New paintings and regular art updates.
Cat in a hat mug. My design that I draw to make children laugh if they are grumpy. I’ve been drawing it for years and so I decided to paint it onto a mug a few years ago when we went to a pottery to do some decorating. I don’t even remember where I did it, but the mug says 20, so it must have been three years ago. I have black and white cats but I always imagine this as a ginger tabby cat. X
Cats paw holding my finger this morning. He sleeps next to me at night while I’m stuck in an armchair downstairs. He’s not there all night but sometimes when I wake up his chin is on my hand and he’s snuggled in a tight ball, he seems to want to be close. I think he cares about me.
What are your top ten favorite movies?
I’m going to choose ten starring James Stewart rather than lots of random films…
Mr Smith goes to Washington (an honest politician).
Harvey (costarring an invisible rabbit)
It’s a wonderful life, with Clarence (an Angel)
Destry Rides again (cowboy)
The Philadelphia story,
Winchester ’73 (cowboy)
No Highway in the sky (about metal fatigue in a plane)
The Glenn Miller story
Vertigo (Hitchcock film)
Rear Window (Hitchcock film)
There are many more but these are ones I remember. There is a filmography on Wikipedia with more details of his films. He was an amazing actor and I loved his films from an early age.
Just some paving, but take the photo at an angle and it becomes more interesting… I don’t know why, maybe because of perspective? Perhaps it’s composition. Perhaps it’s to do with the fibonacci spiral? or The Golden section which is pretty much the same thing in spiralling oblongscinsteadvof the actual spiral.
Think of the Great Wave off Kanagawa as the crashing wave spirals around the side of the print with Mount Fuji in the distance.
I think it’s the feeling of movement you can create by changing the position of the image. More interesting than a static set of horizontal and vertical lines…
Sundays #bandofsketchers prompt was costume. Here’s Jacob’s coat of many colours sketch using the Artrage app, I just used the oil paint tool. Then I edited it in sketchbook and added the toggles and background etc…
Something has come up. Google domains has been sold to squarespace. People can transfer them free of charge to WordPress?
But how do I know if I have a Google domain? I tried looking it up but didn’t go far, I need to write down the sequence of what to do or I might get lost? Plus how come Google is allowed to sell something you have already paid for? Is it like buying a car and then being told the maker has gone bankrupt so your car now belongs to someone else? I never understand this guff….
How do I arrange transport to a hospital appointment?
Rang the doctors.. Ring 01……..
I rang 01…….this is not the right number, we don’t cover that area. Ring 02……
So I rang 02….for A dial 1, for B dial 2 for C dial 3 etc…
Selected 3…..yes we can help but we don’t transport people in the afternoon. Please try and rearrange your appointment.
What number do I ring? 04……
Rang 04……..for blah you need to ring 05……
Patience running out…
Rang 05……for blah press 1, for blah blah press 2….
Pressed 2, you are number 6 in the queue. We are extremely busy and it may take up to 45 minutes to answer your call, if you are on hold for longer than that you may be cut off….
You are number 3 in the queue…. You are number 1 in the queue.
Good afternoon, how can I help? My appointment is on Wednesday afternoon but transport don’t do late afternoon appointments as they might not be able to take me home.
OK let’s rearrange that. I have an appointment for eight weeks time?
I might be better by then.
I can offer you one tomorrow but transport might not be able to arrange things at short notice.
I’ll have the eight week one but I might not need transport by then.
Tried ringing transport 05…….
Ten minutes later… I’ll try in the morning!
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I write this blog, and I’ve written college work recently. I tried writing a children’s book for my final major project and took it to a small publishers a few weeks ago but haven’t heard back from them yet. The story is a little adventure, but described in limerick form (I do a regular limerick challenge on WordPress that gave me the idea.)
Apart from that I can describe myself as anything other than a bit of a blogger. And I don’t write anything of any length.
So what do I get? I like the creativity it allows me, this is a bit like a diary and people have kindly read what I write. I guess I’m quite middle of the road, but a bit eccentric? What I write is often what I’m hearing in my head as I write. Is that normal? Anyway it’s almost another week. Take care.
I’m interested in the American states. A page on Facebook asks the contributors to add where their photo was taken, when, and a general description.
One country, America, above all, will say a town or city, then a couple of letters. Like Houston, Tx. But where is Tx? I guess it’s Texas, but others are more obscure? It’s weird, but sort of understandable I think? Obviously the residents of the states must know where they come from, and other states will learn the abbreviations. But I don’t think they realise that outsiders haven’t got a clue. For example is Wyoming Wy, or Wm or Wg?
Is Iowa Iw, Io or Ia? The question of the initials gives me an idea of where places are? North, South, East, West, Central states? I’m interested enough to ask.
What do you love about where you live?
Stoke-on-Trent is a city built on Art and crafts. From Wedgwood and Brindley and the industrial revolution.
Ceramics were the main manufactured goods in the city. So much so that it became known as ‘the Potteries’. Different pottery owners experimenting with different materials, trying to make pots that could stand up to the quality of Chinese wares.
Manufacturers had water, clay and coal from the local area. Pots were transported out of the city on the newly built canals that linked it to the rest of England and then on to the world.
Designs were transfer printed onto plates and cups, opening up cheaper wares to the general public. But other work was hand painted and lined with gold and other precious metals.
What was needed to make all the pottery? Workers, making, turning, transfer printing, painting. Numerous jobs including the famous Saggar Makers bottom knocker. (You can Google this). The work couldn’t be completed without skilled labour that could translate designs into reality. Some female paintresses were allowed to sign their names to their work. Like Susie Cooper and Clarice Cliffe.
So much skill in one city. Burslem school of art taught many of the artists that were to work in the ceramic trades. One famous artist, Arthur Berry, became a fine artist and writer and play writer. He was one of my tutors at college. That’s why I love this place.
Mallaband-Brown