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

Socially distanced choir

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We finally sang as a choir tonight. We were socially distanced. Each of us had a chair placed behind a CD. Two meters apart. We did some stretches and vocal exercises and suddenly we were singing together in reasonable harmony. We even sang in parts, soprano, tenor, alto and base. It was lovely! No zoom where all you can hear is yourself and the choir leaders. We started quietly but by the end we had some volume. Hearing each other gets the camaraderie going again.n

Next stop, singing in public at a canal day this coming Sunday. I hope we all stay well and the weather improves!

Beetle sculpture

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Carved into the base of a tree trunk. This giant beetle sculpture was on the lakeside walk around Trentham Lake last weekend. It’s good to see sculpture in the landscape. I remember visiting Grizedale Forest sculpture Park in the Lake District around thirty years ago. It had world renound sculptors who created art works all through the forest. There is also something called the Merz barn? in the Lake District, but I can’t remember the name of the artist maybe Jeff Koons? (German?). I hope someone knows what I’m talking about. Must visit again before it’s too late. X

My secret garden (mirrored)

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By duplicating and flipping one side of the couple of photos I ended up with an interesting structure (in reality next doors small extension bathroom). The hanging baskets and pots pop with green and bright flowers. As they grow and bloom I will post more pictures (and include more if the rain stops!). Summer is here so they should take up more space. Gardening and rain, a typical British summer.

Wet!

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Rain rain go away come again another day, or go to where its needed on the West Coast of the United States and Canada. I don’t think I’ll be walking far this afternoon. Watching the tour de France on the TV… And it’s raining heavily there too.

Thunderstorms are forecast here later in the day.

It’s amazing how much heavier rain seems these days, I remember rain in the past being relatively light compared with this! We live on a hill but the road looked like a river a few minutes ago (OK that’s overdoing it, a small stream). Off to get a towel to dry off!

Squeak!

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Rescued a mouse from the cat tonight. All day the cats had been stalking something, paws under the vacuum cleaner. But when I moved it there was nothing visible. Then tonight.. Squeak! The cats were there and a frightened little mouse popped it’s head out for a second…. What to do. The vacuum cleaner was by the kitchen door. Couldn’t trap it with a cup or a box. So we both slowly rolled the cleaner into the kitchen, slowly across the floor, then slowly to the back door. The cats had been chased upstairs so we carried on until we got to the cat flap. Result! The mouse ran up and out. I hope the cats don’t bring any more ‘presents’ in!

Poppies

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I found some poppy seed heads yesterday, orange ones, maybe a type of Welsh poppy? I have always loved the varieties, from big oriental ones to small delicate flowers, and amazing blue himalayan ones that apparently like shade and dam ground.

This was a painting I did back in 2013, acrylic on canvas. I had it as my emblem for my art page for a few years.

Shall I delete some posts?

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I write about so many things.

Pour out words on the page.

My mind is full of thoughts

Too many to control

They fly out of my eyes,

My ears.

Where to stop?

Someone suggested deleting posts..

Should I remove them?

Cut back, reduce them?

Take the time to edit.

Or just leave them.

Enough or too much?

I will give it thought.

Thai taste

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Delightful starters, tasty mains. We really enjoyed the evening meal at the local Thai restaurant. We had Thai fishcakes and spare ribs, then I had glass noodles and seafood with mushrooms and vegetables. Hubby had a hot beef green curry and sticky rice. It was a lovely evening, with a friendly waitress. The only thing that spoiled it was I had a couple of Gin and tonics and wasn’t driving so we had to dash home on foot because it started to rain and we’ve just had a bit of thunder and lightening.

In other news I think England may have beaten someone at football, but I’m not interested. There was an awful lot of shouting as we made our way home.