Well lock down is easing just a little, so Liz and myself are getting out, just a couple of miles in the car and going for luscious walks in the Surrey countryside once or twice a week. We generally take a small picnic, a flask of coffee with us and being a creature  of habit,  a sketch pad and camera

usually go along as well. Most of my tree work being studio work so as a result, to a large extent is highly finished and polished work. But when in the woods a lightness and you could almost say an incompleteness and relaxed style appears. Maybe I will post one next time.

The last couple of months have seen me reviewing and going over past work. My trip to Dungerness some years ago received that treatment the other day, and a few watercolors were added, good fun; see above. If the chance arises go there, it is on the south Kent shore line and parking is easy. It is wild and windy with very few facilities; so take your picnic and drinks with you. A camera and sketch book is a must, you will love it. 

Its nice to think about places to visit, but in truth we should stay fairly close to home and avoid unnecessary travel, so Dungerness is probably in the future. However we must remember that good times and good places to visit will come again, so look around and near you. The picture below, is just a leaf which I nearly trod on. it was spotted as I ate my sandwich (Cheshire cheese and pickle) on a walk locally the other day. I took it home and used my scanner as a camera, (take the lid off the scanner, darken the room and hey presto). Try to do something new!

I have finally found my spell check on my blog site; thank goodness!!!

See you all soon. Duncan

Yesterday whilst out walking we saw a red kite, nuthatch, mistle thrush, coal tit, a bussard and a hare; now the last one I have not seen for ages. Quite a nature walk!Today it has also been rather pleasant. The sun was shinning and it was pleasantly warm, so Liz and myself, with the slight lifting of restrictions went to the Guildford water meadows for a walk. I was so good because ,we have been very good with regards to staying at home and only going out of the house once during this lockdown, so the prospect of a propper walk was super.

Now during this awful pandemic I have immersed myself in my art and produced all sorts of things, which is a good way of occupying myself, it is also good mental health therapy; so try it. However the one thing which I have not been able to do was, to go out and go sketching; which incidentlly is one of my favorite artistic passtimes. 

So today being a pleasant enough for a picnic and to sit down and chill sout a bit, sort of day, Liz said to me that I should pop my sketch book into the  bag. I did not argue. As a result the above small sketches were produced; I did enjoy myself.

The dish washer just died and then decided to start again. Stupid thing, its been doing this for months. But why buy a new one, when if everything is normal ,eand after washer has finnished its tantrum, it will work again; maybe its retirment date is getting very close.

At the moment Liz is making a few phone calls for church and then we are going to sit down and watch an Endeavour episode. Its been a pretty good sort of few days.

Ps does anybody know how to get my spell check back, it has disapeared from my blog.

See you all soon, God Bless.

Yesterday I heard a learnered gent talking about the later stages of life. The stage he was talking about was the stage which I should be in, which is the observing stage. That is when you stop doing things, but watch and pass all sorts of comments and judgments on others doing things. Sounds like good fun!

Well I just dont seem to have reached that borring stage of life-Yet.

Today has been busy; first, rebuilding (printing, binding) an A3 book looking at the Psalms of David and water, all done in inks and photography. After about three days, I finnished that at about mid day. Then sadly attended a funeral for a dear friend.

The late afternoon was spent making a video of myself singing. I add not for myself but for church. Then sending it of by Whats App, or something like that, Then this evening finnishing the making of a rainbow hat!!! Then videoing Liz and then myself wearing it, before sending those memorable videos also off to the cloud somewhere. The things I do for church. We also managed a walk and a few other bits and bobs.




On the lighter side, from the above mentioned book, a photograph which I took some years ago, entiteld "Reflections", which tI ook from the banks of the Rivelyn River, Sheffield. Then comparing the thinking which goes with the with Psalm One

It is now 8.30 pm so I will sit myself down with Liz and enjoy and Endevour DVD on the telly. Isnt life good, even if occasionally you have to work at finding the good.

God Bless, see you all soon

Duncan

Today has been a good one - so far! what with breakfst, quiet time (Ephesins 4, the first bit), then hanging out the washing. Then two hours working on the above picture, followed by a zoom informal chat/coffee at church.This was followed by a good walk over the golf coarse at Hook Heath, lunch was not for behind then back into the studio to finnish the above.

Next came the tricky bit, to scan the image; scanning colour paintings accuratly is allways problematic. So forget automatic, everything has to be hand set, colour balance, dpi, surface type, reflections, it goes on. Now it gets tricky as the image is to big to scan; so we need to scan it in two halves and join it in photoshop, using photmerge. Oh Dear. The computer complained as that is to difficult for the its tiny little brain. So rethink and place to two scans together and then join them together at the pixel level, now that is tricky. 

But it worked, hope you like the above. it is of the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Personaly I feel that it is one of the uglyiest building in Jerusalem; but faith wise, it is one of the two probable sites where Jesus was executed; so the place will always provok deep feelings of reverance, awe and thankfullness when being visited. It makes me be quite and think. God cares for us, He will see us through this pandemic.

So next half an hour with Liz, a jig-saw, or a dvd and a coffee. I am a lucky man. Liz jus put the kettle on.