"yellow grey days"

[Cherylclaire]

One of those days when you wake up yellow grey - know that feeling ?

[Hidden]

Yes know it well lol.Great picture did you do that?

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. Yes, lockdown means self-portraits .... of increasingly miserable face !Are we nearly there yet ? I'm hoping so.

Getting sick of the sight of myself and my scribbly B12 deficient hair.

Looking forward to having the call for second vaccination jab .

[Hidden in reply to Cherylclaire]

Wish I could draw like that.I think we are all sick of our hair just now,I’m an ex hairdresser but I hate going to a salon always have I've been keeping mines in a long Bob but it’s getting to that annoying length now but my colour is really nice,the grey is blending with the blonde on the top but the underneath is like having dark lowlights ,that’s so weird as my hairs not been this dark for years but I like it and I’m trying liz earles shampoo/ conditioner just now as it’s sulphate free so it keeps that pink scalp away that I hate so much lol,it really brightens up your blondes and greys too I really recommend it.x

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

I solved the problem of Lockdown Hair - by cropping it down to 3 mm long. Not that I had much in the first place.

This is what it looked like long.

Fbirder in his covid mask

[JanD236 in reply to fbirder]

I’m not sure I’m ready for 3mm hair yet fbirder! 😆

[Hedgeree in reply to fbirder]

Brilliant mask fbirder! ☺

[Callysrainbow in reply to fbirder]

🤣🤣

[Ghound in reply to fbirder]

Love the "Plague Doctor" look ! 👍 😁

[Hidden in reply to Cherylclaire]

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[Nackapan in reply to Hidden]

Yes roll on the nice weather. Hope your hair turned out well.

I nearly cut mine off then chickened out.

[deniseinmilden in reply to Nackapan]

I've got "lockdown hair" despite the fact that I've been cutting my own hair for 30 years!! 😁

I've then only got myself to blame if it's wrong - and it grows again (when it's not falling out due to another ail that's cropped up and I haven't got to grips with! 🙄).

[Lurcher-lady in reply to deniseinmilden]

Same here. People ask if i haven't managed to see a hairdresser. Last time I saw one was for my daughters wedding 10 years ago and her other half said 'thought u were having your hair done too' 😂

[Hidden in reply to Nackapan]

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[Nackapan]

Great painting.

Unfortunately yes. Yellow grey not good

Hope you get back to blues ,whites and pinks , gold soon.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Nackapan]

Worse when your yellow grey skin matches your hair. Worse still when your tongue does.

>sigh<

Now there's a painting you won't want to see !

[Nackapan in reply to Cherylclaire]

Oh dear.I too get a glance of a strange woman . Ashen with long silver streaked hair i dont recognise . Not had long hair since my twenties . I used to pay for streaks lol .

Even stranger with a big deep brimmed hat , glasses and a mask and plastic gloves on to buy milk!

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Nackapan]

Want a portrait done ?

[Nackapan in reply to Cherylclaire]

Yes please .!

I'm an ex NHS worker . Did get in 36 years but most part time

I now realises you were joking because of the description I gave buying milk 😂

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Nackapan]

Not joking. With/ without hat, glasses, mask, gloves. It'll do me good.

[Nackapan in reply to Cherylclaire]

Okay .I really thought you were joking after reading my description to get milk.

After initially taking it literally as that's what I do.

I'm laughing as I'm feeling the most unattractive in my life. It may be a reality check of how far I've come ???

I can see the subject title..

Another b12 deficiency survivor

Or

The devastation of b12 deficiency

Or

'I'm in there somewhere '

If you are willing .

What a very kind offer.

Today you may feel differently.

I get that too!!

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Nackapan]

No, today I feel the same. We could be the start of something !

[Nackapan in reply to Cherylclaire]

pm me if you like so know what to do next . My I.T not great but I can get help

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Nackapan]

Forgotten how to pm - any idea ? (My IT skills not great either.)fbirder - you and your 3mm haircut and beak are next in line !

[Nackapan in reply to Cherylclaire]

I will send a pm. Should change 'chat' next to alerts at the top for yoh to press.

[Hedgeree]

Wow great portrait Cherylclaire!

I used to draw and paint many years ago but lost my confidence and stopped. (Long story...)

My thing was still life and life drawing/painting.

[Nackapan in reply to Hedgeree]

My mum used to copy photos as was really talented. I came across some as a teenager and recognised my auntie sketched as a child instantly. My mums younger sister.

She got so cross I'd seen them .

Was told in no un certain terms to not nosy in her things again.

I was shocked.

When I tried to compliment her at a later date I got the same response.

I could see a deep upset.

To this day I've never asked again.

I did have another look though . They are so good but did feel guilty looking.

So I havent for the last ? 40 years.

I wonder if I will ever know what went wrong

Shes 91 now.

She is not a confident person.

Independent/stubborn but not confident.

Her creativity went into knitting and crochet instead.

Yes I did hsve a knitted bikini as a child that sagged in the water.

She does colouring books now we all buy her.

So neat with wonderful colour combi ations

Seems to have missed me . One of my daughters and sister are creative in crochet knitting and making things.

Must be lovely to have such talents

Perhais you can rekindle it.

My neighbour has taken uo sketching in his 7o's draws his dogs He says he is quite obsessed with it.

Not shown me any yet .

I've not asked

Having worked with children i know the early praises and encouragement si important.

[Hedgeree in reply to Nackapan]

Hi Nackapan,

I keep meaning to try to get back into being more creative but always find myself putting it off.

Glad your mum is still able to be creative and is now enjoying colouring in; a knitted bikini sounds fantastic just shows how talented your mum is! ☺

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Hedgeree]

So how about doing a self-portrait about what it feels like to be you ? Get your thing back .If you like, you can choose not to show anyone, you can keep it for yourself as a private record.

A good start. A visual documentary. It might be good for you. Or it might help others understand you better.

It might help people to recognise themselves ....

who knows ?

I also stopped. Now I find it to be the only thing I can concentrate on: books, television often difficult especially when memory not great.

[Hedgeree in reply to Cherylclaire]

It just seems very scary, but agree it may be good for me; do you use a mirror for yourself portraits or a photo of yourself?

Yes I don't bother much with television, too much misery and just gets overwhelming at times.

I generally like quiet, for a clear head.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Hedgeree]

Depends. Sometimes a mirror, sometimes a photo. Bit of both. Plus a bit of what I want to add to tell the story. Find it hard to do anything from computer screen though. Can sketch or draw in a crowd, but only paint alone - wouldn't be able to maintain concentration otherwise.

Sometimes TV can be useful (with/without sound on); for practice in quick sketches, try sketching soap characters- they aren't on the screen for long and often change pose/ expression quickly, but their faces have become familiar. You really know if you've got them right/ wrong. Don't use a pencil (you'll be tempted to spend all your time rubbing it out)- use a pen or fine felt tip for speed. I put notes to self in too: "nose too long", "eyes too far apart" etc, and do another and another until I get it right. Soap characters useful, as you know they will be back again in a day or two - unless they end up under a patio !

Sketchbooks become a record/diary of viewing interests - and I end up with random pages of Rango juxtaposed with Mary Berry, one of her recipes (and drawing of what the completed dish looked like) together with Dom from Holby and Aunt Lydia next to Robert Peston ! I used to show my students -just so they could see it's important to be brave and just do it, that worrying about being perfect will hamper you.

Give it a go - no-one's looking.

[Hedgeree in reply to Cherylclaire]

Thanks for the encouragement Cheryclaire! ☺

[Hedgeree]

I also know that yellow grey feeling too. Sometimes it's the sky that's yellow grey but then I look in the mirror and that confirms it.

Heavy sky, heavy body and heavy legs...

Also rather disturbing when you catch a glimpse of your reflection in a shop window and wonder who the fat old grey thing staring back is!

The you realise it's yourself!

I've not had my hair cut for two years now, not intentional mostly just circumstances.

So my lockdown non-hair cut has resulted in waist length grey/silver hair with an accidental sloping bowl cut fringe, the only bit I've chopped some off!

My hairdresser only lives around the corner; she must cringe whenever she sees me! ☺

[Nackapan in reply to Hedgeree]

I'm having my hair cut when its possible. My nan once said I was losing energy with long hair.

I took her literally as usual and it seems ti gave stuck.

I dont mind silver hair.

Its streaked. Some pay to get it looking like thus lol

Never dyed it.

Well I did when younger and not grey .

Henna was the thing.

Hair like a shiny conker.

[Hedgeree in reply to Nackapan]

I will get my hair cut (or trimmed) when I can though to be honest it has felt quite liberating to just let it be.

Shiny conker hair sounds fantastic! My colour of choice was medium brown or (similar shades) for many years.

[Bonjourtristesse]

That’s a fantastic painting. You’re very talented.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Don't mind ageing. In fact, older faces are way more interesting to paint - a life lived.

What I really do mind is never knowing from one day to the next what I'm going to look like, how I'm going to feel, what I'm able to do, what it's going to cost me. Certainly makes any sort of planning difficult.

Planning is not a particular problem currently though, is it ?

Nackapan - such lovely stories. Brought back those heady days of henna, tie-dyeing and patchouli oil. Putting inserts into jeans to get flares- or was that just me ?

My mum taught us how to knit, how to make crochet squares into a shoulder-bag or scarf. Wish I could remember how to do those things.

Sad though that your mum wasn't confident enough to share her talent, instead hiding it away. Art is so deeply personal - perhaps it was too important to her to ever risk showing others, especially if she wasn't very confident ? Still she kept her pictures.

[Nackapan in reply to Cherylclaire]

No not just you Tie dying incense burning. Lentil bake . Shared houses Not sure with my

mum. I imagine something said. She was in a factory by age 14 so imagine treated as wasted time or something.

She usually more open about craft ect. Didnt teach me any craft but I dont think j showed any interest as always out and left home at 16 for college.

Her mum did 'peace ' work.

A box would arrive full of jewels and ribbons and stuff

She would make Rose's ect for gowns and grand dresses. All from a tiny council flat and for a pittance

She made beautiful things to sew on all sorts. A real talent.

She let music touch them and sort all the glass heads ect and sequinnes galore.

Yes I hate not being able to even plan meetings friend in the park.

Csn I drive that day . Can i walk and talk .

It's the unpredictable daily symptoms so annoying

If I can cook I batch cook thdn probably stand too long and feel awful by 4pm.

I've been invited to weddings.

One was a definite no.

Another I git there for 1.5 hrs room used for meal many lights do couldnr have the meal.

That was on painkillers and being driven 3 miles .

Yes horrid not knowing

[Hidden]

Amazing skill.Well done!

[Ghound]

Fabulous portrait - wonderful talent !!! Xx