A piece of work.

'Florence' - mixed media and emotions - George Roberts April 01 2017

A rather beautiful passing 'dirty snowball'

The periodic Comet 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák passing our planet on its 5.4 year elliptical journey around the Sun - as imaged from our 'Backyard' using my Altair Astro 66mm. Refractor

"The comets

Have such a space to cross

Through the black amnesias of heaven"

 

Words borrowed shamelessly from 'The Night Dances' by Sylvia Plath

Loch MacToggue

My friend Stewart has produced this fantastic work of model-engineering. I have done  my best to photograph it but I must say these images do not do it full justice. This model is very detailed and very very small! 

I recommend you pay a visit to St Edmund’s Hall, Southwold on April 29^th 2017 where you will be able to see this brilliant working model for yourself.

 

Loch MacToggue

 

          "For a complete change (after 4 layouts of assorted gauges inspired by the Southwold Railway) I thought I would try something very different in T Gauge (1:450) as a preface to modelling the 7¼” gauge Blyth Valley Light Railway miniature railway in my proposed 4mm scale working layout of the proposed Southwold Railway Steamworks leisure park in Southwold.

 

           I wanted to use T gauge to create a proper working layout rather than just a quirky talking piece, working in standard gauge for the first time to create an imaginary location; with tunnels,  rough water and lots of trees and water craft in action within a mountainous setting.

 

Despite their Japanese origin the trains don’t look at all out of place, and many people (on seeing it for the first time) say the layout looks just like Scotland. Why the name? It just happens another hobby of mine is doing cryptic crosswords and MacToggue (pronounced ‘McTog’) is an anagram of ‘TGauge.com’ - simple! Visit their site to see the range available. The layout will be exhibited for the first time at St Edmund’s Hall, Southwold on April 29^th 2017".

 Stewart Green - March 2017

A full article will appear in the April 2018 issue of the Railway Modeller

'Earth Ovens' or getting a cob on in the garden

Jessica Perry blowing the embers in the Earth Oven

This weekend Toot and I and our friends Jon and Jude had lots of fun at Holt Hall in Norfolk learning how to make an earth oven for baking bread and pizza.

The instruction and materials were provided by the excellent Jessica Perry. If you are considering building an earth oven we would recomend attending one of Jessica's hands-on events.

Jessica Perry - Face book: Hands on Art and www.jessicaperry.co.uk

Photo diary of our day at Holt Hall:

Making and levelling the sand base for the oven

Laying and levelling the fire-stones

Marking the inside dimensions of the oven

Making the sand former for the oven

Mixing the clay and sand to make the 'cob'

Covering the sand former with paper

Throwing the earth cobs onto the former to create the oven (a 3 layer process)

After the fire died down we placed our pizzas in a previously constructed oven

 

My delicious pizza - just before I ate it. I also ate two more- thank you Jessica!

Red Circle

'Do hearths dream of ancient woodlands? ' temporary installation and mixed media -March 2017 - George Roberts

With every log’s inflamed passing

And as a memorial to their white hot transition

From grounded mass to windblown particulate

Do trees shed their leaves like tears in the rain?

And do hearths dream of ancient woodlands?

Comfort Food No 1 - Mac Cheese

Macaroni Cheese Toot Style

When I need cheering or warming up I turn invariably to Mac Cheese Toot Style. Its just like ordinary Mac Cheese but using the cheese sauce recipe set out in 'Bumborough Fish Pie'. Mmmm! real cheesy Weaver!

http://george-artcabinedujardin.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/the-best-fish-pie-in-world.html

The addition of more cheddar and some parmesan on the top for grilling and browning is a good move.  If you like a bit of crunch - you can add some dry bread crumbs to the topping before grilling.

"Bon Appetit"

Queen of the Night

The Queen of the Night - ideas for stage design - opera The Magic Flute - mixed digital media - George Roberts March 2017

"My geriatric levels of creativity have been boosted by 'Amadeus' from the National Theatre and a recent visit to the Hockney Exhibition at Tate Britain".

"As images of Venus and Mozart's brilliant music have been fizzing in my brain - I joined them up in two dimensions with options for three as tiles advance and recede in an operatic performance of the night".

We are not alone

Alien Craft over the Sea of Crisis on the Moon. Taken from the UK using a Maksutov- Cassegrain Telescope at F=13.8 at 23.00 on 01-03-2016

For decades, strange glows and transient lights have been seen and reported by amateur and professional observers of the Moon.  These have been either denied or explained as optical illusions or emissions of geological gasses from deep within the Moon’s core. Anyone suggesting that these might be evidence for extraterrestrial life has been vilified or dismissed as a raving madman. 

This image was taken almost a year ago by an amateur astronomer and has been buried by the media as part of an organised government plot.

This image is of an alien craft of unbelievable technology using a ‘Toplis Meson’ drive to reduce from’ light speed’ to lunar orbit insertion velocity.

 “We are not alone in the galaxy”!

US. and UK. Governments have not issued an official acknowledgement but media sources have made it known that waves of alien immigrants are expected to over-run the Moon in a matter of months.

Living in the Now

Model with unfinished self portrait 1977 - David Hockney

"We can only live in the now" but some people live more memorably than others. David Hockney's work is on display at the Tate Britain - London until the end of May 2017.  If you can, I would urge you to visit this brilliant exhibition.  Mr. Hockney with just a few lines can render people, places and plants with stunning clarity.  Almost mysteriously, he can create light, depth, distance and perspective using  colour alone. 

For someone of my age his paintings evoke pastimes and landmarks in life. A visit to this exhibition is a joy!

Primroses - Primula Vulgaris

Primroses in 'arts and crafts' mode - mixed digital media George Roberts March 2017

When the primroses come out in our garden we know that winter has made way for spring.  
"The primrose is my favourite flower" Steve Dongle - Eco-warrior.