Sunday's painting...

...I thought it was about time I did a portrait of Popeye. I have done cartoons of him, but I don't think I have done a nice portrait of him.

So, here it is. Arthritis is affecting my hands and thumbs painfully at the moment. So I was annoyed I couldn't do the fine detail like whiskers. They were so wobbly. So, I thought, well, make use of layers in Procreate and create a different effect instead.

And it worked out better than I expected. Both wrists and thumbs have supports on them at the moment. I feel like my hands are in a straight jacket while I am trying to do this digital painting. 

All the small birds are visiting my garden, Mrs Blackbird is mithering them as usual. No other blackbird dares come in my garden, front or back this year. This is most unusual. And the ravens are on my cherry trees making a racket.. They are making an awful lot of noise this year compared to previous years. I am beginning to wonder what is happening in the ancient woods where they normally reside, and nest.

The most ravens I have ever seen in one go is 5. The ravens have flown around in threes or fives the last 20 years. The other day I counted 13 on my cherry trees. They are spending the days flying between my cherry trees, an old oak tree in front of my property, and the old oak tree at the end of the road, making a racket all day long. I am wondering if they have been displaced from their usual trees in the ancient woods.