Swallowtail Cobblers

[Timbo]

Like many members of the NBN, being a boater does not mean we don't have other interests based on, in and around Broadland. For example, I like boats and boating, woodwork, angling,  as well as sketching and drawing. What I like to sketch are absurdities, insects, birds and botany. Like this.

I'm not into taking commisions btw. I paint and draw for my own amusement when the fancy takes me. What it does mean is that I quite often get botanical news and reports in my newsfeed from various groups around the globe and on the Broads. One such was from a wildlife organisation pointing out research done in Papua New Guniea which may benefit the Peucedanum palustre or milkweed the food of the swallowtail butterfly.

What got my goat was the claim by the wildlife organisation that  Peucedanum palustre only grows in the Norfolk Broads. Now then, either the Norfolk Broads has expanded somewhat to include Peterborough, Scunthorpe (Mike will be glad) and Gainsborough (that's the Hell) as well as Hull, Halifax and Glastonbury to name just a few areas.

After a bit of digging about I discovered the source of the article on the BBC. Checking back further I discovered the BBC had asked a well known Broads related organisation regarding the matter. I mean, come on, facts and straight and all that! Mind you, I'm just a boater!

[Regulo]

Lovely artwork, Tim. I used to do a bit of drawing earlier in life, but I stopped when mum tanned my backside for using the hall wall as my extended canvas. I was about three, I think. Put me off art for life, I could have been pickling sheep and displaying my unmade bed by now - and getting paid for it!

[YnysMon]

That's beautiful Tim!  Can we see any other examples of your art works?

Helen

[SteveO]

By 'eck, it certainly does grow in t' Halifax area. In fact in the remote parts of Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge, swallowtail cobbler is a renowned delicacy - when the folks are not eating dock pudding, that is.

Nice daub by the way.

Cheers

Steve

[Timbo]

10 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

That's beautiful Tim!  Can we see any other examples of your art works?

Helen

Part of the problem Helen is that I tend to draw a lot of 'pin ups' in a Gil Elvgren style that I'm fairly sure would contravene more than a few forum rules!   The other part of the problem is that my other half usually pinches my paintings and pastel drawings to hang on her walls before I get the chance to scan them but here are some of the images I've worked on that will get past the censor!

 

 

[YnysMon]

Lovely!  Thanks Tim!

[Regulo]

Never fails to amaze me what hidden talents lie behind a name on a forum! With Tim and his artwork, and Grendel with his modelling skills, what other talents lie beneath the oikish exteriors of forum members? Come on, don't be shy, show us your secret talents. ( Mine involve loafing about, drinking tea and extreme procrastination).

[Guest]

Your certainly very talented Tim, your pictures are excellent. 

[grendel]

well - there's Griffs joke telling...............

[ranworthbreeze]

21 minutes ago, grendel said:

well - there's Griffs joke telling...............

Now is that a talent or it a case of how Griff tells them

Regards

Alan

 

[Bound2Please]

Great pictures Tim love the perch

Charlie

[Polly]

I am world beating in er........ Well um....ah yes! Drinking tea. 

[ExUserGone]

When I saw the title "swallowtail cobblers" I thought you were going to announce a new form of body art.

Nice piccies.

[Snowy]

15 hours ago, Timbo said:

Part of the problem Helen is that I tend to draw a lot of 'pin ups' in a Gil Elvgren style that I'm fairly sure would contravene more than a few forum rules!   The other part of the problem is that my other half usually pinches my paintings and pastel drawings to hang on her walls before I get the chance to scan them but here are some of the images I've worked on that will get past the censor!

 

 

I do a bit of art myself but NOT in your league Timbo

whatever you do as a job, your wasted

you could easily take art up as your profession

[charlesa]

Lovely one of St Benet's Timbo.

Any chance of a Bittern, preferably flying low over Heigham Sound !?

In 45 years of coming to the Broads I have never seen one despite hours and hours of gazing over the reed beds and it hurts me !!

Best wishes

Charles

[Timbo]

2 hours ago, Snowy said:

I do a bit of art myself but NOT in your league Timbo

whatever you do as a job, your wasted

you could easily take art up as your profession

Thanks Snowy  

I didn't make the grade in art as a kid. We were set a test piece to paint a picture of 'mountains'. All the other kids painted your standard grey and white triangles. I painted purple and green heather covered Highland Hills. They passed and I failed. Moving on to my archaeology days and we were given lessons in sketching sites and drawing finds. After my first big stroke, I started drawing again as a means of learning to use my right hand now that my left didn't work anymore. I would carry a sketch pad around with me and sit and doodle all the time. To make ends meet, you can't teach if you can't read, write or speak, I got a job in marketing working on accounts involving some big brands. I found the visual and auditory world of marketing meant my handicap of the time was not such a problem. I learned the rudiments of animation to produce presentations with an element, well more than an element...bucket load really, of my weird sense of humour.

Sitting in a pub one evening, sketch pad on my knee, doodling away I was approached by a chap claiming to be a publisher. 'Yeah right' was my initial response, but very long story short I ended up producing book covers, comic books, graphic novels and photographs on a range of publications.

I now had some quite advanced computers to work with and started teaching myself digital painting, matte painting, photography and 3D modelling and got deeper into animation. My first attempt at an 'animated film' won me a prize in the shape of an extremely powerful dedicated animation computer workstation and all of the software to go with it.

I found that I was making more money from my 'hobby' than I was from work, so I set up a business in collaboration with other amateur animators making short animated films and creating special effects for independent film studios. Think 'lots of people around the world in their home offices'.I think it must be 'learning' that keeps me going. Our biggest source of income was from computer games. I mixed my traditional painting and drawing techniques with modern digital art to produce 'hand-drawn' textures and resources for quite a few, now classic, video games. The 3D modelling started to come more important and the archaeology suddenly became an asset as I was able to create more realistic green screen assets for film and television and accurate 3D models and footage for museums. Once again a whole new 'learning opportunity' opened up as I now found myself on film sets directing and shooting footage we would need in our graphics studio. Then there's editing the footage which is something I thoroughly enjoy.

I'd hardly noticed in amongst the learning that I was more or less back to speaking, reading and writing with apparent ease. I still have troubles with my worms though. My former career suddenly beckoned and I began to consult more often, spending more time away from the studio. Before I had realised what was happening I was once again a full-time archaeologist who 'dabbled' in film, animation and art in his very limited spare time.

With my health deteriorating rapidly and being a full-time carer for my Dad I think the Brexit rubbish was the final nail in the coffin and put paid to both the animation and slowly the archaeology. In one fell swoop, we lost many of the long-term contracts for film and animation as well as EU funding. We often worked years in advance in a heavily subsidised industry. Meanwhile, museums and antiquities are looking at a 90% loss in funding while around the world some of our most precious landscapes and relics are being dismantled wholesale for fun, spite and profit. My get up and go...temporarily got up and went!

I'm now retired. In the Yorkshire dialect that would be 'ret tired', BUT the 'learning' hasn't stopped. With Royal Tudor I'm trying to learn as much as I can from Doug about the basics of boating, boat repair and restoration and eventually 'sailing'...yes flappy things are on the horizon. At the same time, I'm not forgetting my other skills as I'm trying to get enough material for my YouTube Channel. The idea is to take Royal Tudor out onto the Broads in search of archaeology, history and wildlife. Filming as we go. Then combine that with the restoration of Royal Tudor and the woodwork projects and techniques I'm learning as I go along with some art and landscape drawing. Eclectic? Overambitious? Possibly so, but I'm willing to give it a go. 

Members might notice several of my threads all 'pulling together' over the next six months. Royal Tudor is progressing nicely. I'm filming as we go, not as much as I'd like to...but there's footage in the can/hard drive. Back at home my TARDIS Workshop is now fully kitted out including camera and microphone boom mounts.

Meanwhile back in what was my office/daughter's bedroom (Yeah kids when you move out Dad takes back his space!) I have built a fully functional micro TV studio including a full lighting rig, soundstage, studio 'flats' for set building, green/blue screen stage, autocue, mixing desk and monitors. I've also built a 'miniatures' set.

Not a pretty sight, more your 'video nasty', but here's a frame from a test shot while I get the lighting right...not quite there yet!

For while I'm out and about I have shoulder mounts, steady cams, mic booms, jib crane, dollies and sliders reflectors, diffusers, cameras to shoot in HD and 4K and a bag full of lenses. So when does all this start? Well, just as soon as my co-stars

and I

have finished this forty winks, and get this

finished! 

 

 

[Regulo]

Blimey!!! How many clones of you are there? You can't possibly do all that on your own!!!!

[addicted]

What exquisite artwork. I do a little myself but nothing anywhere near that standard. You should be very proud of having such a talent.

 

 

Carole

[grendel]

thats what happens when you get rid of the tv, all that spare time on your hands.

[YnysMon]

Wow! Just brilliant! What more can I say?

I obviously need to pick myself up and start learning again!  I used to do so many things, allotment, choirs, OU courses, brass band, most of which got dropped when we was looking after Mam.  Have made the first step back to normality by signing up for an OU course.

You have my deep respect Timbo.  I think you're one of those people who can turn their hands to anything.    A true polymath!

Helen