Rural Interlude 2012

Steam Fair time of year has come around again so, as last year, we motored down to Dorset through the now traditional rain to march about muddy fields in boots and drink 'traditional' (ie flat and very very dry) cider whilst sitting on hay bales.

The last one's a bit of a thresher.  It's supposed to look like that...

Sunday Sketchblog #28

Another EDM, #5, for this week's sketch. The subject is 'draw your bed'. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I get up first by quite a long stretch, I rarely see it empty...

Week Word: Desiderata

I chose this week's word, desiderata, which means 'desired things'. 

It got me thinking about the things that we want or need (often not the same things) and that feeling of longing for something that is, as yet, out of reach. But how yearning itself can be sort of bitter-sweet; how sometimes getting the desired thing makes you wistful for the period of longing and anticipation.

A little introspective for a Friday... I'm clearly in need of a weekend!

Visit the other participants to learn a little about their desires this week:

John at The Healing Seed

Carmen at Tales of a Biomouse

Helen at Autistic Inner Space (welcome!)

And I'm going to bounce the Week Word ball back to John to pick for us next week.

Catching up...

Having a sort out of some of my mess, I've just realised I never got round to posting the last illustration from my art class.

The brief was to create a narrative in five images but, as we were off on our transatlantic adventure whilst everyone else was working on it, I interpreted it quite loosely. Rather than telling a story, I looked for a common theme in my holiday sketches and photos and created something based on that...

This Week's Word

Just as I was hunting around for inspiration this week, someone on a forum I used posted the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. As well as being wise advice, the word also means 'desired things' or 'things that are wanted or needed'. So that's going to be our word this week - as serious or as flippant as you want!

Leave a comment on this post if you'd like to take part, and I'll do a round-up on Friday.

New participants are always very welcome and you can see the 'rules' here. 

Things that are desired...

Sunday Sketchblog #27

Some favourites from the last month or so of my daily portrait sketches (although that first one is April - can't believe it's been that long since I posted any!)

Visit Emma to see if she's been sketching anything a little less self-centred this week.

Oh, look! #14

Recently I have been...

Messing about on the river // Rejoicing in breakfast

Horrified by this monster // Gardening!

(instagram: timballoo)

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for locals news*, so this blog of Angry People in Local Papers amused me.

* Nothing has ever thrilled me more than this story, from when I lived in Salisbury, of a terrifying beast that was stalking residents and described as 'a cross between a kangaroo, a leopard, a monkey and a cat'. And a bit raccoon-like. Oh, and with the gait of a monkey. Ah, Salisbury...