How to paint better, like Klimt, like yourself, and appreciate other painters

Klimt painting displayed in New York city, New York state, USA.

APPRECIATING KLIMT
On Facebook I saw a pretty painting by Klimpt.

When I draw or paint as an amateur my struggle is to observe and create a likeness. Klimt is at the next stage, to create something beautiful in a new and unique style which reminds the onlooker of something pleasing. 

His method is to brighten a dull scene from the grey hut, grey tree trunks, dark green leaves, blue jeans. He creates a confetti effect, contrasting circles of bright colour. His bright contrasts are white, yellow and red. 

At a painting course this summer (2017, Susan Allison at Writer's Holiday, their next holiday being at Fishguard in Wales, February 2018) one of our first lessons was watching her demonstrate making a dark background and leaving a contrast of white or yellow in the middle for a sunny day, a sunset, a tunnel, whatever.

Klimt also makes a person the centre of attention, bright spring or summer flowers scattered up the body.  Colour creates a halo effect around the head, and brightness of the clothes.

Only on second glance did I realise that it's not one picture but a video, a sequence of pictures.

In many of the Klimt pictures one person is cradling or protecting themselves or another. They smile or faintly smile. But flowers surround them.

Only on second glance did I see in the first picture the crucifix dwarfed by the happiness. We give flowers to a bride. We take flowers to a funeral to add colour and scent, traditionally to conceal smells, create perfume to soothe and brighten the room.

I find that if I write too much about sad subjects, or create or see have too much sad music or painting, it depresses me. Colours lifts my mood. If you want to keep yourself and others happy, acknowledge their sadness but add as much colour as you can and spread happiness.

SEEING PAINTINGS
If you want to see more Klimt paintings and read about the artist, go to Wiki. You might also be interested in films about the paintings:

On August 7, 2006, Christie's auction house announced it was handling the sale of the remaining four works by Klimt that were recovered by Maria Altmann and her co-heirs after their long legal battle against Austria (see Republic of Austria v. Altmann). Maria Altmann's fight to regain her family's paintings has been the subject of a number of documentary films, including Adele's Wish.^[27] Her struggle also became the subject of the dramatic film the Woman in Gold, a movie inspired by Stealing Klimt, the documentary featuring Maria Altmann herself.^[28] The portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II was sold at auction in November 2006 for $88 million, the third-highest priced piece of art at auction at the time.^[29][30] 

PAINTING COURSES
http://www.writersholiday.net 

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Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, caricaturist, author and speaker.

What's Making Holes In My Lawn?

Squirrels on lawn in London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Dig this! I wrote on Facebook that I would take a picture of a squirrel. The squirrel picture which I promised is here! 

Not only that, I have solved another problem. What was making holes in my lawn. I was editing my photos and found my attempt to photograph a squirrel, the culprit responsible for holes in my lawn. 

Normally I would have deleted this picture because when the subject is blown up large the picture is out of focus. That is not clear to the reader and does not reflect well on me as a professional photographer of in focus pictures, carefully cropped to tell a story, usually about travel and tourist sights.

However, I cannot re-take the photo and it is interesting evidence of criminal damage by the squirrel! Let's analyse this incriminating photo, like detectives.

On the left is an innocent by-stander, the bird. This bird is not a useful witness - busy with his own breakfast, annoyed at being wrongly accused, saw nothing. 

The bird was listed in our list of suspects as a wood pigeon. It was later identified from feathered outfit with white ring around the neck as a collared dove. 

This picture is cropped with the squirrel culprit in the middle, the two other characters forming a triangle. On the right is another squirrel which is leaping, racing towards its quarry, the central criminal squirrel obliviously burying its loot.

Afterwards, I saw the squirrels chasing each other, fighting, escaping, fighting, racing off, engaging again, quite a fracas! Only when I looked at this photo did I realise what the fuss, the fight was all about. One squirrel is burying its food. The second is trying to grab the food. 

The squirrel on the right is not police in my pay protecting the lawn. Alas no. The second squirrel is even worse, a squirrel mugger! That's why I have so many holes in my lawn.

Known Noises

Secondly, I have now identified the source of so much mysterious noise from unidentified flying objects. Thumps land on the creaking fence and bang on the roof, day and night. 

By daylight I see four or more magpies, looking so smart, black and white like men in dinner suits, but seen as thieves by smaller birds. The magpies, like the squirrel, are also taking food away from weaker creatures (small birds and soft hearted gardeners like me). 

Magpies are constantly pacing the conservatory roof. Next comes a loud, banging of hard fruit with their beaks, attempting to crack open unripe nuts, fruit, figs.

A high pitch sound at night might be cats caterwauling. 

At night Casanova foxes pursue and catch vociferous, screeching, lady foxes of the night.  Once I heard such a lot of shrieking outside in the dark street that I nearly called the police. next day I asked my neighbour. She said it is foxes mating. She has them breeding at the far end of her garden. 

Now I have identified another noise as scampering squirrels, scattering and pattering, fighting for food. It's a wild world out there.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and phtographer, atuhor and speaker. Author of How to Get Out of The Mess You're In. I give talks on this subject covering finding your glasses, getting organised

How to Widen a too tight skirt with ribbons or panels of triangles or oblongs

Problem
Your skirt is too tight.

Answers
You can let out a seam or insert fabric.

SEAM
Look for which seam is easiest to slit open.

Does one seam have lots of extra material?

Is the skirt the right length?

If it is too long, you could cut the skirt shorter and use the cut off fabric to make it wider.
If you don't want to sew up the seam, add fabric and make it a wrap around skirt.

You could insert two ribbons of fabric, one either side. Or two large panels, one either side, or one or two or more panels, either ribbon shape, or tapering to narrower at the waist. Alternate two types of fabric in the same colour, such as two matt black skirt panels with two pieces of black ribbon, or two same type of fabric in different colour such as black satin and pink satin.

To find extra fabric, separate your skirts into three piles, just right, too small and too large.  You might be able to move fabric from the too large garment into the too small garment.

Another system is to make a colour block dress like a checker board.

Author

Angela Lansbury. 

PS Pick two contrasting but complementary colours, such as black and red or pink and navy.

Watering Plants While On Holiday

Fill up plant watering devices to the brim with water. (Stocked at garden centres.)

An improvised plant waterer can be made from a small plastic funnel filled with water in your plant pots.

Alternatively an inverted small plastic water bottle with top removed and bottom cut off for filling.

Leave instructions with pictures. Photograph plant with name of species. Photograph watering can and cupboard.

Buy plants which do not require frequent watering.

Move plants into garden or outdoor balcony.

Water last day before leaving home.

Set one week reminder for yourself and family or colleague to water plants.

Ask for a photo of your plants so you can check their condition.

Offer a reward to plant carers, for every plant which lives!

Visit garden centre or plant centre and ask about watering devices. Look online. Add them to your birthday or Xmas wish list.

Take plants to neighbour if they are not mobile enough to visit your home or you do not want to give out your spare keys.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Author of How To Get Out Of The Mess you're In.