Thoughts Opinions & Memories | But I Smile Anyway...

Duncan Grant – The Artist

30 Jan 2017 32 Comments

by Ritu in Art, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Artist, Blake Gallery, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Duncan Grant, Gravesend, Painter, Portrait

I went to an art exhibition yesterday.

Quite a different thing for me to do, with my little family.

The painter is the husband of a colleague of mine and he was exhibiting his artworks at the local gallery. I took the children a few years back to another exhibition of his, but they were much younger, so it didn’t mean much, other than being able to say they had seen their teacher there! Having said that, Lil Princess was definitely touched by what she saw that day, and wanted to paint!

His name is Duncan Grant. Not the other, slightly more well known Duncan Grant, who was also an artist!

No, this Duncan Grant is a local gent! And his paintings are heavily influenced by his surroundings, as well as whatever he is thinking of at the time!

After the first exhibition, Duncan was rather unwell, and after a long stint in hospital his styles altered slightly, but his work was, and still is, pretty amazing!

The top painting is actually a self-portrait from when he was unwell.

Here is a series of three landscape paintings, portraying the Thames and the view we have from here of Essex. The top painting is of fishermen gathering their nets.

The painting below just made me giggle!

Lil Man was pretty impressed with this next one as it is where he plays cricket!

I shall quote from his website, which you can find here.

I was born in Gravesend, Kent in 1965 and am proud to be from the bottom right hand corner of Britain where I still live.

In my work, I try to express the strange goings on inside my head and using shape, colour and texture, show my own interpretations of what I see in nature and also my own take on everyday life.

My style of art is self-taught and I paint mainly sitting on the sofa listening to the TV with a small, hairy Jack Russell terrier at my side – my paint covered sofa bears testament to this!

I enjoy painting and I am pleased that people appreciate my work. I work full-time in the real world and I live happily in Gravesend with my wife Davina, two cats (Charlie and Katie) and two Jack Russell terriers (Maisie and Billy).

Something else rather cool. A few years back, Duncan was trying to hone his people painting skills, and he threw open an offer. Send me your photo so I can paint you and practice painting people. I did this and the final portrait was wonderful! But I never got round to actually buying it from him, for one reason or another.

Well, yesterday, when we got there, he handed me a bag with my very own Duncan Grant original painting in it! And refused to accept any payment! I was touched!

The original photo and the painting. So cool!

And here’s a proud me carrying my priceless piece!

A bit of a cultural evening, followed by the kids eating Macdonalds… Ever sophisticated are we!!!!!

But great to support a local artist, and friend!

What did you do this weekend?

Book Review – The Guardian Series by Shelley Wilson

29 Jan 2017 29 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, review, Shelley Wilson, The Guardian Series, YA Fiction

I have to honestly say I am generally one for fluffy fiction. I like to lose myself in a cocoon of comedy and romance. Life is harsh enough anyway. Why read serious fiction?

And why even try Young Adult books? I am 41 for crying out loud!

But, as I have been doing for the last year or so, I downloaded a book (or three!) of an unfamiliar genre, as the author had become a good blog pal. I wasn’t sure whether it would be my thing but unless you try, you’ll never know!

And boy was I glad!

I was transported into the mystical world of faes and witches, water sprites and dragons, and adventure. Lots of adventure! The principle character Amber, a normal (or so she thought!) teenage girl, propelled into the realms of the folk she always scoffed at the reality of. And imagine the shock of finding out she was actually one of them too!

Sure it took me a couple of chapters to initially get into the first one, but once I was hooked, that’s it. My whole weekend was devoted to devouring this series of books!

I have already told the kids, who love a bit of Enid Blyton and her Fairy folk, that this will be a set of books for them to read when they are a little older!

guard-1

My Amazon and Goodreads review – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Young Adult fiction is most definitely not my chosen genre of reading material, but at the recommendation of a friend, I downloaded this book onto my Kindle.
Well, what can I say?
I finished it within a couple of sittings, which for me is pretty good going as I don’t have much time to read!
The author, Shelley Wilson has created some likeable characters, and ones you really want to hate, and moves us through a magical mystery tour of witches, faeries, oracles, necromancers and all sorts of mythical fairy folk!
Once I had read the first couple of chapters, I was hooked, and rooting for our principle character Amber, who goes from normal teenage girl, to someone who possesses amazing hidden powers as the book progresses.
The romance aspect was there, and the climax was almost reached too soon!
I am so glad I already have the sequel ready on my Kindle!
A light, but deep read, if you know what I mean!

Click here ➡ Guardians Of The Dead – Book 1 to buy

guard-2

My Amazon and Goodreads review – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Having only just finished the first book in the series that very morning, the story was fresh in my mind, and i was so glad that I already had the second downloaded, and ready to read.
I wasn’t disappointed in the least!
What twists and turns Amber and her own little magical army have to face in order to save the day… or do they???
I loved every moment of it, so much so, that I finished it in one day! It was indeed ‘unputdownable’!
The character development that is associated with a sequel was there, the budding romances, the adventure…it was great!
I have already told my children, who love End Blyton and the Fairy Folk, that when they are just a tad older, they should read this!
Number 3 is calling me!

Click here ➡ Guardians Of The Sky – Book 2 to buy

guard-3

My Amazon and Goodreads review – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Did I enjoy it? Understatement of the year!
I have just devoured this three part series over this weekend and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Following the story of Amber and her friends and family, and the young teenager’s journey of discovery of her mystical powers was strangely addictive!
This volume showed Amber swaying between the Dark and Light Side (no, I’m not talking about Star Wars!) of her powers, and there are times when the twists and turns of the plot really leave you wondering which way the story will go!
Each sequel did the job of recapping briefly on the previous tales, to fill the reader in on the story, and the characters are beautifully described, growing more and more ‘real’ with each sequel.
Sucking me deep into the mystical world of Faes, Witches, Necromancers, Dragons, Sea Serpents and other worldly realms, I can honestly say I was dreaming about magic when I slept in between reading!
Well done Shelley Wilson! A brilliant Trilogy! I wonder… are we to expect any more…? What does the future hold for Amber and her friends?

Click here ➡ Guardians Of The Lost Lands – Book 3 to buy

shelley-wilson

Shelley is a fellow Brummie lass, though not by birth. She is a mum, and has a cat too! Her work is not just limited to YA fiction but she writes inspirational, self-help and motivational non-fiction books too!

I have one of those on my Kindle already to read too!

Visit Shelley’s Author Page here

Visit Shelley’s blog here

And if you choose to download and read, be sure to leave a review. They are key to all us authors!!!

#JusJoJan Daily Prompt – Jan. 29th/17 – History

29 Jan 2017 16 Comments

by Ritu in #jusjojan, Challenges, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #jusjojan, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, history, KL Caley, Linda G Hill, poem

Day 29 of Linda’s #JusJoJan challenge!

The Just Jot It January 29th prompt, brought to you by KL Caley of new2writing, is: “History.” Use it any way you’re inspired to. And make sure you stop by and say hi to KL as well! Here’s her blog: https://new2writing.wordpress.com/about-me/

My Heritage is

Of great Importance

It Shows me who I am

Past Tales

Open doors to my future

Will history Repeat itself?

Is tomorrow based on Yesteryear?

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 102

29 Jan 2017 22 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Dalai Lama, Quote, Serene, Spiderman, Spidey's Serene Sunday, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new,” – Dalai Lama

I love this quote.

I think we are all guilty of rabbitting on, but if we do stop to listen to those around us, we may indeed learn something, whether it just be knowledge or something of personal importance.

In an argument, we can only argue our own point, but sometimes, hard as it may be, if we listen to the other party, we may learn another perspective, showing that we are not always right.

If we listen to the innocent comments of children, we may garner a different perspective to our own jaded, mature one, with regards to many things.

So today Peeps, take the time to listen, as well as talk. It will do you good!

Happy Sunday!

#JusJoJan Daily Prompt / #SoCS – Jan. 28th/17 – Wood/Would

28 Jan 2017 48 Comments

by Ritu in #jusjojan, Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #jusjojan, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Socs, Tongue Twister, Wood/Would

Day 2 of Linda’s #JusJoJan challenge, combined with her prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday and Just Jot It January is: “wood/would.” Use one, use both, use them any way you would like. Have fun!

How many woods would a woodcutter cut, if a woodcutter could cut wood?

That’s the first thing that came to mind when I read the prompt!

I love a good tongue twister, don’t you?

From the beginnings of discovering them, and trying to recite the Red Lorry Yellow Lorry one, to learning some Hindi ones, I have enjoyed them immensely!

Chandu ke chache ne Chandu ke Chachi ko chandni raat me chandi ke chamche se chatni chatai

Translated that means, loosely, Chandu’s uncle got Chandu’s aunty to lick chutney of a silver spoon on a moonlit night!

And there is one I remember seeing the great Amitabh Bachchan recite in a film, Kacha Papad Pakka Papad (Raw Poppadum Cooked Popaddum) while doing a little finger twister with it!

I had a couple of Tongue Twister books as a child which my mum kept, and I love to delve into them with my own kids too! They love to listen to them and try them out.

20170127_221636