Getting there – slowly

… and on the subject of inspirational art centres (see previous post) …

Over two years ago I talked about wanting to brush up my artistic skills, but my attempts at drawing and painting on my own soon fizzled out. I read lots of ‘how to’ books and watched ‘step-by-step’ videos, but it’s a big jump from understanding the theory of painting techniques, colour mixing, composition etc. to putting that knowledge into practice. I just couldn’t make my hands create the pictures I could see in my mind!

Then, last December, I plucked up the courage to join a newly formed art group that meets in the Realitas Arts Centre. What a revelation! Some members are complete beginners, others are more experienced, and we’re led by the talented Sheila who has a wonderful knack of making the apparently complicated seem very simple.

 ‘Try a touch of this colour,’ she’ll say. Or, ‘Here’s an easy way to suggest that texture.’

I learn something new and useful at every meeting.

I haven’t yet produced a picture that I think is good enough to be framed but here are a couple of my least worst efforts to date. 

So many lovely things!

When I am Rich and looking for beautiful artworks to decorate my home, my first port of call will be the wonderful Realitas Community Arts Centre located in the pretty village of Peakirk, Cambridgeshire. This former granary is now an Aladdin’s cave packed with a huge range of arts and crafts produced by both professionals and talented amateurs.

I’d love to buy that painting, and this one, and all those … and some of this handmade jewellery, and that quirky teapot, and I can’t decide which teddy bear I like best so perhaps I’ll take half a dozen … and I’ll have some stained glass suncatchers, and a few of those delicate ceramic bowls, an assortment of candle holders (not forgetting the candles to go with them), an unusual fabric bag – or three, or four – and I love the wood carvings, the cushions, the Japanese paper bookmarks, and …

… it might be easier just to take the whole lot!

Most of the exhibits are very reasonably priced and I have bought some, mainly as presents for other people. The biggest problem is that there's simply not enough wall or shelf space in my current home for all those lovely things!       

These shoes weren’t made for walking

The weather here has changed from midsummer to winter (again!) but my calendar tells me it’s spring so I spent a cold, rainy day doing my annual de-cluttering of wardrobes, cupboards and drawers.  I discovered six pairs of only-worn-once shoes that I’ll be donating to a charity shop.

 

 too high















too low

too tight

too loose

I had ‘made-to-measure shoes’ on my When I am Rich shopping list, but now I’m wondering if buying expensive shoes would actually save me some money.

How do shoes that look and feel perfect in the shop turn into crippling monstrosities as soon as I take them for a walk in the real world?