Practising perspective.

We were allowed to venture outside for my last day of drawing. It was a rare sunny day and not to be missed. 

All that theory on perspective I'd been learning and now I had to put it in to practise. It's knowing where to start!? I started drawing right in the centre where the river disappears. I was sitting on some steps looking down on this scene. My river seemed to be flowing upwards! This first drawing took about 20 minutes so I felt I was quicker and more confident. Then I worked on it at home from the photo I took.

The river still looked like it was flowing upwards but overall I was pleased with my efforts.

Drawing class has finished now and it doesn't start again until September. I'm supposed to be practising drawing at home but so far I haven't lifted a pencil.

It was May Bank Holiday and time to get out. I'll have to try taking a sketch book out with me.

I'm sure that must be what Edith Holden did, I love her nature notes and drawings of the countryside.

For now I'll just record the nature with my camera.

You're very lucky here in NI if you get a good weather day for May Day.
What did we get? Freezing cold wind and rain showers - but there was a bit of sunshine. 

This time I ditched my proper camera in favour of some 'I phone' photography.  My photos go straight on to my phone and I pad and then it's simpler to upload photos on to the blog. 

We went for a walk in Moira Demesne. I found it hard to see anything on the screen with the sun shining. I just guessed at what I was taking. There were some nice woodland paths with wild garlic growing.

Bluebells and celandines.

I spied this field of yellow but I couldn't get close to it. I think it's rapeseed growing.

A bit of camera shake, mostly because of the wind, gave me this blurry photo. I liked it.

I always like the noise of the rooks and their precarious nests swaying high up in the branches - the trees against the blue sky looked lovely.

Along one of the woodland paths there was a rogue tulip growing.

On our walk we pass a long narrow pond with terraced steps that is very overgrown and neglected.

A poor specimen of Campion.

Good old daisies and dandelions will find anywhere to grow.

Cherry blossom.

All my photos give a false impression of how chilly it was!

We finished up our May Day at the Ballinderry Antique Shop. This room is huge and there are so many more rooms to explore, I could easily spend a whole day here. 

About twice a year we go for a look around,  in fact I've been going here for over 40 years and it has certainly expanded over the years - I've never seen so much stuff packed in to a place. It's almost too much to take in!

 

Oxford Island.

A shopping trip to Rushmere Shopping Centre on Saturday, then a stop off at Oxford Island.
I was reluctant to get out of the car.  Do we have to?  It was wet.  Can you see Lough Neagh?

Looking the other way towards the Discovery Centre and the berries were dripping wet. 

The weather was improving  a bit.

Bullrushes.

The wet afternoon was brightening up. This wall mural was amazing.

The texture of the wall made the  butterflies and bees look almost real.

I loved the way the daisies had been painted over this door. Why don't we paint our houses like this?!

Too wet for a picnic.

Maybe it will be dry in the woodland, under the canopy of trees. 

Ssshhh!

Oops! No, not Santa in the hide, he's everywhere at the moment!

Can't see many birds.

Never mind, it was worth getting out of the car despite the wet weather.

There's plenty to see at Oxford Island.

Signs of Spring.

The weather wasn't that good last Saturday in Belfast, despite that nice looking sky.
Taking advantage of our travel passes we caught the train from Lisburn.

The photo above was taken looking out from the House of Fraser. 

There's the Waterfront Hall, the Hilton and the BT building where my oldest son works.

We went up to the top floor of the House of Fraser to the Ivory.

My husband had a Singapore Sling.  For Spring!  We forgot about the wet weather.

Then on Sunday the sun was shining and it felt like Spring. We headed for the Botanic Gardens.

I always love looking in the Tropical Ravine and I like looking out through the windows at the patterns the plants make.

Nice patterns on the leaves too.

Belfast Botanic Gardens planter.

And it's Spring in the Palm House - WOW!  Look at the colours.  I never get fed up of this place.

I've got my camera on the 'Toy Camera' setting and it's giving some strange effects.

Outside again and the catkins are out....

.......and so are the snowdrops.

Signs of Spring. What do you think?

Must be.