Lydia May
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loafenstein.bsky.social
Lydia May
@loafenstein.bsky.social
69 followers 49 following 85 posts
Artist and arch-procrastinator from the UK. Sharing my art and art that I love. Progress over perfection. Something over nothing.
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Reposted by Lydia May
groomb.bsky.social
High School Wynd, Cowgate, photo by Archibald Burns from his book 'Picturesque “Bits” from Old Edinburgh', 1868 (MacKinnon Collection, National Galleries of Scotland/National Library of Scotland).
November 29, 2025 at 8:21 PM
loafenstein.bsky.social
A new charcoal sketch. The reference was a photo I took of a sculpture of Aldous Huxley during a recent trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Handsome chap.

#charcoal #charcoalportrait #portrait #portraitartist #blueskyartists #britishartist
November 28, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
groomb.bsky.social
Afternoon Matinee, by Scarborough artist and gallery owner Tracy Savage, who draws inspiration from the fragile Yorkshire coastline and landscape. #WomensArt
August 9, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
laneutrina.bsky.social
Hartley (1966)
by Alice Neel
October 8, 2024 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Lydia May
britneyspheres.bsky.social
Alice Neel (American, 1900-1984) • A Marxist Woman (Irene Peslikis) • 1972 • Museum of Modern Art, New York City
December 29, 2023 at 12:55 AM
loafenstein.bsky.social
High Tide, Motif from Le Havre (1878) by Norwegian painter Frits Thaulow.

#traditionalart #landscapeartist #landscapepainting
June 13, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
groomb.bsky.social
Staithes, Yorkshire, by Clare Caulfield. #WomensArt #NorthernArt
May 6, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
groomb.bsky.social
Early Start, Mill Workers, by Stella Platt, 1913-2011. Commissioned by David Whitehead Textile Mill, Rawtenstall.
April 13, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
ianrpearsall.bsky.social
'Track to the Docks (Liverpool)'
Mixed media full-sized sketch
We walked the entire length of the dock coastline and this was the only glimpse of the giant cranes...but the great rift carved out for the rail line was stunning.
April 9, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Lydia May
phineas.bsky.social
Just finished doing something I should have done ages ago, which was put my gel prints up in my shop. Maybe buy some or all of them whydoncha.

octophant.us/gel-prints
A gel mono print. A drawing of a Chicago-style hot dog in bright colors. Floating over the hot dog is a flatly rendered gold crown. There is an orange circle behind the dog, orange squiggly deals radiating from the right and left sides, a black double-lined border filled with blue around the whole thing, and a pale yellow background. Two girls (1: pink skin, dark hair, blue shirt, bird wings. 2: yellow skin, orange hair, red shirt, demon wings) are grimacing while pulling each others' hair. Below mid torso each girl disappears into one pair of woman's legs wearing fishnet stockings and garters, each leg colored to match one of the girls. Against the light yellow background, printed in gray, are various figures looking on in concern as well as further depictions of violent interaction. Large grungy sans-serif text at top, middle and bottom reads: Destroy Your Enemy A gel monoprint. Printed in black - A nude woman with dark hair In a 60s flip style, body in profile to the viewer is turning her head to look at the viewer and pointing an index finger at her chest in a questioning manner. Mid-bust, her body morphs into a large human hand, propped up on all its fingers somewhat like Thing from The Addams Family. To the right of her head is a human skull. Printed in red- lines and dots radiate from the skull, and below it in dramatic lettering is the phrase "Why did you kill me?" And at the bottom on either side of the thumb of the large hand the words "Why was I ever born?" The background is a mottled pale yellowish and traces or red from the edges of the gel plate are seen around the edges of the print. A difficult image to write alt text for. This is a collage of wrestling images, pagers, and random Japanese text. The two largest figures are both masked wrestlers inverted from each other. One wears a full-body gold suit, the other has striped white and orange pants, orange boots and a mask and is shirtless. Stripey is in what almost looks like a running pose, but upside down. He's being grabbed from behind by Goldie who is mostly upright. Honestly even the original photo was confusing. There's a smaller image imposed among these two of one wrestler smashing another's face with a huge drop kick. Smaller masked and caped wrestlers stand in the top left and bottom right. The colors are hot pinks, acid greens, orange, and gold.
April 7, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Lydia May
groomb.bsky.social
Liverpool, 1956, by Thurston Hopkins.
March 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
loafenstein.bsky.social
I am really enjoying silverpoint 😀 I like that I can't erase my mistakes - it forces me to be confident and commit. Building up value is also slow and therapeutic. I recommend it.

#silverpoint #ukartist #blueskyartists #art #traditionalart #draweveryday #sketch #drawing #portraitartist
A portrait in silverpoint, showing a middle aged man with pale hair looking directly at the viewer
March 9, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Lydia May
michaelnicholsart.bsky.social
I created this drawingusing silverpoint, which means I drew it with a small silver wire. Silverpoint is similar to graphite drawing but instead of depositing graphite on the page a bit of silver residue rubs off on the paper. #drawing #figuredrawing #art #contemporaryrealism #silverpoint #painting
December 14, 2024 at 10:49 PM
loafenstein.bsky.social
My first attempt at drawing with silverpoint, a very old drawing medium that pre-dates graphite. This is a copy of a da Vinci silverpoint drawing. Challenging but fun!

#silverpoint #silverpointdrawing #sketch #sketchbook #draweveryday #blueskyartists
#ukartist
#art
Portrait drawing of a young woman, facing to the left but looking at the viewer. It is quite faint, with the hashed lines clearly visible.
March 7, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
lslowry.bsky.social
Laying a Foundation Stone https://www.wikiart.org/en/l-s-lowry/laying-a-foundation-stone-1936
Laying a Foundation Stone
February 28, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
phineas.bsky.social
This link has further linkages to all my commerce opportunities. Paintings, prints of paintings, screen printed posters, t-shirts and all kinds of stuff...

octophant.us/buy
February 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
loafenstein.bsky.social
I've ordered a cheapy silverpoint stylus and some nice new paper (which I'll prepare with gesso)... I'm going to die of impatience, waiting for them to arrive. If anyone out there has tips for working with this old-school medium, please do share.

#silverpoint #art #blueskyartist #ukartist
February 26, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Reposted by Lydia May
thelondonwalker.bsky.social
Started shooting around Bethnal Green last weekend Sunday, it was a little grey and overcast, but plenty of people milling around Brick Lane and its environs. I love this area as there is so much vivid graffiti and street art, everywhere a vibrance of colour and design.

youtube.com/shorts/z14GZ...
London Video - Brick Lane Waltz
YouTube video by The London Walker
youtube.com
February 25, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
thisiscolossal.com
Through her signature abstract vistas, Seonna Hong creates what can be called “memory landscapes,” vast scenes that layer themes of environmental destruction, personal reflections, and the artist’s own Korean heritage.

www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/02/seon...
a landscape with people atop colorful mounds. spindly trees and a gray sky are in the background
February 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Lydia May
groomb.bsky.social
Homeward Bound, by Phil Lockwood, retired Sheffield art teacher. #NorthernArt
February 12, 2025 at 2:46 PM
loafenstein.bsky.social
One of my most distinct memories of primary school is a lesson where we learned about L. S. Lowry's life and work, and listened to "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" by Brian & Michael. I've been in love ever since.

#lslowry #lowry #industrialart #naiveart #northernart #britishart #art
February 14, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
mttbmo.bsky.social
Today I've been looking into past drawings, sketches, doodles, satisfying ones, unfinished ones, portraits, animals, building, watercolor, pencils, inks, acrylic - a jack of all trades, and a master of none.
Venezia - fineliners.
#sketchbook #traditionalart #art #urbansketch #fineliner #venice
February 11, 2025 at 6:46 PM
loafenstein.bsky.social
A quick little drawing to amuse my other half. Not my best work - but I'm hoping some of you will still recognise him!

#sketchbook #inkdrawing #birodrawing
February 12, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by Lydia May
olympiamcewan.bsky.social
She was an inspiration and a titan in her scientific community ✨️ it was a real privilege sending time with the Prof. Thank you #GuernseyMuseums for highlighting my portrait of Professor Josephine Arendt today 💗
#InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience
February 11, 2025 at 10:36 AM