ANNIE ARKWRIGHT WIMBLEDON BALL GIRL

Did ya see that!!! Annie Arkwright from Accrington, being carried off Centre Court at Wimbledon and on TV.  Did you see our Annie?  She didn't have a ticket but lucky for her she found a ball girls security pass and walked in 'as bold as brass', borrowed a uniform and actually managed to get onto Centre Court for Andy Murray's match. But Kyrgios from Australia, his opponent, lost his rag. Whacked the ball so hard it ended up in Annie's mouth. Whereupon Andy rushed over to see if she was alright, gave her a big beaming smile and she swooned and fainted, flashing her purple thong in the process! Sexy minx.  That was the last she saw of Andy's luscious muscly body, and it was only the first set. She will never forgive Kyrgios for that!!!! Eeeh Annie lass tha' does get into some scrapes. Never mind, ya managed ta get in fer a wee while Annie:)

ANGLESEY ADVENTURE & ANNIE

I was privileged to be asked to join Joanne Boon Thomas and a group of other like minded people, just to paint together on the Isle Anglesey (North Wales), this included Judith Farnworth - and do check out her blog, her story of the holiday makes very interesting reading.

Joanne is the Queen of brusho, but there wasn't any brusho in sight,  as she is a queen of watercolour too. Thanks for asking me Joanne.

Judith was my partner in crime if you like.  She was my chauffeur and my nemisis at the same time, as I had to be nice to her or I wouldn't have got a lift home!  Well suffice to say I got home in one piece.

First day, we visited Moelfre a lovely small coastal village just long enough to do a painting and visit the pub, before we had to scarper because of a storm. So finished off sketching back at the hotel.

A quiet corner of the tiny harbour, grey clouds gathering

Sketching back at the hotel.  Yes you guessed the sun came out as we returned!

Quick sketch of lavender and my most fun of the holiday, sploshing and splashing about

Second day, First stop Church Bay where there is a restored very old thatched cottage at Swtan. Followed by a stop in Caemes Bay (I think that is what it is called) where I battled on painting buildings and boats - boy was it a struggle.  I was perched high on a sea wall to get the view I wanted.

Large Heavy rusty old kettle done on khadi paper with watersoluble pen going to paint it again with oomph this is proper pastey

Khadi paper but this time with Elegant Writer Pen, which is so quick

The lovely restored cottage, much longer than this section, with a roaring fire inside

Back to my Elegant Writer and Khadi (small pad) a view of an old cottage from the garden of the restored cottage.

You can see why I battled - multitude of house AND boats

Finally we went to a Hidden Garden which are near Beaumauris. Cant find the name of the place, but it was lovely, like a small Bodnant Garden. And then home. Such fun painting with like minded people.  I think there is a market for this as well as proper art courses. You learn from each other and don't feel an idiot painting on your own.  A wonderful few days. Thanks for your hard work Joanne, for organising such a great trip.

Oh and finally Annie Arkwright from Accrington, popped up at the hotel and loved the Cricket gnomes in the grounds, well you know what she's like where there are men, any kind, she couldn't keep her eyes off them.  Can you spot them??

Hwyl fawr - goodbye on Welsh

LIVERPOOL & MOZART & FUN

I love being an Urban Sketcher, it is fun, fun, fun.!  Perhaps there is a group near you.  Our latest adventure was to Albert Dock in Liverpool.

I urge you to look for a group near you and join.  It is great fun meeting, chatting and sketching with like minded people.

Albert Dock, Liverpool

Inside the Tate cafe in Liverpool.  Eating lunch and using an ordinary pen to try and c apture the Mozart musicians. The nerve of people who kept getting in my way!

I used An Elegant Writer Pen which is great for quick sketches.  

Couldn't wait to do a sketch and add colour.  By the time I had finished this the end of my fingers were painful, it was sooooo cold.

Since joining in October, every week has been freezing cold and damp.  Fingers crossed that the next meeting will be warm and sunny.

NUDES GALORE

Hi.  I've joined a life drawing group.  What a challenge!  Actually it is a theatrical life drawing group. Well I'm not that good at drawing the body so I practiced like mad before I went. Cramming and more cramming.  Here's some of my practises, some of the life drawing class and some brusho fun because I got bogged down with all the practising.  I feel the cramming paid off.  Pity I didn't do it more when I was at school!

It's a new challenge and I'm loving it. There's always something new to try.  Isn't being an artist a wonderful world to belong to?

Have a lovely week, see you soon.

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT STORY SO FAR

I'm sorry not to have been blogging for a long while.  I have hardly painted anything. Strange how you can lose that inspiration. Well I am now back on track. I have paintings in my head.  You know the feeling.

I did, however, challenge myself to try one of these DIY  FREE websites for my art.  Well they say it's easy, you just drag and drop blah de blah.  I have no one to help me so this was done all by myself through trial and error. Bit by bit I struggled through, forgetting from one visit to the next how I did each action. Did I literally sweat over this.  Well I did it!  Me!  I wrote my own web site.  I will absolutely panic if anyone gets in touch though, but oh I feel so proud of myself.  Perhaps you will take a look and give me some feedback on here.  http://artbypollybirchall.weebly.com

Now here is a happy story.  My friend Annie Arkwright from Accrington has found a new home. (The picture was my first ever of Annie - just to put you in the picture - has been bought by a friend of mine).

You see Annie was a gentle, quiet, kind, motherly type of figure, who everyone called Auntie Annie.  She was a good artist, in particular painting weird and wonderful abstracts, she baked lovely cakes for special occasions, like weddings, special anniversaries and for Christmas. A right clever devil really. Until, one day she picked up a book by accident off the shelf in the library.  She thought it was an instructional art book about colour mixing. She really needed help with her greys.

Annie here is reading Fifty Shades of Grey!   She has now decided to grow old disgracefully.  She's going to ditch the yellowed bloomers and thermal vest and buy a black and red basque from Evans, and has joined a northern dating agency on t'internet, who claim "We'll get yer a bloke lass". I say, Go Girl!!!

Here's her journey to her new home

Before she read 50 Shades of Grey, Annie Arkwright from Accrington, was a staid old fashioned librarian who wore pleated skirts and long lace trimmed bloomers. Well the Old Annie has found a new home with Olwyn in Carlisle. Annie, bold as brass, said she were going ta cycle all th'way there. Look at her face - she doesn't like those bumpy cobbles! And aye up, beware, way up there in Carlisle, lock up ya men, she's got 50 Shades of Grey in her front basket. Ta ta our Annie, you will be very happy further up north, they're a reet grand family. Ta ra Lass. I'm getting all emotional ...... 

Now you are up to date on Annie and myself.

Thank you for popping over to my blog.

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Annie Arkwright from Accrington has been depressed since 2 hunky Swiss men turned down her proposal of marriage. So, off she went down south to stay with her cousin, Fag Ash Lil. She lives next door to a lovely couple who have a dog. Ann was upset when Annie told her the sad story, and Ann said that Annie could take their dog for a walk. Then, in posh south country style gear, Annie met William the Lurcher, and he took her for a walk. What a tonic. 

Thank you Ann Hyde for cheering our Lancashire Lass up. She is now in love with William, as we all are!!!! (p.s. Ann hope you don't mind me copying William just this once - well now it's twice because I featured him on Facebook too.

 

frown emoticon)  (William is a lovely true Lurcher who can be found on Facebook)

LIVERPOOL URBAN SKETCHERS

I've recently joined Liverpool Urban Sketchers.  Last Saturday we met to paint and see this Poppy Installation Artwork in the city centre.  It is called Weeping Window.  It is based on one that was around the Tower of London,  which was a tribute to lives lost at war.  It was very moving.  Here are the sketches that I did.

I must go again.

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT'S CHAPPED KNEES & KNOCKERS

Annie Arkwright from Accrington is coming home. She emailed me this photograph. She got a job in Switzerland, blowing the alpine horn to wake up the cows with bells on. It is now so cold she has chapped knees and knockers! She told me "Eeeh Polly, I'm reet down in't dumps. Hans Andneez the dishy farmer has turned down me proposal of marriage and ter cap it all so has Johann Slopes the handsome ski instructor. There's nowt left for me to stay 'ere for". Poor little Annie. 

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SWITZERLAND & WOBBLY TRAINS!!!

I have been trying to spend less time on the internet and my blog is one of the things I have been neglecting.  I can't believe how long it is since I last did a post.  Sorry, because that also means I have been neglecting my blog friends.

Recently spend 2 weeks by trains visiting mainly Switzerland.  So long on the train I did some painting and sketching.  Not easy.  It is amazing how wobbly train journeys are when you are trying to paint some detail.

Here is some of the work done on the journey and that one at the end done from a photograph since we came home.

  Stresa on Lake Maggiore, some wobbly people cos of the train!

On the Bernini Express on the way to Turano

Painted from a pic in magazine.  Mint ice cream cake. 

From a magazine

Again, from a magazine

From the Bernini Express brochure  The red is the train

For sale on the Glacier Express this little mountain goat

Painted since our return.  This was the view from our hotel.  One of those 'special' memories that I just had to capture

TALKING AND WORKING

I am a member of Churchtown Art Club (which is on facebook) and this weekend we had an exhibition.  Three of us work on the day, answering questions about painting and the club.  Here is what I managed to painting while chatting.  Some of the paintings went awry, but hey, I had fun.

Brusho and bleach.  If you can spot her, there is a nude hidden away. Her face has been bleached out as it was awful, I will adjust sometime in the future

This was my warm up exercise to see how fast the paint was drying and if my brush was working!!  Painted the whole sheet yellow , then nagatively painted around the Budapest Parliament buildings, upside down. Not easy for the first painting of the day.

Eccinachea (can't spell it).  I have to concentrate when doing my nemisis, flowers, and went a bit awry with the r/h flower.

This painting is from a photograph my Sharon Whitley, and was a challenge, thank you Sharon.  Brusho, Ink and bleach.  End of the day when I was flagging.  But the most fun of the four to paint.

Have a lovely week everyone.

HOLIDAY THIS AND THAT

Here is a mix of this and that seen and sketched on holidays.

Seen in a shop and there are suggestions that it is Annie Arkwright from Accrington (See label 'friends of mine' if you haven't met her)  

Very quick sketch of a large vase with carved gold flowers and candles, while at a concert for Mozart and Chopin 

Rose given to all the ladies on the river cruise ship, which last nearly 2 wks.  Thank you Mr Captain!

Sketch of an ABC castle on the river Rhine in Germany.  If you didn't read my last post ABC stands for Another Bloody Castle!!!

Have a lovely week y'all.  Keep safe.

WINDMILLS AND WEATHER

Had a wonderful holiday cruising from Amsterdam to Budapest.  Weather hot, hot, hot once we left the windmills behind.  So hard to paint outdoors the paint was drying on my palette before I put it on paper.  Did a sketch or smallish (A4) painting each day, to add to my memory drawer.  Here are some for you to see.

I love doing these paintings when on holiday, as they are just for me, no pressure just fun, fun, fun.

Done on the boat in a quiet little corner.

Done on the spot while hubby was watching cheese being made.  I don't like the smell so sketched instead. It's a reconstructed village outside Amsterdam where you can see clogs being made etc.

Too hot to paint on the spot so done inside.  A town on the Rhine I have already forgotten where it is????  How bad is that.

Looking at the ABC Castles.  (Stands for Another Bloody Castle!!) Excuse the swear word but that was quote by someone else.  Obviously I wouldn't say that.

Happy Sunday and have a great week, and if you are off on your travels, do take a pad and pen with you.