New paintings and regular art updates.
Just got a phone call. I’ve got my barn owl painting into the Brampton Open exhibition. I’m very pleased. I’ve got to pick the other one up but that’s OK, they were completely different styles so it gave me a bit more of a chance depending on what the selectors wanted. It will be up at the Brampton Museum and art gallery in Newcastle under Lyme from 24th September 2022 for a month.
Fluff that flies
Aren’t plants amazing? So many ways of spreading seeds around the world. From coconuts, to tiny seeds, and ones that have their own parachutes attached so that they can fly miles. Some plants have built in springs, like himalayan balsam. The seed pods pop when they are touched casting the seeds around all over the place. Obviously some plants don’t use seeds, they can create new roots just by touching the ground. It’s called ‘layering’, basically the new plant is a copy or clone of the original.
My combined autumn and spring painting I did about four years ago. It’s quite big and I really felt free when I painted it. But like many other paintings it stuck in my studio. I enjoyed exploring the two entirely different styles and colours in this. I might find it and try and get it in an exhibition. X
Red seems to be the theme of my paintings this week. Red poppies and red steam engine governor. Now I need to try and get the poppies painting finished. I want to work on the petals to make them more realistic. I’d also like to get the leaves and stems right. It’s difficult from imagination so I’m going to try and find some reference photos to work from.
I need to get some paintings done by Friday for a new art venue. I should have gone to choir practice tonight but I’d started painting this and I didn’t want to stop. It’s based on a photo I took at Etruria Industrial Museum yesterday and shows a governor spinning. The two round weights govern the speed of the engines rotation. The faster it goes, the more the weights are pushed outwards, but they are pulled down and inwards by gravity which regulates its speed. I will try and get movement into it.
Catching the sun
Up in the sky
Over the trees
Lighter than air you fly
Heat rises up
Into the envelope
Shaped and sewn
A flying sphere
View from above
Seeing the ground
Eventually landing
Safe and sound.
For todays prompt for #bandofsketchers ‘agricultural’ I have drawn a mediaeval style of peasant sowing seed. I don’t think I could attempt a combine harvester or a tractor at the moment.
I have got to delete some of my images again I’m afraid. I hit 100% of my storage at WordPress so if you find any posts without pictures you will know why!
We visited Etruria Industrial Museum today where they were holding a classic car fair outside on the field near the museum. They had many different cars, from this Riley to Ford Fiestas. Old Minis to a touring bus/coach. I took quite a few photos and this was a favourite. The sun was shining and it was quite warm and the sky was reflected in the car bonnet. Had a lovely afternoon.
Sculpture at Trentham Gardens at the North end of the lake. It is the main sculpture and has been there for many years.
Persius killed the Gorgon Medusa by using his shield to reflect the image of her face back at her. Her power was to turn men to stone with her glance. Her hair was made up of writhing snakes. Only by doing this could he save himself.
I think I first heard of the story when I was a child, reading Greek myths and legends in a book for children. But I did not see this sculpture till I was an adult. I think I would have been upset to see this rather graphic image as a child.
One of the fairy sculptures at Trentham Gardens today. She seems to be throwing leaves into the air in a wild gesture of freedom. She is standing on to of a world or perhaps a seed pod. The creator of the sculptures shows a great deal of variety and not only humour but great expressiveness.
Mallaband-Brown