Tree imps in the fog

Walking home last night was almost like being on a beautiful film set.

 All around me, everything was twinkling with frost.

My feet crunched on the brick pavement, strangely noisy in the thick silence. A heavy fog had rolled in, like a wash of intense watercolour – china white mixed with a dab of indigo.

The street-lamps shone through the fog like gleaming beacons.

And then I looked up and saw these dancing branches – I thought they looked stunning.

And when I think of them now, I can see them morphing into leaping, giggling, gangly-limbed imps...

Pearl  

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Life story snapshots

I had an afternoon of people-watching galore yesterday.

I love the city of Brighton.

Despite powerful efforts to make the place more polished and slick, Brighton stubbornly refuses to relinquish its bohemian personality.

I had a couple of meetings, and I also enjoyed some time sitting by windows and watching as amazing characters passed by outside.

Each moment was a snapshot from someone's life story.

I am still working on loosening up my drawings.

I've got a way to go yet – these sketches still look tight to me, so I may need to create a more dedicated project towards achieving what I want.

But I'm sure these 'visual notes' will come in handy, one way or another.

Pearl 

Mighty pens

I performed a quick Google search to see who first came up with the words, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’.

Turns out, it was the novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his 1839 play, Cardinal Richelieu. 

I don’t know about you - perhaps I'm not very well educated - but I am not familiar with Mr. Bulwer-Lytton. Yet I’m sure most of us are well acquainted with his adage. 

When I was a kid, I asked my dad why football is such a popular game. His reply was something about the idea that pretty much anyone can kick a ball around. You don’t need to be rich or famous, or even particularly skilled, to enjoy a game with your friends. 

So I wonder if a similar reason could explain why a 178-year-old phrase about pens and swords is still with us? 

Anyone can pick up a pen and, Jedi-like, wield a unique kind of power. You don’t need to be a sparkling wordsmith to write a love note that could make someone’s day, or the next Picasso before you can scribble a cartoon that could raise a smile. 

If you have three minutes today, why not root out that old, lid-less Bic pen from the back of your kitchen drawer, and let it take you for a little adventure across the back of an envelope…

Pearl