A couple of quick sketches at our local pub quiz. We were abysmal, 28 out of 40 – the winners scored 38! I’m getting back to normal after the mid-winter shenanigans where I took a bit of a break from doing art – or anything much else to be honest, apart from eating my own body weight in cheese! So back to sketching every day. I used a ballpoint pen for these very quick scribbles into an A6 size pocket sketchbook.
The Cheese Has Landed! I entered one of those Facebook competitions a few weeks ago. You know the ones, you click on ‘Like’ and share the page and you’re entered into a prize draw. Well, this was with the Welsh Cheese Company and if there’s one thing that I like more than almost anything else in the world … almost …. it’s cheese. So I clicked and shared and a couple of weeks later they got in touch to tell me that I’ve won fifty quid’s worth of cheese! Not just any old cheese either, but the nation’s finest.
So I was working today and spent the evening with some of our extended family and we ate loads of cheese. And I didn’t do any art but now I’m stuffed full of cheese. And I’m so happy, being stuffed full of cheese 😀
It’s been a very drizzly day and there’s thick cloud this evening so there’s no sign of the Xmas Full Moon, so here’s a photo of the Xmas Eve nearly-full moon that we saw last night bouncing up over the rooftops opposite.
And first thing this morning, Sparta Puss and Ming The Merciless wouldn’t let us sleep a bit longer. They insisted on waking us up at 7am for their breakfast as usual. No chance of a holiday lie-in.
My absolute favourite Xmas present – a River Song sonic screwdriver. I’ve wanted one for years and I’ve been hinting and finally the hints sunk in and Husb gave me this. I waved it around liberally during the Doctor Who Xmas Special this afternoon, flashing the lights and making sonic screwdriver noises at appropriate moments. Oh joy!!!!
And finally, a quick daily scribble, Husb watching the TV. We haven’t set foot out of the door all day, just slobbed around, watching TV, cooking (I made a lemon-layered pudding from my favourite 1970s cookbook), eating (dear Mother-in-Law gave us a large box of cheeses – top prezzy) and pandering to the cats.
I hope everyone has had a nice relaxing holiday and had lovely presents.
I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, which is tiny ink drawings made into weeny little sketchbooks. I’ve promised myself that I’ll try to work in chalk and charcoal on a larger at least once a week. Here’s the head of a man onto a rough hand-made paper that I bought at The Tate gallery and prepared with a dark ink wash; it’s a little smaller than A3 size.
It’s been really cold here and pouring with rain. I’ve been wearing winter clothes and boots and I’m constantly hungry, so I’ve been munching on the cheese in the fridge; a fine local farmhouse extra mature cheddar, a deliciously sweet Gruyere and a lovely piece of Y Fenni, a Welsh cheese infused with mustard seed, all bought from the most excellent Swansea Market. I also managed to buy some cut-price-almost-out-of-date luxury fishcakes from the Co-op that oozed hot, liquid Emmental when they were cooked this evening. I’m cheesed-out!
The origin of the phrase ‘Chalk And Cheese’ is likely from John Gower’s Middle English text ‘Confessio Amantis’ from 1390.
I spent a busy morning at the print workshop, making a small edition from a photopolymer intaglio plate for the excellent Leftovers IV. It’s a little portrait of Sparta Puss, my furry feline felon.
When I got back, I settled into my comfy chair with a modest cheese sandwich and a mug of tea for a late lunch. I was idly channel-hopping and locked onto a programme that was simultaneously revolting and fascinating. It’s called Man vs Food. O!M!G! People actually eat like THAT?!
My little cheese sarnie had two skinny slices of brie. This guy had THREE AND A HALF POUNDS of 14 different molten cheeses in his toastie. YCHYFI! (That’s Welsh for GROSS!). I’d never seen this programme before. I’ll definitely watch it again 😀
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