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

Maiden Castle

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I just took this photo of a painting I did of Maiden Castle in the 1990’s. It’s a hill Fort in the countryside near Dorchester in Dorset, England. Sorry for the shine on it, my camera flash reflected off it.

What is Maiden Castle? A series of ramparts of soil, rising and falling until it reaches a plateau in the middlewhere the Fort is situated. It can be reached by a pathway through the maze of hills.

My painting includes a dancing and decaying figure. She is meant to represent the spirit of the place and its history. I was studying radiography at the time, and had found a rabbit skull on one of my walks. I also liked watching the archaeology TV programme, ‘ Time Team’ and this was my attempt to embody the feeling I got as I stood up on that hill.

Sadly I haven’t been back there since. But I just read a post by Sue Vincent and her visit to the place and it reminded me of the place. The Maiden Castle scene was taken from a photo and the dancing woman was imagined.

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Knickers!

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This is how I went to get my prescription from the supermarket today. I couldn’t see a mask so stuck my head through a new pair of knickers, gave them a twist then put the other leg hole over. Someone in the shop complemented me on the pattern!

Lots of young to middle aged blokes standing chatting together. The security guard asked them if they lived together, one said yes, the other no! One of them kept sitting down and wiping his forehead, like he had a fever! He went to the cash machine. I told the guard, he said oh the cleaners come out and wipe it over every so often.??
I tried using the touchscreen on the self checkout with my wooly gloves, that didn’t work. So had to touch it. I also tried the card reader, but that didn’t work  so had to tap in my pin number.

Then when I came out there were three blokes chatting round the car next to mine… No social distancing….

Anyway, came home and put knickers and gloves in the washing machine. Washed face and hands. Relatively safe but don’t feel safe.

Swinging sanity book has arrived

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My friends poetry collection has arrived via Amazon. I’d been told not to expect it yet, but I got it this afternoon.. . Its by N. F. Mirza. A woman I met through WordPress. Her account here is #or @ stoneronarollercoaster. (I don’t know how it works).

She supports and encourages people and is a very interesting person. Quote “a quintessential weirdo, who was supposed to be crunching numbers but these days crunches words, colours and charcoal instead.”

ISBN 9798618202992

Printed in Poland by Amazon Fulfillment.

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In the summerhouse

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It needs a spring clean. It’s full of junk, bits and bobs, old magazines, a cat bed, basically it needs a good clear out. But where can I put the rubbish. The scrap yards and recycling places are closed. And even if we were we are not allowed to go. Bottle banks are full. Rubbish will build up so when things eventually get back to normal people will be fighting to get rid of stuff. As it is we had a problem with fly tipping (people leaving rubbish in alleyways and behind buildings). Now because people are not allowed out that has stopped to some extent, but no doubt it will start up again….. I’m going to make sure we dispose of our rubbish responsibly. But not everyone seems to have got the message.

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Comfy challenge

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A sketch of my very old, but very comfy, pink slippers. Used metallic acrylic paint over the sketch, then added more details in pen over the top.

This was today’s challenge with #uskstoke today. It’s not my best sketch or painting, it’s a bit dark, and you can’t really see the metallic paint. But it was fun to do, and after all, why not?

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Makeshift mask

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Here my hubby is modelling them.

Take a pair of large size polyester boxer shorts. Put on leg over your face and neck like a scarf. Twist the middle of them and then put the other leg over your head like a headband.

This is what he wore to the shops. Along with leather gloves. I hope it was sufficient protection. Taking them off carefully afterwards. I will use my gardening gloves to pick them up and put them through a hot wash. We are now re-supplied for a few more days x

Making a lamp

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I did the jar late last night, 3am. Couldn’t easily paint inside so got some silver foil and cut our shapes. Fastened it on with loads of sellotape. Then I painted over it with abstract patterns. I painted the top too and then used a bit of matt varnish on it to hold it together a bit more. Finally I twisted some wire to hold a tea light, so I didn’t have to try and light it in the bottom of the jar.

I can use it in our summerhouse. The silver foil was a bit chunky because I was worried it would rip when I unfolded the cut out. The pattern I’m calling ‘graffiti’ , cos it looks a bit like the spray painting you get along the canal on the way to Etruria.

This was an idea for a weekly project we are doing in our Etruria Artists group.

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Evidence

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Evidence of a BIG mouse.

So in these self isolating, lockdown times. My hubby decided to open the ‘Christmas cake in a ring pull tin’.

It was there as a treat for some time in the future. But as things are, OK why not? I’m not allowed to eat much sweet stuff but I thought I could have a small sample.

Anyway, after ten minutes of trying to open the tin, he got the can opener on it as the ring pull didn’t ‘pull’. He managed to cut round the base (thats where the ring pull is).

Another struggle, there was a thin strip of metal sticking up. So I got the key off a can of corned beef, and after much fiddling got the cover off the cake. Then I put a plate on top and tipped the tin over to release the cake.

There it was, surrounded by nice white, pleated, grease proof paper.

Hubby got a knife and cut himself a quarter. Then, he started picking loose bits of fruit off the rest of the cake! He stuck his fingers in his mouth each time and licked his index finger as he picked up another crumb!

I was upset! I told him there was no way I could eat any of it now. The only way I could have any would be to slice off the top and bottom and sides to leave a small bit from the inside.

I did threaten to do this but as the only gloves I have are the gardening ones that I was using today to cut back roses and Ivy, I decided that would not be a good idea.

I put the cake in the fridge. Ten minutes later when I went to get some milk for a coffee? Well you can see…. A BIG mouse had been at it!

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Wardrobe

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IMG_20200408_121700_416Welcome to my messy house.

Drawing coats hung up on our wardrobe which is in the living room because it’s too big to get up the stairs.

The coats are mainly black jackets. I’m thinking of selling the wardrobe, but it’s full of ‘stuff’ so I will have to empty it. Train sets, a patio umbrella, badminton rackets, a hockey stick…. Things, you know, life!

Anyway this is our 21st days drawing challenge with USK Stoke-on-Trent. Every day is different.

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