and ask if I want to purchase some lucky white heather.”

Today I start again. No running will have a day of rest clean up my painting area and if anything speaks to me I will listen.

I have told you that my paints and pencils speak to me? Does yours do the same?

Thanks to all my friends who during the course of yesterday were bright lights in a dark day. Those who contacted me on here and the ones who emailed. Without you all I am sure it would have been even worse.

Oh ! the painting on this blog today is an abstract I painted after seeing an old brick wall covered in autumn leaves and plants. A large work on canvas painted with acrylic using my fingers.



This blog is linked to my other. Those who serve go unnoticed

The Moron of the Glen

The Moron of the Glen

Yesterday I packed my new sketching folder and headed out to see if I could find inspiration to make me open it and begin. Sadly I walked and walked and the pad stayed in the bag.

Today I am going to take one of the pictures I showed on yesterday’s blog and make an effort to use these new pencils. I am so thankful that so many of you are as encouraging as I flounder about this way and that.

I feel enthused by the encouragement of so many of you and then others tell me to stick to the paint.

Let me see what today brings. In the meantime, I wonder how many of you are familiar with that wonderful painting of a Scottish stag deer in all its splendour, standing on a high ridge looking out over its terrain. It is called, “The Monarch of the Glen.” Prints of this painting hang in so many hotels in the highlands of Scotland it has almost become unnoticed in its popularity.

I was walking the other day there climbing a steep path. As I turned a small bend there before me was the sight you see in the two pictures above. I snapped quickly and when I saw the results I just could not help laughing. Here was not the Monarch of the Glen but the Moron of the Glen. The poor lowly sheep in all its glory.

He made me laugh out loud I hope he does the same for you.

So please stick with me as I try to rise above the doubts and make a start.

I do notice more people joining this blog and I thank you all for doing so.

This blog is linked to my other. Why Do Some People Always Complain?

Where Do I Begin?

 So I have all these beautiful pencils, a variety of kinds of pencils. I look at them and wonder just where do I start? I always enjoy watching people arriving on a caravan park. They roll in with their caravan or motor home. The first task is to find what for them, is a suitable pitch. One that gets full sunlight or one that is in partial shade. The more pitches that there are vacant the harder the task becomes. Some people can end up trying four or more before they are happy.

It seems that choice is not always a good thing. On the other hand I saw a really funny thing the other day there. I was walking along a woodland path, coming towards me was a man and woman and their two little dogs. The dogs were fighting over a stick, and it was a very serious battle they were having. The ground was covered with equally sized sticks, but they both, out of all the hundreds both wanted the same one.

So here I am, with all these pencils, all these lovely shades of black, and all these beautiful colours and I do not know where to begin.

I thought about the drawing I had done of the little bridge. Could I maybe do that in colour? Too difficult? I thought of the beautiful drawing sent to me by Barbra and the picture of the little tree by the lake I have brought home with me. Is this possible or again is this too difficult?

The little stone boat shed by the jetty I ran past every morning and made up wonderful stories about as I ran. Even more difficult?

I am at a real loss, spoilt for choice and a feeling that no matter where I begin it will lead to the wrong choice.

A fellow blogger, the other day, sent me a message about one of my very early blogs commenting on a vase of blue cornflowers. Maybe I should try and do something like this.

One thing is sure, as another blogger has said to me, I need to stop running and get back to my first real place, ART.

Have any of my blogging friends got any good suggestions to help me?

I thought I would share this picture with you just to make you smile. In the background is one of the mountains I ran up. The one in the distant centre, it is called, Coniston Old Man, in the foreground is just simply, The Old Man. Have a great day.

This blog is linked to my other. What Every Woman Wants

Oh and Jerry I will try hard to post a few extras but I need also to try and catch up with reading blogs.

Pencils And Me

Just a very short blog to say that I have returned from my week of challenge in the mountains. More of that on my other blog  Things You Have To Do  I visted the pencil factory where they make all those marvellous pancils.

I took ages looking at all the different pencils they made. I now have a variety. I have bought some watercolour pencils some artists quality coloured pencils. I also could not resist some of the tinted charcoal ones. To round off my purchases I bought their new sketching folder. This is new to their range with a selection of pencils blenders and burnisher in a fold up folder that also has a pad eraser and sharpener.

Now I have to learn how to use them. HELP.

I am so looking forward to the challenge.