There was a crochet pattern in a recent Water Aid magazine that arrived in the post. The picture looked like a white christmas tree. I wondered if the water drop would work as a knitted illusion. If I’d used the right size needles it might have looked better.
This is the fastest protest sign I’ve ever made. It’s not particularly successful. Nobody will have changed their minds after seeing it.
We went to a place where a Reform group was meeting. They’re popular here because voters feel let down by other political parties. The people were mostly friendly on arrival, some were pleased to see protesters. Others were blatantly hostile and are clearly professional narrow minded bigots.
A couple of elections ago there was a chart showing the similarities between seemingly different types of voters. Everyone wants their children to have a better education than they had. Everyone hopes to be in good health, with access to relevant medical care if they become ill. Many people are suspicious of anyone who seems different. Reform fans claim they are not racist but they don’t like incomers. This is often said by people who have retired here from elsewhere.
We might have been in the wrong place. It could really have been an evening about eating more salads and stretching the muscles more often.
When this lino block was first cut, a long time ago, it was going to be printed in pale subtle colours. Something on the news the other day while choosing inks made me reach for scarlet and emerald green instead.
The block is similar to an unfinished print from even longer ago. As a teenager I liked the idea of nature reclaiming damaged land. Maybe it’s still a nice idea. The white poppy has symbolised pacifism for nearly a century. Weapons are presumably more profitable but mediation and peaceful resolution has a preferable outcome.
Art & Poetry won’t change anything. There again, the opportunity to look at everything from a different perspective might affect future behaviour.
Pembrokeshire Green Party is reviving slowly. West Wales has many people who are doing their best to not cause harm to their surroundings. Joining a political movement doesn’t appeal to most of us. It’s good to know there are others who would never support right wing policies. Hopefully this short exhibition will inspire someone to clean a river, stop building houses with leaky roofs, maybe remove all the obstacles to living well.
Pembrokeshire is also home to some narrow minded bigots. They will say climate change isn’t real. There can’t be any pollution here and the sun shines constantly. It does, it’s shining right now, behind some clouds. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but they are also entitled to look outside occasionally and observe the world. The planet evolves, the temperature changes. Arguing about whether humans have damaged the environment is less important than thinking about how to live without making everything worse.
I sketched a few pairs of hands, thinking maybe one of the sketches would summarise the warped conditions of various workers.
The packaging that protects computers and televisions is strong and inks up reasonably. It’s too flexible for any official sort of prints but not bad for quick projects.
A few passersby have stopped to take photos of this poster. Which words come to mind first?
I’m pleased to see the red paper hasn’t faded in the sunshine since putting it in the window during the spring.
Linocut on Japanese paper, 12 x 12 cm.
Full cold moon; a time when we’re naturally accelerated, energy is flowing and things will naturally come to a conclusion. Time to consider that ridiculous ten year project which we can now let go of.
Today’s full moon coincides with a general election. There was a double rainbow in the sky when I went out to vote.
Protest banners should be light enough to carry while walking along, but heavy enough to stay upright and readable. This week’s ripstop on net banner is for the Hart Must Go! event.
It has a blue deer, symbolic of the local Tory MP. A hart is a deer, lacking the ‘e’ of an organ that pumps blood. The blue deer is being chased away by some red foxes. Local MP enjoys bloodsports so that’s a relevant theme. The general election is in December so this banner looks slightly festive.
But it’s too hard to understand! I know, I know, it shouldn’t need an explanation.
Democracy – a system of government in which the sovereign power is vested in the people as a whole exercising power directly or by elected officials.
Democracy should mean power to the people, but somehow we have all chosen to give power to the wrong people. We are governed by a small group of people who are out of touch with our distant problems.
Our elected members have done very little to improve life in Pembrokeshire. They have consistently voted in line with their party policy rather than for the best interests of their constituents. Their actions have caused further cuts to our health board and they have helped to slowly eradicate any local educational opportunities.
Previously prorogued parliaments have been followed by military rule after beheading the monarch – the green party might disapprove of royalty but we’re not savages.
We need to save our environment, which is more important than any petty political shenanigans. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Green Party policy is to look for a positive solution and for everyone to take practical action. Everyone has a skill to offer. Pembrokeshire has a great many worthy projects that are run by volunteers, when they should be properly funded.
There will be distractions such as tribal concerns or the media’s divide and rule tactics, it’s too late to bother with those. You can disagree with someone’s outlook but still achieve some level of common ground.
Do we need to be governed by impractical people that we would never seek advice from? No.
Let our elders and betters shut themselves down. Ideally parliament in its current form would never resume and we could save a vast amount of money and resources.
berry daines 