TRANSFERRING

I have found that my other blog pollyswatercolours is far busier than this one, so for the time being I am concentrating on my other blog.  Pity for the followers, though, because I will be posting what I would have been posting on this blog will now be on my other blog!  Most of what I have posted on here have been watercolour anyway.

May I thank all of you who have visited and commented on this blog.  This was my first blog and  my first venture into the art internet world. You have all given me such a boost and given me such inspiration by following me or by popping by.  I never thought that one just for watercolour would be so much more successful.

I am transferring all the blogs I follow to my other blog, I couldn't move over without you.

I may appear here again, who knows, but I am that busy on Facebook as well as my blog, that I am finding less time to paint, and that won't do will it?

MASSIVE BIG THANK YOU AND PLEASE JOIN ME ON http://pollyswatercolours.blogspot.com

THE REAL ME!

Good morning.  Here are some wonderful pics of me.  Not airbrushed!  And this is the real me serious and pensive! Also a self portrait that I did about 3 years ago.  Which reminds me I should do more portraits, something I haven't done since.  So much to paint, so few hours in the day! Need 30 hr days at least.

GRASMERE WITH THE BEATLES?

Each year we visit the Lake District (six of us) and muggins here always has a theme.  This year it was The Beatles (50th Anniversay) so I gave each person a momento - here are a couple and you are to spot the odd one out, well I will do three ............... I am on one of them

Happy hunting.

MUSIC MEMORIES

Well here we go back to my past and another schoolwork pic and a comparison with a recent one.

Here you have the names of Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Elvis, The Evs (Everley Brothers)  and a couple of my then crushes thrown in.  Its really heavy poster paint.  I suspect it was homework rather than something I would have been doing in class. Notice how ancient I am, no Beatles even!

And yes, you guessed, this is the Beatles.  It is was done after I had visited the Klimt Exhibition at the Tate in Liverpool.  And although you can't see it (bad photo) there's  lots of gold pen adornment (big word for me).

Music has always played a big part in my life, and infact I am going to a Beatles tribute band act at the Epstein Theatre in Liverpool soon. So it'll be a hard days night that night!

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPH

I have just been to a professional photographer and I think you will agree it was money well spent.  He patiently took ages getting me to pose and smile and smile again. Until the light was just right.  You see I have had some botox and some plastic surgery done to my face to enhance my best features, and to make me look younger, so I wanted a special photograph to mark this very special occasion. Don't you agree that I look 20years younger?

KENNY ECKERSLYKE

Andy Murray has just become no. 2 in the world, but not for long, according to Kenny, who is the cousin of the Eckerslyke brothers Diddy, Willie and Woody.  He were good at running at school (running away from homework) he were good at football and he tells folk he were asked to play for Manchester United (Dya believe that!!!). He thinks he is the best tennis player in the land.  He plays for Th' Heckmondyke Club, and has entered fer Wimbledon.  He is so convinced he has the skill ta slaughter Andy Murray.

Well do you think he can - Kenny Eckerslyke!!!

However, he is an award winning Clog Dancer and he sparks clogs for the St Vitus Dancers.

(If you want to read all about his cousins then click on the label for 'friends of mine')

Also, over Easter I asked for people to Challenge me, to give me subjects to paint over the Easter Break.  If you have a look in a couple of days you will see them on my other blog pollyswatercolours.  It was great fun.

BUSY WORKING

Here's a couple of paintings, one from my school days showing people ironing and the other is present day.  See if you can guess what their jobs are.

Looking at these two so many years apart and yet I have used similar colours.  Spooky or what!

Here is one of lovely Dad's sayings that I thought I would like to share with you "Never trouble trouble til trouble troubles you".  I can just see and hear him saying it. Been gone for a long time but I still Miss you Dad!

GROW OLD GRACEFULLY ME?

This has been floating around on facebook and I just had to save it.  Let me share it with you - it's food for thought. I wonder who I have in mind .................... any guesses?

Have a super weekend, and keep warm wherever you are xx

POLLY PLANET ROYAL MENU

You all will know by now that I live in 'Polly Planet', it's a bit quirky, a lot of laughs and happiness, as much as I can bequeath.  I now invite you, my subjects, to dine with me in Queen Polly's Restaurant. A grand banquet.  I am posting here the menu. Don't forget to book early!

WOODY ECKERSLYKE

Woody, is brother to Willie and Diddy Eckerslyke.  Willie is high up, Diddy is low down, and Woody is medium sized. He is a reet good friend of the world reknown artist and legend Sue Clinker.  Honest he is?

Down deep in the woods Woody would wend away his days painting tall trembling trees, until, one day, out of the blue, he upped his easel and changed his style and began bare body painting.

You see a fulsome figure of wonder, a stunning sex bomb sexily strolled by his cottage in the wondrous wood.  He espied her from his little window and he was smitten. Using his imagination he painted her every day.  Masterpiece after masterpiece of bare buxom body.  So gone is he that he blethers continually. Poor Woody!

Who was she? That's another tantalising tall tale.

Would he like to meet her -  Eeeh Woody Eckerslyke!!!!!!!!!!!!

(You can meet his brothers in earlier  posts - Diddy and Willie look under the label 'friends of mine')

THE REAL ME

You all thought I was a normal person, well I am now after having plastic surgery.  I found that children were frightened of me, adults turned their faces, and animals ran from me as fast as they could!  I had this thirst for any liquid that was red.  Here is a picture of me that I left for my husband when I went away on an art course  so that he didn't miss me too much.  The art course didn't last too long, as I was the only person left in the end.  They said there was a curse on the building, and they heard howling noises at night.  I never heard anything at all!

Anyway when I came home I had a lot of toothache and when I went to the plastic surgeon he suggested surgery around my mouth and suggested I needed contact lenses. I cursed him for amount the work cost me. £££££  He has now disappeared. They say that  Dr Acula left after my surgery.  I wonder why ?

CHILDREN PLAYING

Oh, I have had fun trying to find paintings to compare with my school work.  Similar subjects but many years apart.  I was going to put how many years, but it is horrible to think how many years ago it was.  In fact, it quite upset me when I worked out how many years!!!!  On the other hand the schooldays paintings have been bringing back memories too ............

This is a local park

This was out of my head.  I should do more of that, I tend to use reference material these days.   Shows how much imagination you have as a child!

DIDDY ECKERSLYKE

Let me introduce you to another friend of mine - it's Willie Eckerslyke's small brother. Willie is 6ft 4inches high and Diddy is 5 ft exactly, so he is low down!  He is the best car mechanic for miles around.  He saves the lives of cars gotten t'thend of their lives, poor things!   He relentlessly pursues answers to problems beyond most mechanics patience, capability or knowledge. He's a reet grand chap, hard working, not like 'is brother who people say - will he work, will he eck as like! (Lancashire speak)

Diddy  is frequently heard saying "It'll last yer another 10 years".  Appen it's to the chagrin of folk who long for an excuse to get therselves a new set of wheels.

(Diddy is based on a real person, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent).

I have been resizing less pixels to save space on the blog but am now getting blurring at 300 must try a bigger picture

(Willie Eckerslyke post 1.12.12)

SMILE v FROWN

Here's a bit of nonsense but worth thinking about.  Was spotted on a tea towel in a gift shop in a tiny quaint village in Yorkshire called Ripley.  

It's not too clear so will type words again.

And help me to remember .... When I'm having a bad day And it seems that people are trying to wind me up... That it takes 42 muscles to frown and only 28 to smile.

STEAM TRAINS NEVER CHANGE

Hands up who loves steam trains   ...............  thought so loads of you.  Well I used to run to the end of our garden, before I was five (we moved after that) and the drivers of the trains used to wave to me The lines were just over the wall.  I found engines so exciting.  If we go anywhere today and there is a steam train we have to go on it.  So, here is a train poster that I painted at school probably before the first diesel engine (I have no idea when but remember going to Preston station to see it). The other painting is of the Snowdon Mountain Railway visited last year, all steam and noise at the sheds.

So we are back to a comparison of my school work and my now work.  The school work is the best I think.  Have you any steam train memories?

SHUFFLEBOTTOM SISTERS

Well they are now wed and called Carol Clitheroe and Lindsey Lancashire. They used to fight like cat and dog but now share many memories of days gone by - Chorley Market traders shouting "not £6, not £5, not £3 but £l. 15s 11d". Dancing in the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool and buying 'Billy's Weekly Liar' on the Prom, then watching their Dad eating Whelks Yuk and their Mum shrimps, and returning home to the best trifle in the world ever, made by their Mum.  Christmas Day Dad calling down Nitty Whiskers has been and then making bacon butties piping hottio (for years thought to be bacon butties by Pinnochio).

You will see the posh pretty sister Lindsey reading Health and Beauty Tips and sipping coffee and Carol eating and painting chocolate and drinking lager.

Who am I talking about really, my family and me ofcourse!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which one is me?

UMBRELLAS

First of all thanks for comments from those of you who have joined me in my memories of art.  My next comparison is - yes you guessed, umbrellas.

One is of Venice where it poured every day we were there 18 months ago and I am thrilled to say I sold it, one is a poster (we seemed to do a lot of posters at school) it will  not have taken me long as it has homework written on it and I hated homework even art,  this was for a large department store in Manchester called Kendalls and the third is an abstract.  Brollies are a nightmare to draw don't you think.  Hope you like them ...............

FOOD

Here's another comparison of my art from school and now. Do I have food on the brain - wrong, not vegetables that's for sure but they made good subjects.  I detest anything green, the very things that is the best for me, so have I painted anything green, certainly not!! ................ Well one is how I paint now with watercolour and the other is poster paint that we used at school.

As I said in my previous posts I would love to see anyone else's school work or read their memories of art.

Now to a serious request.  Is there anyone out there in the UK who can help out a friend of mine who is really quite new to art and selling her art.  She has, very excitingly, been accepted at a really good gallery but will need prints, and she hasn't a clue where to look.  She really needs something nice to happen to her at the moment .............  Take a look at her lovely quirky paintings at http://nuggletonbythesea.blogspot.co.uk

You can leave an address in my comments box.

TREES YEARS APART

Let's compare my trees from my school days to one I did a few years ago while on a course in Crete with the wonderful Hazel Soan.  She demonstrated the sponge method for the tree.  Well actually she stopped the coach and we all followed her into the field!!!!  Artists can go anywhere I thought ................... Well it's rather spooky don't you think, they are look very similar!!!  And which one do you think is my latest?

I would love to know if anyone else has old school paintings or memories of painting when they were young.

WHEN I WAS 11

Yippee I have my laptop back!

I have been sorting out my horrendously messy art cupboard and drawers and came across my old art folder from school. I  remember enjoying drawing and painting when I was'a likkel girl '. Drawing Cinderella countless times, making my own stick on clothes for fashion paper dolls and colouring them (you can download these now still great fun I think) and I used to make stage presentations by putting a hole at the end of a shoe box and slits down the side, then making, drawing and painting scenes which would slide across the box. Anyhow, I have what I think is the earliest Cinderella from my first year at senior school so I'd be about 11 (so sad I have nothing earlier) and here she is.  I remember the book I drew it from and the colour of the dress was pink.

(www.education.com for printable paper dolls to colour and cut out eg 50s or history clothes)

What I was wondering is, is there anyone who has some of their early work and have they any paintings or memories of paintings from when they were young?

QUEENIE O'CONNOR

Queenie from Liverpool, has decided to diet, but not today! She'll start termorrer, then Monday, then next Monday and so on (know the feeling?).  She's gorra (bought)  few basics from the supermarket.  She's going to have a jam butty (sandwich) then this savvy (this afternoon)  she's going down the Pool (into Liverpool)  to meet the girls.  They're going to the Beatles Story at the Albert Dock, then taking the Ferry Cross the Mersey - just there and back for a lorra laughs (just for fun).

Termorrow, Queenie's going to wear her bezzies (best clothes) cos she's meeting a leccy (electrician) who's treating her to a meal of scouse (local delicacy - meat ragout) at the Hard Days Night Hotel in the town centre (Yes there is such a place and it's posh). Oh, and cos it's a special occasion, she will be taking her rollers out!

WEDDINGS

I have delusions of grandeur!!  You will see from our wedding photograph that we had a very upmarket, posh, swanky wedding.  Money was no object.  I wanted to feel like royalty.  We definitely succeeded.

 Yes, you guessed, this isn't really our Wedding.  I play around on photoshop and this is the Queen's Wedding with me and my hubby's heads on.

Here is a little card I did for my nephew and his bride for their 'Royal Wedding' to say thank for letting us be part of their 'Special' day.  It was as beautiful and elegant and wonderful as a real Royal Wedding.  For the background I used salt, to give it a dreamlike quality.

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT'S BASQUE

Gosh seems ages since my last post.  I have been trying to set up a facebook page.  What a nightmare I have found it! Still battling away..............

Annie Arkwright got her gift from Santa, this lovely basque as yer can see.  It's were all because of reading that there book, it were called 'Fifty Shades of Grey. She bought some control pants from M&S on t'High Street ('which' best buy) and some sexy black wellies to match, from Oxfam  down Accrington Lane,  and some hair decorations from t' pound shop on Wigan Road. Dunt she look a belter!

 

 

She's had her first date, Sidney Smithson-Smith from Thirkettle, age 55 who liked buxom, older women.  His interests are clog dancing and whippets.

 

Suitably clad, Annie nervously opened the door to this reet posh  'hyphened'  bloke.  Whereupon he said 'aye up' had a panic attack, turned round, ran as fast as he could, and was ne'er seen again.

 

(See post 4 December to see Annie before she'd read Fifty Shades of Grey)