Well mid week has passed already and what’s been happening here. Not a lot I have to say.
Posted a few new mini pictures on various web sites and still waiting to frame up a couple of Prints I did recently, but as the hands aren’t working too good that’ll just have to wait.
Bit of a struggle doing new work too, but if I can’t to it today – I’ll do tomorrow or whenever, though I wish, wish, wish the weather was warmer and had some sun! Last night here was 3 degrees C and this is MAY!
So what have I done – ?
Managed to produce a painting called “the beggar”, which is an impressionist gauche style painting of a begger woman on the streets of Delhi, India. And I’ve kept it simple and naive.
Beggar
She stood in the middle of the road in a teeming mass of traffic. people, bustle and noise. Horns blaring, people shouting, the noise of cars and motorcycles plus the choking exhaust of humanity in the thousands.
Wrapped in a blanket and holding on to her wooden staff with such a calm dignity and serene expression, I had to quickly take a photograph, but with every intention of translating this to canvas when I returned home.
In the painting I’ve tried to show some of the situation with bold colour, by heavy pen and brush stroke of the noise and bustle, contrasting with her quiet calm denoted by the slight downward angle of her head and serene expression.
This is a first attempt at it, but I need to include some of the surroundings I think to give it some life. My problem was that when I took the photo I zoomed in on her and that calmness and excluded the masses of traffic and people, so I’m going to have to draw some in as best I can from memory. I may also have to use a slightly different style to give the movement I want – but we’ll see how it goes.
Wildlife wise – 4 House Martins have returned again this year over the past few days and 2 are busy building a new nest. One of their previous nests is already occupied by a pair of Fly Catchers – and the point of the eaves one at the end of the house has the other two Hm’s already in residence, their little house repaired, tidied up and settled in.
Upside down house
This is an upside down house and the repair was for the bottom which had fallen out (woodpecker) – so it was duly cemented up and the entrance relocated from the very top to the left side. Clever little fellas!
First day building
The latest couple are very busy puting a small house on top of one of our security lights and it’s amazing how fast
Day two
they are at housebuilding. Far better than most bricklayers I know!
You’ll note that the new houses are not really full houses, that is there’s no roof. Instead they’re using the overhang of the house roof to provide that. These are just little “protection from the weather” walls, which they build on top of anything that’s suitable. Here it’s on top of a security light – another is on top of an alarm box – only the third full house one is built upside down and up against the rook itself and is quite a large affair.
The images show the first day progress followed by the second day, which is pretty darned impressive. They build much in the same way our ancestors did – with mud, straw, twigs and bind it all together with water and in their case saliva – and these are amazingly strong too and last from season to season without too much in the way of damage.
Sometimes they move too – last year a couple started off in one of the little walled houses, then as others moved out, they in turn moved into the full upside down house, had their youngsters and flew off to warmer climes.
And speaking of warmer climes………………….that seems like a VERY good idea!
