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

Beach (and surroundings)

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Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

Only because I’m not good at climbing. The worst walk I ever went on was a steep hill in the pennines. First the sole of one of my boots came unglued and started flapping around. We were only halfway up the hill. I solved it by tying it back on with my laces, but that made the bit round my ankle loose!

Then when we got to the top it was raining sideways and foggy. We sheltered behind the trig point at the top. This was two walls in a cross shape, so whatever direction the wind was blowing you could get out of it. When we decided to walk down we walked over the plateau at the top, only to find it was another side of the hill with a twenty foot drop and no path down!

Luckily we managed to find our way back across the top. By the time we started down the rain was making puddles on my glasses, the water was seeping through my coat, I was freezing cold and my boot sole was flapping about again….

That’s why I prefer beaches. Not lying on them, but exploring rock pools and caves. Visiting seaside cafes, and walking along coastal paths, as long as they aren’t at the top of cliffs!

In studio 21

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Eclectic

I’m going to a spode Open day tomorrow, when I went to the studio I realised how much art I have. It’s a case of loving painting too much, but not being a salesperson! If you see anything you like let me know I guess? You could always visit me. I will be in Spode studio 21 if the wooden cat is outside my door!

Makers market at Spode

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Small paintings for sale

Saturday is the open Studios day at Acava Spode Studios in Elanora Street, Stoke. On from 10am to 4pm, studio holders open their studios to the public and also hold a small sale to try and sell some of their work in time for Christmas.

This is a chance to buy hand made arts and crafts at a local venue in Stoke. There are all sorts of work represented.

I will be in my studio to show people work in progress and also have some of my older work on sale.

Might see you there?

Chinese, Japanese, Indian

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What are your family’s top 3 favorite meals?

We were introduced to more exotic food at quite an early age. My mother and father would take us out for meals to local restaurants. Mostly Chinese, but sometimes Indian eateries. It was there we learnt to use chopsticks. We ate tandoori or baltis. We never really ate anything too hot or spicy though. My favourite Indian meal had orange flavours in it, very mild, a house speciality of a local restaurant.

Then a few years ago I discovered a Japanese Restaurant near us. I had not really understood the difference between Chinese and Japanese food so it was a revelation. I soon got other family and friends to try the cuisine there. We sometimes have birthday meals there. I don’t think I have really explored world foods, but at least we have tried some.

Happy Thanksgiving

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We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK. It comes from the arrival of settlers in the USA and their survival despite the conditions there. I don’t know much about its history, it seems like many of the same treats and foods for Christmas are eaten during Thanksgiving. I know people make their way home to be with family and friends.

I have been to Plymouth in Devon, England, where the Mayflower left to go to America, but there is some argument about where it first set out from, and I believe there was another ship due to travel across the ocean, but it was in such poor condition that it did not go. I’m interested in the history of the celebration, and the variations between it and Christmas or other winter celebrations. I wonder if it’s similar to our harvest festivals earlier in autumn?

Einstein

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If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?

I would not pretend to be able to understand the Physics of the general and special theories of relativity, but Einstein has always seemed to be an interesting person. I think I know a bit about him, like he worked in a patent office. But I don’t know much. I think he regretted his research bringing about the atomic bomb, and about quantum mechanics. I think I remember him saying ‘God doesn’t play dice’, meaning he didn’t believe in quantum theory.

Recently Einstein has been depicted on British TV in an advert trying to persuade people to have smart meters installed in their homes. Given that 3G signals are being cut off and about 8 million smart meters run on 3G and are about to be turned off? I would ask him if he approved and also would he laugh at the awful makeup the ad makers have used to depict him!

From what I have seen it looks like Einstein had a sense of humour as well as a tremendous intellect. I would just like to have a general conversation with him, and if he was alive now, what would he think of our crazy world?

Bubble wrap and hessian

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With added filters. Mainly using Instagram filters after I had taken the photo, then created a collage using incollage. I wanted to use the filters there but the ones I looked at are pro tools and you have to pay to use them, so I tried to recreate the feel using Instagram. I changed it to black and white, twisted it round, changed the brightness and contrast. I also changed the structure setting and the sharpness. It’s all done by eye and how I feel about the resultant images.