What was your fasting blood glucose? (full on chat)

[lindisfel]

Brilliant @lindisfel
I have only seen these and various white butterflies this year. Nothing like the abundance of last year.

Thank you gennepher.
Not so good for butterflies as last year but we get quite a few coming to the buddleia, including a very nice fresh Comma a few days ago.
We also get Speckeld Woods that have only spread north relatively recently due to climate change.
D.

 

[lindisfel]

Thanks Muddy, it is good to see how you encourage all your fellow painters.

Today's artists......

@gennepher nice sunset and the birds flying home. I agree those birds gave it life and depth a good addition on your part.

@dunelm You are becoming the master of quick sketches on Zen Brush App, some very controlled finger/pen strokes on this evening lines, like it very much.

@lindisfel A great study of the Peacock Butterfly, very well observed.

@geefull the combination you have created works very well, another great experiment. However I still admire and prefer your own personal style.

 

[karen8967]

5.7 for me

 

[lindisfel]

Have good day everybody.
Looking forward to a better day today.

This getting older is a real limiting factor at times, but there is no alternative to finding a work round like doing less and keeping positive.
D.

 

[gennepher]

Fbg 6.1

Temp 35.6

Not much sleep. My friend who has a dog with very end of life cancer and refuses to let go, despite vet advice, was WhatsApping all night, with photos etc. She needs permission from someone else to let her dog go, but not be told it is time to let her dog go, which it seems everyone round her is telling her to do. So we talked (texted) through it, but the words for this have to come from her, not me. She appears to have finally come to terms with what she has to do today, and we talked about her grief processes.

So, I am a wee bit tired, and I won't be going food shopping now, so maybe tomorrow.

Take care.

 

[Krystyna23040]

Glad the day was brilliant @Krystyna23040
Hope your BS is perfect in the morning.

@gennepher BS was perfect this morning. So whatever used to cause the huge over correction in the past when my BS dropped to low normal has stopped happening.

Fbs was 4.8. Perhaps a sign that I am becoming more normal - or at least Normal for Norfolk.

 

[gennepher]

My digital painting in Procreate for today.

The painting was taller than this, but I made a complete mess of the clouds and the sun streaming through. Finally I cropped the top quarter of the digital painting off. That was the best I could do with this.

It is the beach at Borth where there is an ancient submerged forest that appears at low tide.

Here it is.

 

[dunelm]

My digital painting for today in Procreate app.

It took me 2 hours to get that background. I did enjoy doing it. But what I wanted to do in the foreground would have taken me another two hours (and the iPad was already overheating), and I have other things to do today.

So I made a duplicate, so another day I can do the foreground I want.
And for today I chose two silhouettes which represented my emotional feelings on the foreground I had wanted to do. And that is all I am saying on that.

View attachment 43214

Now that is some background and I can appreciate the two hours doing that. So much going on and a so much blending.

 

[gennepher]

Now that is some background and I can appreciate the two hours doing that. So much going on and a so much blending.

It does have a deep emotional meaning for me @dunelm and so memories were 'woven' into the blending.

Thank you

 

[Krystyna23040]

Fbg 6.1

Temp 35.6

Not much sleep. My friend who has a dog with very end of life cancer and refuses to let go, despite vet advice, was WhatsApping all night, with photos etc. She needs permission from someone else to let her dog go, but not be told it is time to let her dog go, which it seems everyone round her is telling her to do. So we talked (texted) through it, but the words for this have to come from her, not me. She appears to have finally come to terms with what she has to do today, and we talked about her grief processes.

So, I am a wee bit tired, and I won't be going food shopping now, so maybe tomorrow.

Take care.

@gennepher I so hope that with your help last night your friend will now have the courage to do the right thing for her dog. I definitely think you should relax today because you are probably a bit more than 'a wee bit tired '.

 

[gennepher]

@gennepher BS was perfect this morning. So whatever used to cause the huge over correction in the past when my BS dropped to low normal has stopped happening.

Fbs was 4.8. Perhaps a sign that I am becoming more normal - or at least Normal for Norfolk.

@Krystyna23040
Normal for Norfolk sounds a good goal to aim for

 

[dunelm]

@gennepher your art today. A dark, moody and disconcerting background with two beautiful uplifting images. A very mixed bag of emotions poured out here, great art.

@dunelm Thank you for your comments regarding my Trees. Your art today I found really uplifting must be that blue and Hedge rows are great to paint, something very English about them, very nice image you have created.

My day was spent almost entirely at the Wildlife Centre with my son and grandchildren, lovely day. Walking back we climbed a Stile and wow what a sight. Mrs MC and I stopped to admire the field of Barley that had been planted all around with wild flowers many Poppies but also lots of other varieties. I always have my sketch pad and so did a quick pencil sketch with a view of painting them later in the week. This is looking over the Trent Valley from Wolseley Estates, ran out of time to do any watercolour painting so will finish Beech Trees Monday.
View attachment 43227

Thank you @Muddy Cyclist. A day out with grandchildren - superb. Our youngest son keeps posting images of the three ninky nonks as they visited a NT garden or park each day over the Factory Fortnight. Good sketch.

 

[ianpspurs]

Good morning on another Suffolk scorchio. Fbg of 4.6 and a gallimaufry of a day ahead here and behind for forum members. 2 grandchildren to be minded today then a day off then the youngest - till February- Wednesday and Thursday. Stairgates/safety gates all round, Waitrose in Newmarket stripped bare, Moana on loop, ipad for grandson charged - good to go. Pup training tonight after missing last week as isolating before plumbing test. @Krystyna23040 the walk, coffee, bg and now fbg simply top hole; @gennepher hug for lack of restful sleep; @lindisfel hug for restrictions of ageing but winner for sensible attitude. Take care folks - 3 Rs before 3 pints is the new message.

 

[dunelm]

My digital painting in Procreate for today.

The painting was taller than this, but I made a complete mess of the clouds and the sun streaming through. Finally I cropped the top quarter of the digital painting off. That was the best I could do with this.

It is the beach at Borth where there is an ancient submerged forest that appears at low tide.

Here it is.

View attachment 43233

I can see those tree stumps emerging from the sea, hollowed out at the top, very spooky as the tide recedes at sunrise.

 

[gennepher]

@gennepher I so hope that with your help last night your friend will now have the courage to do the right thing for her dog. I definitely think you should relax today because you are probably a bit more than 'a wee bit tired '.

@Krystyna23040
Drop dead shattered is a more accurate description of how I feel. But it is nothing compared to the emotional turmoil my friend is feeling.

I will have a gentle day for me today, thank you.

 

[gennepher]

I can see those tree stumps emerging from the sea, hollowed out at the top, very spooky as the tide recedes at sunrise.

I was trying to get that effect but wasn't sure I had got it @dunelm
Sunrise (dawn rather) is a special in between worlds time...

 

[dunelm]

Good morning on another Suffolk scorchio. Fbg of 4.6 and a gallimaufry of a day ahead here and behind for forum members. 2 grandchildren to be minded today then a day off then the youngest - till February- Wednesday and Thursday. Stairgates/safety gates all round, Waitrose in Newmarket stripped bare, Moana on loop, ipad fo grandson charged - good to go. Pup training tonight after missing last week as isolating before plumbing test. @Krystyna23040 the walk, coffee, bg and now fbg simply top hole; @gennepher hug for lack of restful sleep; @lindisfel hug for restrictions of ageing but winner for sensible attitude. Take care folks - 3 Rs before 3 pints is the new message.

Nothing confusing about this - we began our Thursday and Friday minding duties at a couple of weeks ago - nothing that an ever changing list on the ‘things to do’ chalkboard can’t solve - or so you might think.

 

[lindisfel]

good noontide all

4.3 today

Fortunately only about 18'C here
been reorganising my workspace this morning (to an extent ) so I can have a sort out of my art supplies
I'm rapidly coming to the realisation that art supplies are as addictive as any other craft stash

Latest aquisition are some watercolour pencils to replace the duff ones I got rid of. I already have a small set of 12 'inktense' pencils but they don't really handle the same as watercolour, being ink they are not liftable once dried. I like them, they are very vibrant - but also expensive

I know that @Muddy Cyclist uses Faber Castell polychromos but I haven't much experience using watercolour pencils yet so I decided to go for an intermediate level set and aquired some Arteza watercolour pencils. these will give me a chance to see how I get on with them.

Hope your day is treating you well

@lindisfel - I especially like the 'eyes', very effective

@dunelm - fluid drawing, I like the 'dry brush' effect on some of the stems and the lighter shades that give variety to the tonal level

@gennepher - Popeye looks fairly 'chill' with his custom cooler
Blending seems to be smoother in the app than it would be with 'real' pastels and I agree that the birds have given your picture a strong focus, it very much speaks to me of the heat most of us are getting just at the moment

art bit -
I agree with you @Muddy Cyclist I don't know whether yesterday's experiment is something I would incorporate with my usual style regularly

so I tried making more of a hybrid, and here it is
View attachment 43203

Thanks geeful.

Watch out for Boris with Wilfred in his pram on your beach one day soon!
I hope he knows about the haggis shooting and the midge!
D.

 

[dunelm]

Good morning everyone from a day of promise and interest in the dark and dangerous north.

The wonder wheel of hung, drawn and quartered pork pie, tortured out of it’s skin and accompanied by a few green things and a host of home made pickles came in at 4.8 this am.

Quick, quick, quick this morning - a full day - car in for software update (how did we ever come to this), Visits to extra care care facilities - whatever ‘extra care’ means and a ride on my bike if I get the chance.

This morning, a tried for 5 minutes - think about the composition and then whatever happens, just get it down.
Dry, wet, black, red. Koffy on the go, tea in the pot for Mrs Miggins, have a great day.

 

[ert]

5.3 this morning. I'm sunburnt from yesterday, not that I noticed I was getting sunburnt. I completed a Chiltern 9 km loop walk at Great Hampden, but was home before the temperature was above 21 degrees C. I had sunburn cream on my face, but need to be more aware that I need it elsewhere. It didn't feel that hot. I'm pleased it didn't affect my blood sugars too much. I took less insulin than usual. Have a great day everyone.