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Second hand, Joke’s drawing challenge

This is a wonderful theme, thank you so much Joke.
Anyone who knows anything about me knows I’m all over that one!

Out of all the maps I bought in England, the one I really fell in love with is a 1963 map of Oxford.

It’s been well used. Someone drew on it with coloured crayons, divided four sections and crossed off houses along some streets. Every time I look at these maps I love the scribbles and tears and wrong way pocket folds…they all tell a history. In this case it might have been a salesman or perhaps a survey taker, but who ever had this map in the past, it’s mine now and I decided to paint busy little bluetits on it.

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They’re perching on a little split hazel garden fence and quite possibly eyeing the morning milk delivery.

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Robert tells me of mornings in his childhood, when the door was opened and little bluetits were fleeing the scene of the crime having pecked thru the tops to have their share of the milk.

So here is my drawing challenge painting: Bluetits over Oxford.

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Come visit Joke when you have a chance to see all the links to everyone’s interpretations.

Comments: 28

  • September 20, 2014
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    You turn ordinary things into works of art. This is really neat.

  • September 20, 2014
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    this is such a charming piece Veronica
    you truly captured the spirit of these darlings in your art
    and on a map is wonderful

  • September 20, 2014
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    I love what you have done to the old map πŸ™‚
    Beautiful blue tits.
    xx

  • September 21, 2014
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    Those birds, here we call them koolmeesjes, are free to fly where ever they want. The people who bought a map also wanted to have a nice day or needed a helping hand to go to there destination. And I’m also that person who folds a map the wrong way… Birds and maps, a great combination in a lot of different ways

  • September 21, 2014
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    Love it

  • September 21, 2014
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    the story, the drawing, the already-history-in-your-hands-as-well vintage map of oxford… what an absolutely beautiful, classy and whimsical delivery! oh those rascals, pinching milk… makes me long for milk on the door step. we never had that. almost never. well not ever the silvery caps. … n?

  • September 21, 2014
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    Hi Veronica, I love old maps also very much, they are so intruiging, but seldomly find anyone and your artwork of top of it is absolutely superb! Love it!!!
    barbarabee

  • September 21, 2014
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    What a great find to draww on these old maps. Love them! – eric

  • Marlene Stephenson

    September 21, 2014
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    Every talented, i love your birds and especially on the old map. Just a wonderful job,thank you.

  • September 21, 2014
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    Dear Veronica,
    wonderful your birds on the vintage map…looks like they were talking about Oxford…
    Greetings
    Sabine

  • daryledelstein

    September 23, 2014
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    i love your repurposed maps .. they are a joy to behold

  • September 23, 2014
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    Very beautiful! great way to upcycle. I love the attitudes that show in the birds. Wonderful job!

  • September 25, 2014
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    What a cute and wonderful combination! I love your little birds on the old map. It seems they’re the real Oxford inhabitants as they’re having the best overview on the city!

  • September 25, 2014
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    wonderful drawings! so very enchanting, I love the paper!
    x Stefanie

  • September 27, 2014
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    It is admirable how our eyes gives importance to what is really watching. I’m looking at your picture, and the plan of Oxford goes unnoticed. but it is also a perfect background for your drawing, because it does not distracts my attention from the birds. Very good work, excellent “recycling” of a “second hand”

  • christinalfrutiger@comcast.net

    September 28, 2014
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    I LOVE your painting of these little birds on this old map! Have never seen anything like it! Just beautiful….Are these pieces that you sell? If so, I would love to have it! πŸ™‚
    I am your neighbor to the south…Gig Harbor, Washington!

  • Chris

    October 1, 2014
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    Greetings again…did my comment get through about your beautiful birds on old map painting? Will you sell it? πŸ™‚

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