I got up this morning,
Cat jumped up,
Fell asleep!
On the bed,
Where my head
Had been two minutes before.
What a cheek,
The cat out flat.
Asleep,
On the bed!
Watch out cat….
I might use you as a pillow!
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
Reflected
When I’m typing on my phone I take my glasses off to see the screen. So when I took this photo I didn’t realise I was looking at my reflection, I thought we were in a much bigger room with a view through to windows at the far end. It was only when I zoomed in that I realised the blurred figures in the image are me and my hubby! It’s funny how the eyes can be fooled. It’s a cafe in the shopping village at Trentham Gardens.
Autumn flowers
And foliage. At Trentham Gardens, I love the colour combinations, yellows and purples, reds, oranges and greens. Really rusty beautiful sculptures are inserted into the borders to add to the joyous jumble. Giant bees jostle metal flowers, knopthalia (red hot poker plants) and crimson and variegated Coleus add their foliage flames to the fire. Makes you feel warm on a dreary day.
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Since I’m talking windows
A few shots of windows at Spode over the weekend. I might paint some of them. I like the geometry and angles. The touches of colours, in paints and environment. Looking out and looking in…..
Pinkish windows
When you take a photo of an old window under purple sunsets you can get something of an interesting hue.
Ink turns pink
Sky’s surprise
Window brightened
With sunsets flight.
Glowing purple
Violet hue
Salmon sprinkled
In the blue.
Glint of crimson
Sizzles over
Bleeding sky
Paints walls anew.
Purple skies
I don’t know why but the usual grey clouds you get at sunset (sometimes tinged with pink) came out strikingly purple last night. I have read that there is dust and ash in the stratosphere from a couple of volcanoes which is giving the sky a violet tinge at the moment. Maybe it’s that or maybe its my camera phone. Anyway I will post a couple of these to the cloud appreciation society Facebook page. Maybe they can explain.
Holly and Ivy green man.
Coming up for the autumn / winter. I want to do some more green men and women. If I can do some with frost and snow that would be interesting. I’m looking for pictures of striking faces so that they have character, I’ve found that if I just make them up they get a bit flat and don’t have as much impact. More later….
Good friend
I’m here at the Open studios and I keep getting tongue tied. I need to explain about my art, but for some reason I become shy, it’s like trying to display my mind to the world. Cut off the top of my head and scoop out all the swirling thoughts time…. But… My good friend came along today, she greeted people cheerfully, asked them into my studio, said how I was a good artist, (by this time my head was in my hands with embarrassment) and encouraged them to think about commissioning me to do some art for them.
I was really pleased and mortified at the same time. I think it’s that British thing if too much modesty. It’s a learned habit that makes you feel like the “I’m not worthy” characters you see on TV or in books. Do you know what I mean? I felt it was far easier to just say “hi” as people walked past.
Thank you my good friend!
Artists statement
Usually I don’t include artists statements because I think my art should be self explanatory. However as I was exhibiting a painting about what Spode means to me, I said that it was about how Spode is now, that I have only been there for a few years. I also said that I wanted to include the history of the buildings and what was going on outside the building and how exciting I had found the experience of painting it.
I think it made sense, it’s difficult to know how long to make it and how much information it required.
What Spode means to you?
One of the things we did at the Spode open days was encourage people to get involved and either draw pictures of spode, draw a design, or write what Spode meant to them on a card. We got a few responses. I think now they are there they may be more on Sunday. The idea was that people could respond to the art exhibition we are holding in the foyer from artists who either work in the building or who have been involved in other projects there or who previously worked in the factory.
