Rat On The Run

Taken in Ruskin Park today. This photo is so awful that I like it. Blurry action shot of the fastest animal in the park. We (Joan and I) also saw pigeons (of course), parakeets, crows, squirrels, dogs and a dove-who was friends with the pigeons.
The Richard Long exhibition was excellent so if you get the chance go-it is only on until the 6th September.

Monday Meander

I went into town today with every intention of seeing this exhibition. However, it is on at Tate Britan, not Modern-how could I be so wrong?! Anyway, I had a very pleasant walk along the river from London Bridge to the Tate and later to Charing Cross. I am meeting my Dad tomorrow morning at Kings College hospital so I might go to the exhibition in the afternoon!Icecream outside the Globe theatre. I love icecream vans, how they look kind of vintage, even the modern ones. I like the little flags and the large sign on the front. I am not that keen on icecream though-only occasionally.This man was very busy with his sand sculpture. He was earning a little money while he created. I donated £1 and managed to get it in his bucket which was about 10 feet away, earning a 'good shot' compliment from the man standing next to me. It must be all the years I played netball.This man is doing what I am just too cowardly to do-I hate all the attention you get when you draw or paint in public. At least he has chosen quite a secluded spot.Talking of spots, I saw these on Steven's Happy Accidents and then on Tiny Red. They are quite impressive but also quite tatty. They must have been up for a while and have lots of minor graffiti all over them.More skillful graffiti here.And some ironic graffiti here-this is back in Greenwich now, Blackwall lane to be precise. Poor old building.

Canberra, Nevada, Greenwich and Blue Skies

Sunday morning started with early phonecalls from freecyclers-one who wanted a folding music stand that I happened to be able to provide, and one who had this lightbox to give away and I was his chosen beneficiary! The lightbox came from Canberra Road. I have always wanted a lightbox-I feel it has many uses yet to be discovered. This is a home made one and is quite big. I am so pleased with it!
Later on we went into Greenwich, found our secret parking place that is almost always there, then had a look around the market.
A buddleia in Nevada Street.

This poodle was decorating a skirt in the market.

I liked this old fashioned police sign and all the trails in the blue sky. We are having incredible weather at the moment-consistently hot and sunny. Weird.

This stained glass panel was my bargain of the day. £2! I tried it in front of the light box but the light was too cold. I love it here on the window sill of the back room.

My other purchases at the market were two pairs of knitting needles and CUP that you can see above. The letters are wooden, painted pale blue, and about 6" high. Another stall holder had reserved the letters to spell HENS, for her hen house. So I must get a cup house and then the letters will have a purpose.

The part of the market I bought the window from is great-but quite small. Until recently there was a huge second hand market that had lots of little shops/businesses that had been there for years. It has been closed for some time now, and is going to be developed in some corporate kind of way-restaurants, 'proper' shops-I don't know the details. There are already plenty of restaurants and bigger shops and I think people come to Greenwich for the flea market as much as anything else. It is really sad that Greenwich has changed in this way-not for the better in my opinion-I just wish I had done some sort of campaigning or something to try to stop it.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Fabric Flock.

See HeyHarriet here for more shadows!

Mushrooms and Insurance

This morning we had to get up early to be ready for a man from Admiral insurance who came round to take a statement about a car accident we saw a few weeks ago. It was not a serious accident but was quite disturbing nonetheless. It involved a car in front of me in collision with a boy (of about 15) on a small motorbike. The boy was hurt but did not speak or respond to offers of help, and was just intent on getting away from the scene. He had no helmet or licence plate. I was almost relieved he went off so quickly, as I didn't have to practice my first aid skills on him! We found out today that he did in fact go to casualty, and the police caught up with him there. He had hurt his jaw. It was nice to know he was ok-the accident was weeks ago. Anyway, we had to give a statement each and they both took an hour. The insurance man, also an Andy, was very pleasant and efficient. It involved five A4 sides of handwriting for each statement. I remembered things quite clearly I thought but things such as distances and speeds can only be a best guess. I cannot imagine how people in serious accidents remember anything.

We had no breakfast before he arrived so two hours later were rather hungry, and I couldn't wait to make a lovely mushroom omelette with these little beauties. But I forgot to put them in-well-to cook them first, and was too hungry to start again, so they are still there. The omelette was still tasty-I used up some old cheese (sounds delightful eh? I bet you are sorry you missed it!)

I am currently torturing Andy by watching Sweeney Todd-cheap in the supermarket today. He hates musicals and this promises to be just the kind he particularly hates-where they make up songs seemingly as they go along-just like I do when I am doing the housework (minus the orchestra) I personally love that sort of thing! I was kind and turned it off as it was time to eat!

Bathroom

I would like my bathroom to be like this. I love all the mirrors-I have enough-I just don't have this room! I can't remember where I found this photo-I discovered it when sorting out my files-but wherever I found it-I like their taste!

Tomorrow I might lay around and read a book

Holiday manicness (is that a word?) has taken me over. It is nearer to the end than the beginning and I have had a bit of a doldrums and am now having a manic spurt, where I can't decide what I should do first, and so have started all sorts of things at the same time. I have goals in my mind for my artistic endeavours, which, in reality may not all happen as there are too many. In other words I am in a mild state of panic and why? Because I have decided, with no pressure from anyone else, to do all these things. You would think I would learn but somehow I don't.

On the plus side though, I have knitted a scarf, learned to knit on circular needles and knitted some wrist warmers and am onto another pair, used some of my second hand fabric on some birds I am working on, made some tealight holders, reorganised the DVDs, filed and saved a lot of my photos (freeing up much needed space on the hard drive!), watched three films I wanted to watch ages ago, nearly made a doll for an Art Doll Quarterly magazine challenge, and baked a banana cake.

Having written my list I feel a bit better actually, that I have achieved something but I also worry about the Jack of all trades phenomenon. Oh well.

Second wooden face. I might stop here with this one, as I like it like that.This is the doll I mentioned-well her head. I found this piece of drift wood, with nail attached, on Sheppey. I gessoed it at first but the clear gesso dried white so I sanded it and discovered a beautiful soft grain in the charred wood. I applied the gold leaf ages ago and added the face today. The ADQ challenge is to make a wooden doll-or at least the head must be wood. I am making a cloth body.This is my scarf-very easy to make but I love it-and it almost makes me look forward to winter-almost. Speaking of knitting I enjoyed looking here today-have a look-it is lots of fun! (Thanks Anne and Tracy for knitting inspiration!)These are the tealight holders-not finished yet-idea from here. (Thanks Vanessa!)The sketchbook project-the very beginning stages-I will explain more when I have done more!A self-explanatory though not particularly exciting picture of the neatened DVDs! I watched Slumdog Millionaire today-one of the films I have been meaning to watch for ages-I really liked it.The birds-they will be stuffed and the other side (white sheet material) painted. Not sure if they will hang or stand yet.

I used fresh bananas for the cake and it tasted a lot better than when I use old ones!