The BIG Picture
They tell us we should get creative during this lockdown. I am normally a very creative person. I do all sorts of crafts and art. I make cards, I do scrapbooking, I knit, I sew, I paint furniture, I paint pictures - in fact I actually sold a painting recently!
I am in a whatsapp group with a few ladies I met at an art class I did in a learning in later life class at Strathclyde University. I met these ladies at the first class I ever did there, how to draw and paint using watercolour, which was about 6 years ago now. It was a lovely class and we all got on so well we exchanged email addresses and kept in touch by meeting up every 6 weeks or so for a trip to a local art exhibition, a coffee and a catch up and we've kept it up. There were originally 7 of us however one dropped away a while ago and another has recently moved to Dundee, so although she's still in our group chat and we'll see her occasionally, in the main our numbers are now 5. Until lockdown we only whatsapped to arrange dates and times of the next meeting, however since the lockdown we are all sending all sorts of jokes, pictures of things we've done, etc and we are keeping much more in touch which is nice. The but..... I feel you heard at the end of that sentence - they are all drawing and painting and doing all sorts and I'm doing nothing. A big fat zero creatively.
I'm in my garden planting seeds etc, my laundry has never been more up to date, the house is tidy, I've baked bread and scones but arts or crafts I just cannot get my head round just now. I'm also not reading as much as I normally do. I've read one book in the past few weeks and I've started another but I'm not getting into it and keep putting it down. I've unravelled some very old knitting I started and never finished and I've decided I'll knit a throw in lots of different coloured squares - well I say lots of different colours - I only have white, pink, multi coloured and a couple of bits and pieces of other colours so it could get interesting, however going by my past, I might not finish it anyway so it won't matter!
I feel this sounds like I'm down and out and really I'm not. I have a degree of anxiety, who doesn't just now, but for the most part I'm fairly content. I like not having to go out. There are things I miss, of course there are but on the whole I've got this. I'm happy in my bubble and I don't doubt thats exactly what it is, my bubble. I can't worry about the bigger picture at the moment. I have to concentrate on myself and hubby, my mum, my children and grandchildren, my extended family and my friends and neighbours and thats enough worry for anyone in my opinion.
I'm grateful for all I've got and I realise I'm very lucky. Stay in if you can and stay safe. xx
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| I did this painting at my art class and put it up for sale at our exhibition and someone bought it! |
I am in a whatsapp group with a few ladies I met at an art class I did in a learning in later life class at Strathclyde University. I met these ladies at the first class I ever did there, how to draw and paint using watercolour, which was about 6 years ago now. It was a lovely class and we all got on so well we exchanged email addresses and kept in touch by meeting up every 6 weeks or so for a trip to a local art exhibition, a coffee and a catch up and we've kept it up. There were originally 7 of us however one dropped away a while ago and another has recently moved to Dundee, so although she's still in our group chat and we'll see her occasionally, in the main our numbers are now 5. Until lockdown we only whatsapped to arrange dates and times of the next meeting, however since the lockdown we are all sending all sorts of jokes, pictures of things we've done, etc and we are keeping much more in touch which is nice. The but..... I feel you heard at the end of that sentence - they are all drawing and painting and doing all sorts and I'm doing nothing. A big fat zero creatively.
I feel this sounds like I'm down and out and really I'm not. I have a degree of anxiety, who doesn't just now, but for the most part I'm fairly content. I like not having to go out. There are things I miss, of course there are but on the whole I've got this. I'm happy in my bubble and I don't doubt thats exactly what it is, my bubble. I can't worry about the bigger picture at the moment. I have to concentrate on myself and hubby, my mum, my children and grandchildren, my extended family and my friends and neighbours and thats enough worry for anyone in my opinion.
I'm grateful for all I've got and I realise I'm very lucky. Stay in if you can and stay safe. xx
A lady after my own heart... one who reuses the plastic trays that we get from supermarkets when all we really needed was a paper bag.
ReplyDeleteCrumbs, I am impressed with your artistical skills, I am not surprised you sold it MG!
LX
I keep all the little punnets from our supermarket fruit and veg, they are perfect for seed growing. You might also recognise the chair is an old school chair! A school I worked in a long time ago had a pile of old desks and chairs they were dumping so hubby took a few off their hands and did them up. Our grandson still has his set and he's 18 now!
DeleteThankyou for your nice compliment. I must admit I feel I came on in leaps and bounds this year in my art class, I really enjoyed it and was very thrilled to sell this painting! I've still got the cheque as it was posted to me after lockdown and I've not been brave enough to go to the bank yet! I quite like looking at it anyway lol! xx
Your painting is fabulous. I still have the card that you painted for me, with the palm trees and the beach.
ReplyDeleteI have highs and lows, and hearing that J's colleagues/ their families have the virus, and dealing with my mother the dementor are amongst the lows! The garden is looking better every day though as J gets more of it cleared, and we're forecast some rain which will do the allotment good, so they're highs. I haven't settled to reading, but have almost finished a matinee coat for another of J's colleagues, and done quite a bit of painting in the garden.
Thank you. I don't understand why I cannot get my head round painting at the moment as I enjoy doing it so much and feel much more relaxed when I'm doing it but its just not happening. I think once you hear of someone close by having the virus it all becomes much more real and scary. When I heard my neighbours daughter had it (she doesn't live with them) it suddenly became much more of a threat and you've got the worry every day of your husband working in the hospital. I'm not sure how I'd cope with that, its bad enough our daughter working in the supermarket. It sounds as though you're keeping busy one way and another. xx
DeleteI keep all the plastic from the supermarket too (as well as loo rolls) - they're like mini greenhouses aren't they. It's a shame the plastic has to exist but at least we're using it twice. And I agree, there's nothing wrong with living inside one's bubble is there. We don't have much alternative anyway. And yes your painting is lovely - exactly the kind of thing I would buy! Just lovely. Anna
ReplyDeleteI like these containers to grow seeds in, they are a bit deeper than normal seed trays and as you say you can create a small greenhouse. I'm just glad I saw the way things were going in time to go and get some compost before lockdown! I have a compost heap in the garden but I always need to supplement it with bought stuff. Thank you, I wasn't sure whether to put a price on the painting, some people don't and the teacher encourages us to put some work into the exhibition as it reflects well on him! However I'm glad I did! I was very chuffed! xx
DeleteYour painting is wonderful.....I thought it was a photograph at first!
ReplyDeleteThank you Frances for such kind words. x
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