water colours and the River Cole

a detail

and it was time to paint for the first time in about 55 years

all the cheapest artist materials I have saved up - from LIDL mostly

a left over white enamalled steel shelf is my drawing board

The brushes were mostly made in China
I used the big brush to wet the paper and put a blue wash on, and experimented with "wet on wet" - Google Search
The pound shop paper was too cheap and began to break up
I did it wrong anyway see How to Stretch Watercolor Paper



time for my walk

a study in grass clumps for the painters notebook


I went for this walk just after sunset northwest of Meron House and down this path to the River Cole, and when I reached the bottom, it was time to put down my nordic walking poles, and take my LIDL artists rucksack off, and get out my Sony handicam:-

back in Foxglove Avenue

the nearly new moon was getting brighter





I walked on along the riverbank path and came back to the videophone Sony Ericsson 800

the River Cole was very full (taken with exposure on auto)

exposure + 2.0


using the joy stick





exposure - 2.0









I crossed over the River Cole by Babbs Mill and the footpath in the Kingfisher Project looked really bad with all these puddles.

I didn't like the look of that cloud, with the wind in my face it was coming towards me,
and turned left across this iron bridge

back to reality in Sheldon Hall Avenue - I always wondered what was inside this window seen from the 97 buses.

Now it is spotting with rain - or soon to drizle

and the 97 bus stop on East Meadway
the distant green traffic light is by LIDL at the Mackadown where I got my Nordic Walking sticks and rucksack





what a contrast in Bosworth Drive in North Solihull, the good neighbour entertaining the community and the aftermath of drink and mental breakdown.