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Friday 10 August 2012

Friday's Child

I don't know how it came about, but I appear to spend every Friday cleaning things that are usually (in this house at least) left alone. This morning I cleaned the kitchen windows and before I knew it I was scrubbing all the walls. You know mammoth tasks? Well this makes those look like a quick scratch of the eyebrow. I've been at it for hours. So, now I have a cup of tea and a few minutes to say hello before I take myself off for a lovely relaxing bath.

I was awoken last night by an itchy toe. No, seriously. Some vile bloodsucking creature must have got in and bitten me while I was asleep. My daughter reckons it was the cleaning fairy, hence my new superpowers in that field. I'm not so sure. It's still driving me insane. 

I've been painting this week, concentrating on some larger pieces. I've got one finished and one part done. I'd intended to complete the latter today, but time ran away with me. I'll do some this afternoon, though I'll be fighting it all the way in this hot weather. The washes are drying before I'm done with them. Kh.

Here are a few views of my latest peacock. I'm going to list him in my Etsy shop, as I've sold a few of my bigger paintings on there recently. I feel very appreciated by my US customers :-)

I've enjoyed using a looser style along with realistic elements and I'm especially happy with the pose of the bird. Inspiration was taken from my springtime photos at Walton Gardens in Warrington.






Thursday 2 August 2012

I Think I Bent My Head Today

Argh argh argh! Here was me being superhuman superspecial housewife and dancing attention on the minging kitchen floor and guess what? Yeah, along came the rain, Incy Wincy Spider style and got all over my blimmin washing on the line. As if that wasn't infuriating enough, it had been out there all morning and was most definitely nice and dry before this unfortunate event. Nothing gets up my trunk quite like my laundry efforts being thwarted. Next person to walk through that door is going to suffer my wrath, even if it wasn't their fault (unless they can prove it without question).

I'm in full on weird, emotional loopiness today. What with all the Olympic ups and downs (how silly of me, but they get me every time), a really brilliant day out at the Tate yesterday with excellent company and a very civilised lunch (yes, I'm at large again nowadays) and being quite tired, I'm all over the place. I've been dancing round this morning to an ill-advised playlist of very questionable 1980s music (hyper and silly, singing along tunelessly) and this afternoon I've been cleaning up. I stopped for a minute and somehow ended up reading things I wrote ages ago about university and all that, which had me in floods of tears while U2 played in the background (Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - very mind bending - see below). I decided to embrace my mega mood swings and enjoyed a good old cry after the big high of daftness. I reckon this is good for me, as long as nobody's around to get worried at the sight. The weird thing is, I don't feel sad, just extremely feeling stuff. Not sure I've finished yet, but I've got 'til 5pm to let it all out.

In the midst of all this crackers carry on there's been a decision made to cook salmon with cauliflower cheese for dinner. We had it last week and my minions loved it. I am not washing the saucepans afterwards though. There. Stand made.

I have so much housework to do; it's baying at me like a wolf at the moon (what do wolves want from the moon anyway?). Really, I need to be climbing on worktops washing walls, pulling fridges and washing machines from their comfy places to clean behind them, dragging bowls of chemical laden water round the place to aid me in scrubbing paintwork, well you get the idea. I don't think I'm quite ready for such things just yet, shame on me. After all that comes decorating. Is it any wonder I'm scared?

There's also the usual multitude of art doing its best to burst out of my head. I'm working on sketches so I don't lose any of the threads going on. One such drawing is on a Superdrug receipt, but most have been fortunate enough to land on paper this time. I've got keys, sugar skulls, more peacocks and some random plant-like designs, mostly for lino cuts. I need an old clock too, so I can draw the inner mechanism. Not sure what for yet, but it popped into my head this morning.

The rain has stopped now and the birds are chirping. Probably sniggering at my damp bedding, snarky buggers.

And so without further ado, here for the very first time ever, please see song lyrics copied and pasted in ridiculous teenage fashion. I can't stop listening to it. If you want to sing along with me (and I really do recommend it. In fact I hope you cry too and send me a comment to let me know you're joining in the tearfest. Altogether now), click HERE for the link

You're dangerous 'cause you're honest
You're dangerous, you don't know what you want
Well you left my heart empty as a vacant lot
For any spirit to haunt 


You're an accident waiting to happen
You're a piece of glass left in a beach
Well, you tell me things I know you're not supposed to
Then you leave me just out of reach
  

Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee? 


Well you stole it 'cause I needed the cash
And you killed it 'cause I wanted revenge
Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to
Baby, can we still be friends?  



Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna fall at the foot of thee? 


Oh, the deeper I spin
Oh, the hunter will sin for your ivory skin
Took a drive in the dirty rain
To a place where the wind calls your name
Under the trees the river laughing at you and me
Hallelujah, heavens white rose
The doors you open
I just can't close  



Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't turn around, your gypsy heart
Don't turn around, don't turn around again
Don't turn around, and don't look back
Come on now love, don't you look back! 


Who's gonna ride your wild horses?
Who's gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who's gonna taste your salt water kisses?
Who's gonna take the place of me?

Who's gonna ride your wild horses?

Who's gonna tame the heart of thee? 


I've been extremely honest and adult about all this. I hope you lot appreciate that.

Oh I'll so be coming back tomorrow and deleting this nonesense.