Category: Glasgow

The day after the day before – 18 July 2015

Posted on by Zogman

Rose

Today, we had already planned would be different to Friday.  We were going to relax today, and that is what we did.

Scamp had cut a rose “Remember Me” yesterday to prevent it being damaged with the heavy rain and high winds.  Today it had opened out fully.  Although there wasn’t much scent from the flower, the colour was exceptional.

We only drove as far as the railway station today and let the train take the strain for a change.  We walked round Glasgow and had a light lunch in Patisserie Valerie.  Food was excellent, but service left a lot to be desired.  Why does it always happen to us, I thought?  Then, when we went to pay, it turned out that everyone had the same complaint – slow, slow service.  One man waiting to order his pastry had the perfect response when the girl asked him what he wanted.  “Actually, I’ve forgot, I’ve been waiting so long to be served” was his reply.  Nice to know we were not alone.

Mitchell Lane

On Buchanan Street, I waited for ages (well, about 2 minutes) to take a photo of Mitchell Lane with its colourful lights, but stupid people just kept getting in the way.  I don’t know what the secret is to getting them to move along.  I think the best thing is to pretend that you’re taking photos of them.  I think that might work.  I’ll try it soon.  This one started as a colour pic of course.  After the usual levels and adjustments, I painted a desaturation over the whole pic, then simply erased the desaturation in the selected areas.  So simple with only Lightroom tools.

Went to Halfords on the way home to uplift my new bike rack.  Couldn’t believe how light it is.  It hardly looks as if it is up to the job, but I’ll try it out tomorrow or Monday and give a review here.

A relaxing day after yesterday’s stress.

Following the Yellow Brick Road – 11 July 2015

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We had decided to go to IKEA today. I hate IKEA, especially the fact that you have to follow the yellow brick road with little arrows under your feet to tell you how to traverse this enormous warehouse. However, loaded with a host of things we hadn’t planned on buying, but agreed we couldn’t do without, we left with a bag of Swedish Meatballs. All was not lost!

From there we went to Decathlon. From the sublimely organized to the ridiculous. I simply cannot understand how this place continues to draw in customers and revenue. When we went in, a father was explaining to his son why the warning bells were ringing. He told his son it was to warn the security that someone was trying to steal something. Why on earth would anyone want to steal anything from here. The place is full of cheap looking own-brand sports goods with the occasional recognisable brand. Every time I leave feeling disappointed and disillusioned.

P7110136- blog--192.jpgWe stopped in Glasgow city centre for a cup of coffee and to buy some art stuff. We also picked up tickets for the Randy Newman concert in October. Tickets were a wee bit more expensive than we’d expected, but I expect Mr Newman needs to supplement his pension somehow. I managed to get a few shots from the steps of the Concert Hall, so that kind of made up for it. P7110143- blog--192.jpg Before we went home, I also managed to pick up one other little extra. When we got back to the car, it was to find that some kind bastard had scratched the front wing with their bad attempt at parking. This Megane must be the unluckiest car I’ve ever had.

Dinner tonight was a carry-out courtesy of Bombay Dreams. It’s been too long since we’ve had such a good curry. We’ve even got some for lunch tomorrow. How’s that for abstinence?

Summer comes to Scotland – 3 June 2015

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It’s been a sunny day (with some showers of course – it is still Scotland!).  Went to Stirling and felt overdressed in the warm afternoon sun.  By the time we came home there was no time to take any photos as I was on cooking duty – voluntarily I must add.  Pizza for dinner ( the unhealthy option, but very tasty).  Dancing tonight.  One hour of the utter hell that chooses to call itself Kizomba.  Actually it’s just two self-centred girls showing off to each other and us and along the way teaching us the odd step of what could be and interesting and very sensual dance.  The dance itself is good.  We’ve tried it a year or two ago with a real teacher.  His grasp of English may not have been great, but boy could he put his point across.  These two are just amateurs pretending they can teach.  I really feel sorry for the ones in the class who have never had the opportunity to see it danced by a real, talented teacher.  Thankfully, this was our last class.  After a 25 minute lecture on how to move and ‘musicology‘, if felt like giving up the will to live.  I almost walked out, it was so bad.  Never will I attend any of the classes by these self-styled teachers again.  Fin!

IMG_2578-Edit- blog-154After the Kizomba Katastrophe I really needed Jamie G’s salsa class to lift my spirits, and it did!  When I came out there was a mayfly sitting on the windscreen of the car.  Of course, I didn’t have a camera, but I did have my iPhone.  Unfortunately it took so long for the camera app to load and focus, the mayfly took off and left me with a blank windscreen.  Then I saw the reflection on the roof of the car.  The red roof acted like a Claude mirror and reduced the reflection to the kind of monochrome IMG_2579- blog-154although mine was a red monochrome as seen here.  Drove to the end of Park Road and saw the wonderful view of Glasgow Uni against a glowing sky and couldn’t pass up the opportunity.  This time the iPhone worked perfectly, as all good Apple products should.  The weather folk say the magic fairies are whispering that summer has gone again for a few days.  Oh dear!

An Uneventful Sunday – 31 May 2015

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I’d hoped to get out cycling again today, but the weather was against it as predicted by the weather report last night. High winds, gusty high winds which is worse and squally rain. Up at 8.00 to put on my dinner – pork osso bucco in a red wine sauce. Why such an ungodly hour of a Sunday morning? Well, it was so it could be slow cooked for about 6 hours. After that, I did a bit of painting. Just a couple of sketches. See below. I don’t see them setting the art world afire with their beauty or demonstration of skill, but they’re mine and I’m quite pleased. I’ve seen fit to display them below. Please don’t download them and colour print them. Giclee dear, giclee. Printing is for letters and spreadsheets.IMG_2576-Edit- blog-151.jpg

Dancing later this afternoon at the Garage and for once I really did enjoy it. On the way to the Garage, I passed this lane and decided to add it to my album entitled “Peein’ up closes and lanes” on Flickr. The title comes from “The Copper’s Song” by the late Hamish Imlach. Just another wee bit of nonsense. When we came out, I saw a better shot, but there was a bloke pacing up and down the lane and I didn’t want folk asking any awkward questions. “Here mate, whit ur ye daein’?” “Is that a camera or a fone?” “Gonnae gie us yer fone mate or dae ye want me tae gie you a dooin?'” It is Glasgow after all and Rangers had just lost an important match to Motherwell, so discretion is the better part … etc. the photo needed a bit of post processing, it being from an iPhone, not a ‘real’ camera. Did levels and stuff then used Sergé’s settings for shadows and highlights. Then I noticed that the sky was plain white. Chopped a bit of believable grey cloud from another photo and pasted it in in Photoshop. Looked much better then.

Got home to much more peaceful weather and even a bit of late sun. First of June tomorrow and snow predicted for high ground. Oh dear!

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Glasgow Flaneur – 18 May 2015

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I decided to go in to Glasgow today to pick up my monsterpiece  and Fred’s masterpiece from yesterday.  Weather was very mixed with bright sunshine one minute and torrential rain the next.  Bought myself a couple of watercolour marker pens from yesterday’s demo – yes, I know I was scathing about them, but maybe I should be more open to new innovations.  Anyway, for whatever reason, I decided to give it a try.  I also got one of the reservoir brushes at Fred’s recommendation.  To round it off I got a trio of fine line black markers.  £20 spent, just like that!

Alley Glasgow

After yesterday’s investigation of the wee alleys, I extended it to include one taken from just off Exchange Square looking towards Buchanan Street.  I’d decided not to take  formal camera, so relied on my trusty iPhone 4.  The best camera you can have is the one in your pocket!  So true.  I liked the effect of sunlight after the rain shining on the street and the white tiled bricks.

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The other pic is from Exchange Square and, because I was shooting into bright light, the highlights were blown out, so I dumped the shot into Photoshop and copied a sky picture into the blown out area.  I used Darken mode and then filtered the street pic so that the sky only affected the light area and not the buildings.  Photoshop is not my favourite editor, that accolade must go to Lightroom, but it’s useful for simple trickery like this.