Thursday, 17 May 2012

The Voice



My daughter has got me hooked on The Voice and the mesmerised by the judges. Here are Will.i.am and Jessie J. Some great contestants, too

Green Walk Arts and Crafts Open House Weekend







Lots of lovely people saying lots of good things about my work (especially the black and white local scenes) and buying my pics too. But I kept spending my takings, so much gorgeous work there!

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Green Walk Open House Arts and Crafts weekend

I will be exhibiting at the Green Walk Open House Arts and Crafts weekend this sat/sun, noon to 6pm in no. 14 (front room). I'll have cards, limited edition prints plus some original paintings. There will be loads of houses open and lovely food to eat on the central green. Fingers crossed for some good weather, too. Hope you can make it.  See http://www.greenwalk.co.uk/home

Poster

Can you read the words on this poster? Answer is upside down below.





The Genius of Dahl

What a fascinating look at Roald Dahl it was last week. David Walliams had me hooked on his every observation, delivered with twinkly eyes. 
Dahl was an outsider, a Norwegian child living in Cardiff. His father died when he was 3.
He never lost his anarchistic spirit. he hated school and always kicked against the rules.
He had a fascination with extreme characters. His dealings with Mrs Prachett, the horrible sweet shop woman he played the dead mouse prank on, never left him.
Exaggerated characters can make the story less frightening. Quentin Blake also said this about caricatures.
Dahl was always wickedly funny ("...without the humour, it's child abuse...")
His work is believable, although not realistic.
He really relished things like worms and burps. His inner child never left him.
He never described horrors, he just says that they happened. 
"...and then it gets worse." He liked putting his characters in a stew.
In Dahl's world, a granny can be poisoned by a grandson, parents can be eaten by a rhino, and somehow this is acceptable. True genius?