Well this is a first!

Me, writing a blog? What about? What do I say?

Does anyone read these things?

Do I need to do this?

Yada yada yada…..

Maybe I’ll just chat as if you were here. Which would be weird as I’m in Spain visiting no3 Kitty, you’d like her but it would be weird if I was talking to you as I’m in her bed, she’s just gone to work and I’m contemplating my long day of only knowing one word in Spanish.

Kitty’s a designer for Zara, with a great discount, so I fly out with an empty bag and return laden with stuff I’ll never wear as I usually dress head to toe in paint splattered rags! Last October she moved out to A Coruña on the NW coast above Portugal, somewhere I’d never heard of. It’s a beautiful old city, my goodness they are stylish here… and skinny!! I think they must just drink coffee as you don’t see anyone actually eating anything! Is this what it’s like if you live near a beach and you know it’ll be hot all summer? Can you imagine the UK being like this? Actually I have seen many other shapes and sizes, and interesting attire…. vast cruise ships pull in here and thousands of loud, badly dressed Brits pour from them at regular intervals…heading for the street tat sellers and McDonalds, judge me as you will, but I shudder and hide away, pretending to be anything other than one of them, a voyeur in my discounted Zara ensemble.

Today’s my last day, I have a small watercolour sketchbook, a few paints and crayons which stops me resembling a lonely old fool in cafes. I’m vaguely aware of onlookers expecting to see images of beautiful old architecture or people.. not a load of scribble and colour. Ah well, take a photo if you want to see that! My scribbles are inspired by the shapes on the buildings, tables, pavements, people, pigeons, drinks and so on… take notice of what you see, don’t copy it, that is too predictable and to be honest, not my thing. I don’t need the stress of trying … where is the enjoyment in that? My art makes me happy, it’s the one thing in life that takes me to a place where I can just be, and not care. Today I’m going to walk around the headland and sit amongst the wildflowers, there I will eat cake, paint and have a snooze, leaving this beautiful city to the latest cargo of Primark clad, tat hunting Brits!

Sally X