Monthly Archives: February 2015

Feral cat and doll

Today I witnessed a bizarre scene in the proximity of some container bins. A discarded doll was apparently being guarded by a feral cat, which hissed at passersby. Whether the cat had claimed the doll as a potential food source or something more sympathetic, I couldn’t tell.

Winter drags on

While there is a taste of Spring in the air, and the snow melt run-off from the hills is creating new land-borne streams (especially, unfortunately, at the back of my garage), there is still a lot of snow about and last week saw night time temperature below minus 10. I really dislike the period betweenContinue reading “Winter drags on”

Velorex reconstruction

My friend Martin, a whizz at all things mechanical, has just bought an old Czechoslovak three wheeled Velorex to reconstruct. His last project was a vintage tractor. Once the Velorex is rebuilt with a new canvas frame it will look funky, plus massively increase in value, as only 15000 were ever produced. A seriously retroContinue reading “Velorex reconstruction”

Red Deer Hind Herd in Snow

Today was stunning. In the village there is still lots of snow yet there’s a bright blue sky and the temperature was 18 degrees centigrade. The kids threw snowballs with the dog and then we went on a walk on the abandoned road through the hills. There were many animals out, particularly Roe and RedContinue reading “Red Deer Hind Herd in Snow”

History crumbles before my eyes

Since I’ve been living in Slovakia, a little over 16 years now, I’ve seen some major changes. I’ve watched entire historical aspects of living culture vanish in the onslaught of globalisation. I took this photo a year ago. It’s of an uninhabited neighbouring property and shows how the barn on the side of the houseContinue reading “History crumbles before my eyes”

An evening with the Ambassador

Last night saw a change to my usual reclusive lifestyle. I spent the evening in the city of Presov at a reception for the British Ambassador to Slovakia, His Excellency Andrew Garth. The first part of the evening was a small reception for some local business leaders at the historic Prelika distillery. Ironically, I wasContinue reading “An evening with the Ambassador”

Abstract paintings series

As winter continues and daily blizzards pile up the snow, I’m making use of a new-found Muse to explore a type of art novel for me: abstract. Ordinarily, I paint nudes based on silhouette and shade but I felt like trying new grounds. This painting, pictured, is called ‘Dimensions‘. It’s quite large at 110 xContinue reading “Abstract paintings series”