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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SANTA & URBAN SKETCHING

First of all I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas or whatever Merry time you wish. And a Happy and Healthy and Hopeful New Year.

A new venture for me and something others have taken up on their blogs that I know of.  It's a great idea and I am loving every moment.  I have become a member of an Urban Sketching Group - Liverpool Urban Sketchers.  We meet once a month and sketch around this lovely city.  Here's a small idea of what we have done.

You may have seen the ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London, well Liverpool has a much smaller one, called Weeping Window.  

This is of George's Hall and drawn from The Walker Art Gallery

These two sketches were done at the Christmas Market in Liverpool at night!!  Not that easy.  Great atmosphere though

Have fun and Take Care of Yourselves.

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.

REMEMBERING

We will remember them.

Past Times & Recent Times

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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HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Winner of this year's 'Most Beautiful Witch of the Year' is Wynona the Witch from Witchville.  Who likes to thanks her family and fiends for  making this possible.

Don't have nightmares!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Brusho 16 x 10")

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.