A corner of my art studio, May 2021. It has been a while... Yes, you've had some new videos to look at, but not much in the way of words to read. Okay; I'll endeavour to fix that with a quick round-up of  recent events. Just before Xmas, I was made redundant. I'd worked part-time for the same company as an Activity Co-ordinator  for five years with no complaints at all. The most recent CQC evaluation had been full of praise for the lively and diverse activity programme. Then COVID 19 hit, and the company looked around for ways to cut overheads now the resident population had been reduced in size. So, it was bye-bye Adele. Colleagues made my last day there lovely, with flowers and gifts, including a large case of art materials. Two of the elderly residents walked across to investigate the fuss, and when they learned I'd be leaving, one told me she'd really miss me and the other said, "It's you who keeps me going!" Twang went the heart-strings. Ouch. B

 Introducing my all-new fine art postcard range. There is a lot to choose from, and new items will be added regularly. These postcards are an economical way for people to collect my images of my paintings, which have been used to create this new range of merchandise. Click HERE to browse the postcards. Sun and Moon; watercolour by Adele Cosgrove-Bray. Now available as a postcard.

Here's my most recent art video, which shows how I created a watercolour and gouache portrait of Freddie Higson, a lovely lady who I've had the pleasure of knowing since our high school days. I hope you enjoy watching it. I've been offline for nearly two months. My computer suddenly died. It was six years old and had already been fixed a couple of times, and had always been okay rather than great. So I decided to pension it off and buy a better one. This in itself caused minor confusion, as when I unpacked it there was no tower. Had it been left in the shop? So off I went, back to said shop whose staff then hunted for the missing tower. It stayed missing. So they contacted their company's computer whiz kid, who gently explained that this computer doesn't have a tower - it's all built in behind the monitor. Oh. Mystery solved. So I began the process of setting up my new computer, which seemed simple. The various bits were plugged into the correct places, but coul

  Here's my latest watercolour painting, which I've called Messing About on the River . Okay, it's a canal rather than an actual river, but narrowboats can go on rivers if they're careful and the water's not too choppy. Choppy water risks tipping them over due to having a flat hull - or so I'm told. What do I know about it, really? I've been on a grand total of two lovely narrowboat cruises and read a bit and watched too many YouTube videos made by people who live on narrowboats, but my direct experience of them is minimal. I quite fancy the idea of living on a narrowboat. The ability to travel around appeals. The lack of space to paint in, and my total lack of any relevant mechanical, electrical or navigational skills would be major obstacles, as could my dodgy knee when climbing lock ladders or, indeed, actually opening or closing any canal locks. Richard would need a second narrowboat just to store his beloved Dr Who collection as there's no way he

Sun and Moon; watercolour, A3 size; Sept. 2020.  A lone sunflower burst into bloom on the edge of our patio, probably a spilled seed from the bird feeder. Not much escapes the attentions of resident wood pigeons and blackbirds, but this seed somehow defied the daily regiments of rummaging beaks to seize a foothold and flourish. Good on ya, lil' seed. So there it was in all its golden glory, bobbing madly in the increasing wind and about to be spoiled. So I nipped out with a pair of scissors and set it in a vase - where it looked pretty daft, actually, all alone on its own-e-oh. The solution was obvious. Very soon it was joined by more sunflowers and some tall white lilies. And then hubby suggested I paint them. Flower painting is not an area in which I have much confidence; it's way outside of my comfort zone. Yes, I've done two flower paintings recently but these are - so far as I can recall - the only ones I've ever done, and I only did these due to being subject to

My work - this week we began having to undergo weekly COVID 19 tests. Yes, that horse had bolted so long ago it is now lost beyond the horizon. At least I don't have to hike to Bidston train station again for these, as we're using self-administered tests done at work - so we're all breathing on the same office mirror while we poke a cotton bud down our gagging throats then up each rebellious nostril while the manager waits with sterile tube in hand in which to dunk it, and the admin lady rattles away on the computer to log each test. Results are sent to each tested person (and place of work) via text, and the NHS log site assumes everyone has a mobile phone and makes no allowance for those like me who don't. So my results get texted to work, then work emails them on to me - so much for data security! Speaking of daftness, Richard tried to make an appointment to see our doctor. As the surgery is just around the corner and as he was passing it anyway he deci

Bee, Happy; watercolour; May 2020. When we moved here five years ago I sprinkled some poppy seeds, poppies being one of my favourite flowers. Typically, the poppies did not grow where I'd cast the seeds. They migrated to the opposite side of the garden where, rather than thrive in the sensible flower bed chosen for them, they opted to cling precariously onto life by plunging their delicate roots between the foundations of a brick wall and a concrete path. Every year they've come up more plentiful so they must like it there. Besides, they enliven an otherwise boring wall. Flowers aren't my go-to choice of subject, as regular readers of this blog will know. However, there they were, bobbing in the spring breeze and looking gorgeous. So I thought why not give it a go? And here's the result, which I've called B ee, Happy.  The painting is on A3 Daler Rowney Aquafine, cold pressed, 300lbs, and I've used a combination of Daler Rowney watercolours with Winsor &am

Here are March's efforts for my one-sketch-per-day project, now presented as a short video. Do let me know what you think, or if you've any suggestions or ideas. Actually, the hyacinth you see in one of the watercolour sketches here has now finished flowering so I've planted it in the garden. Hopefully it will come up again next year. It was in our living room, where it filled the air with its delicious, heady perfume. We're living in strange times, hmm? The news is laden with tragic death counts and infection rates and tales of life under the shadow of the coronavirus/COVID 19. The restaurant where my husband works is closed and this is his third week at home. So far he's weeded the garden, washed down all the windows inside and out, spring-cleaned the house and finished reading the entire series of graphic novels of the X-Men. At the time of typing this, he's just come back from walking the dogs and is now listening to Scala Radio while reading a Derek