Bull Terrier

[Matt2584]

Hi folks,

Hope everyone had a good xmas.

Mine was OK but could have been a lot better. Illness is the big reason why. I and my folks were all ill.

Anyhow, what a way to start off 2020 with this picture I have just finished :).

[cat3]

Oh I'm sorry your Christmas was hijacked by illness Matt ; I hope you're all recovered now !

The Bull terrier...….what can I say. I fell in love with this breed after watching an old film 'The Incredible Journey' (based on a true story about two dogs & a Siamese cat finding their way home -------before you're time ).

What a beautiful drawing Matt. x

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

Thank you cat :).

I don’t think we are all 100% but definitely much better than what we were :).

That phrase ‘before your time’. I know it suggests that I might not understand what a person is talking about because I was born way after it was released but it always gets me thinking.

King Tut was before my time but I know perfectly well who he was.

He was one of those fairies wasn’t he... I mean pharaohs :).

[cat3 in reply to Matt2584]

Right......so have you seen The Incredible Journey ?? 😏

Excerpt ---> youtu.be/JZc3YWxVE-M(Not working as expected?)

xx

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

I forgot to add that part to the last comment. I haven’t seen The Incredible Journey.... it was before my time :D.

But I’m glad you shared a clip of the film though.

[Fificakes2]

It’s brilliant and well done Matt. Is it your dog?

[Matt2584 in reply to Fificakes2]

Thank you fifi :).

No, it ‘s not my dog. It belongs to a friend of mine who I know through my Headway. She is a carer of another lady I know.

[Fificakes2 in reply to Matt2584]

That’s nice and I like doing pictures for other people too

[Matt2584 in reply to Fificakes2]

Yes, so do I.

I do sell my drawings to people and friends want me to sell my work on Etsy or the like but I don’t really like the idea of giving out my bank details and so on. I know it is “safe”.

So at the moment I’m just selling my art through commissions for friends :).

Oh, and sometimes I do exhibit my work too. So I get to sell that way as well :).

[Fificakes2 in reply to Matt2584]

That’s brilliant 😀 you do really good drawing and make money on them. I totally understand not putting your bank out.

I’ve sold some for a donation to headway, but I’d feel embarrassed doing it for myself

[Matt2584 in reply to Fificakes2]

I forgot to ask you what you draw and what media?

Thank you again :).

Why would you feel embarrassed by selling for yourself?

Do you think that your work is not good enough for the public or something?

I would understand what you would mean if that is the case.

I mean, many people have said my work is amazing, worthy of selling and could be seen as professional art and that gives me the confidence I need but when I see other professional artists work on say Pinterest, I then think “How can my art be on a professional level?” And “Do people say these nice things about my art to make me feel all warm and cosy?”

I used to draw all my life and I was always pretty good but years ago I was tutored on my art and it has grown but my tutor, has always seen my work on an amateur level.

Her art, I think, is better than mine and she does sell her work for around the same price as mine. She has her art professionally framed as well, which I would think costs a few bob.

I don’t have it professionally framed. I save my money and buy cheap frames for around £2.

I exhibited my work last year to the public and I will be this year too and before the exhibit I had a meeting with the lady organising it and I was talking to her about the prices of my art.

I said, as a starting point, about selling my work for £10 and she said “Oh your work would go for much more than that.

Work usually sales around £30!

I was quite surprised and so I sold all my work (which were prints) for £30. I actually sold one of them as well :).

[Fificakes2 in reply to Matt2584]

It is because I feel like it’s not good enough. I do art work at headway and the artists there are very good too and so I know what you mean. I’ve done oils and I’ve been doing charcoal pictures. At the moment I’ve got a photography tutor and she really good, I can’t believe how good portraits we can do.

I think you’re the same age as me, are you 35?

I take some picture of my work

[Matt2584 in reply to Fificakes2]

Yes, I am 35.

36 in May.

I have used different media in the past including oils and charcoal.

I do love the shading you can create using charcoal but it also is very messy.

I use graphite pencils to produce my art and with some of the pencils I have bought are charcoal pencils.

I have used them before and they are good but not the same as standard charcoal but is much cleaner :).

I have used oil pastels before too.

I like them but I always wondered why my art didn’t look as good as the oil paintings I would see... you need to add turpentine to the oil for that.

Never tried with turpentine though.

I mostly stick to using pencils cos it is cleaner and more roomier too :). Doesn’t take up space.

[Lynd]

What a great picture.!

[Matt2584 in reply to Lynd]

Thank you

[Bellemare]

Wow! It’s amazing.... you are very talented!

[Matt2584 in reply to Bellemare]

Thanks very much :).

[cat3]

Matt, I saw you mentioned frames and wondered whether you realise how cheap and easy they are to make yourself.

Of course there's a small initial outlay for tools, i.e. hacksaw, mitre block (or you can make your own for next to nothing) and corner clamps, plus PVA adhesive. Then there's the length of moulding for each frame ; much cheaper from timber-yards than DIY stores.

But I found creating frames of different shapes, sizes, styles and colours was a great pastime and very satisfying as a project. …….. x

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

Thanks for letting me know cat :).

Making my own frames could be something I might do in the future but for now paying £2, or so, is fine with me at the moment :).

[cat3 in reply to Matt2584]

OK m'love. Hope you'll all be feeling much better soon...… 😑 x

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

I am feeling pretty good now.

I still give the odd cough every now and then but at least I can get out and about like I was.

I’m going to my local Headway today and I went out with my mum and some friends yesterday and played Bingo, I won £30 :).

Out of all the bingo games I have played, that was probably my first win :).

[cat3 in reply to Matt2584]

That's brilliant ! I went to Bingo just once with my mum when I was about 12. I had laryngitis and was fed up, so asked her to let me go with her.

She gave me a ticket and said she'd keep an eye on mine as well as her own ; she didn't need to as my numbers came up quickly and ……….my voice suddenly came from nowhere...😲

Great feeling isn't it Matt. Good for you ! …..and glad you're feeling better. x

PS the fabric of the sofa on your drawing is superb !

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

In previous games of bingo where I was getting close to winning, .i would always think “If they call my number and I say I had won, I wonder if they will be able to hear me” as my voice can be quite soft and low. I think it comes from my nan who was from south Ireland and she had a soft voice too.

Or if I call out I bet someone else calls out too and they won’t be able to hear me.

Or if I call out,, when they check though the numbers, I hope they don’t say i’m wrong. As in “Nope, we didn’t call out that number”.

I’m really glad you like the fabric of the chair in my drawing. I am pleased with how that came out too :).

[cat3 in reply to Matt2584]

Yes my ancestors (mum's side) were in S.Ireland ; she used to always be singing Irish songs when cooking or doing chores. I always loved hearing 'Galway Bay'.

I sang for a while with a folk group and still love the songs, so now it's me singing folk songs (in the shower when there's no one around). Every year I promise myself I'll go...… ? 🤔 x

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

Seeing you say 'Galway Bay' has just reminded me of a spoof/parody of the song 'Fairy tale of New York' but this is titled 'Sweary tale of New York' :).

"And everywhere around the world from here to Galway bay, there are couples splitting up on Christmas day"

[cat3 in reply to Matt2584]

Just Googled it.....and don't think I'll be belting out those lyrics in the shower any time soon ! 😲 Love the original though with Kirsty McColl ; so sad about her strange death. x

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

Ah yes, if I knew you were going to google the song I would have warned you before-hand that it contains explicit lyrics :).

The original song is brilliant and one of my favourite xmas songs.

I didn’t know anything about Kirsty MacColl’s death and had to google it but it does sound very strange and very dodgy how she died.