Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown

I'm an artist based at the Spode factory site in Stoke on Trent. I paint, draw and create digital art. Contact me at mallabandbrown@aol.com

Bluebell memory

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One spring a few years ago we went to Rode Hall in Staffordshire and walked round the bluebell filled woods. Hubby took his little red motorboat to try and sail it on the lake but there is not a safe place to launch it from, so I took this photo of him looking longingly at the lake, boat in the bag next to him.

He did sail his boats on the smaller of the two lakes at Westport later in the year. One day he sailed it and it ran out of power a few feet out from the shore. He tried to pull it back in with a broken branch. It drifted further out! So he took his shoes off, rolled up his trousers and waded out! As he clambered out with the boat his legs up to his knees were covered in black mud. We didn’t have a towel so he had to sit on a couple of carrier bags in the car. The mud was very smelly so we drove home with the windows wide open! He was always adventurous bless him X

Ground mural

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Narrow boat painted on the car park of Westend village in Stoke. It’s on the route of the Newcastle branch of the Trent and Mersey canal that used to run alongside London Road. This photo was taken from the hump in the road in Corporation Street that used to be a canal bridge. I hope they repaint it! It’s much more faded than this but I’ve upped the contrast and saturation because it’s really dull and the paint has peeled off.

Deaths

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How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

When someone close dies you realise how fragile life is. They can be there one day and gone the next. You then realise the same can be the situation for yourself.

I’m changing my perspective on life, I am not so blasé about it. It’s become precious to me and I want to hold on to it with both hands. I’m not exactly scared of dying, but life is far too interesting to give up on it yet. I’m a very stubborn person and I love a lot of people. They have helped me immensely in the last few months and I owe a lot to them.

I also want to try and enjoy art again. There must be something more I can do. There are lots of ideas in my mind that I would like to get out. I can’t control everything, and sometimes I am very anxious about things, I feel like I am a bit of a recluse now. Easier to hide. But I need to challenge myself and live.

Can’t wait for spring

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This is a potbank shaped planter I bought from a company called project 2000 and that I hand painted a couple of years ago. I varnished it with yatch varnish and it has stayed in good condition. It has a small space at the top and I will try and grow either geraniums or pelargoniums in the top. Or maybe nasturtiums later in the year. I want to start preparing the yard and garden. I can’t just ignore it but we might get a bit of snow later this week The design is based on a local pottery symbol nearby. I think it was called the falcon works.

Purse found!

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My friend went for a walk today and stopped off at the ice-cream van where I lost my purse last week. And guess what? It was there! I spoke to the van driver over the phone and he was happy to give it my friend (she was with me last week). Even better, the money is still in it! She’s going to drop it off later. For once I feel things might be on the turn with my luck!

Low sky

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Outside our back door this evening. The sky looked pinker than this to my eyes, but I have to go with what the camera shows. Out anemometer on the weather station was spinning round merrily in the gusty wind (it was almost a dark and stormy evening!) it’s not linked in with the station in the house as the batteries are dead! I do like the salmon pink sky. I wish we lived on the sunny side of the hill.

New catflap

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I have had problems with my cats opening the internal kitchen door- but they never close it! A friend suggested putting a cat flap in and kindly gave me one. But the door is too thick. It has a honeycomb of cardboard inside so it’s about 2 inches deep. So the catflap I was given was only thin and left the cardboard exposed. I will donate the first catflap to a charity.

I went and bought another one which has a sleeve inside it covering over the internal structure of the door. It’s screwed and glued in place now as four of the screw holes are not accessible because of the door thickness. Now I’ve got to pursuade the cats to use it. At the moment one is but the other two are reluctant. I might have to try treats! I’m hoping this innovation will keep my home warmer.

Beautiful girl

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The sweetest girl at just came to sit next to me. She’s now on the back of my chair keeping warm above the radiator.

I’m fed up of grey days and early sunsets, drizzling rain and sadness. I think about writing gratitudes again. I have health worries that I need investigating. I need to stop hiding in the house, but sometimes it’s easier to stay inside. BUT at least I have my sweet cats for company. They are companion animals. They help.