Needs glass

View from Cheddleton Station

I might have somewhere to show my art again soon. I have been in touch with a cafe that might display some of my paintings. I’m considering including this but the glass broke and the card mount has cockled a bit. It’s a view along the platform of Cheddleton Station which is near Leek in Staffordshire. I painted it from a photo I’d taken during a visit a few years ago. It partner to a painting of the upper floor of Cheddleton Station that I did at the same time. Both are in watercolours.

Positivity

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

I have felt nothing but positive support since my hubby died. I just want to say how much I love everyone who has helped me. I want to thank them all for that support that has been and still is getting me through things.

There is so much they have done, checking up on me,making me realise I’m not alone. I have been there when I was ill, given me time when I was sad and miserable. Things will never be the same, but I realise how much my friends mean to me and meant to my hubby.

Thank you all.

6 years ago, teapot

I painted this teapot six years ago when I first moved into my studio at Spode. This is a medium sized acrylic on canvas. It’s from my imagination, and the flower design is based on the pattern ‘calico’ by the Burleigh pottery. I think its based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. I made the wooden panels up from my memory. I still have this painting at my studio at Spode.

Books

Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

I once counted our books. When I got to 1000 I gave up. Some are precious and I devour them regularly. Others I dust off occasionally, but a few I have never read. Mainly because they were my hubbys and generally are about wars, trains or tractors. I like some of them, but they are generally big and heavy, full of pictures and technical details. I think some of them will go to a charity shop.

I guess they could act as insulation! Some of them are high up on tall shelves. I would have to climb up ladders to get up to them. I’m not sure if anyone will ever read them!

What? Willow pattern platter.

A few years ago I painted a picture of the willow pattern on an imaginary platter. I used two seperate images of a willow pattern plate and amalgamated them into one. The willow pattern has several iconic aspects. A pine tree, willow tree, three people crossing a bridge, temples, boats, love birds. I’m sure they will have explanations of what they stand for. I really enjoyed creating this. X

Chairs gone!

An empty space…. Twenty-five years had a detrimental effect on our armchairs. The springs were gone and I’d added pillows and cushions to try and build them up. At one stage we thought of reupholstering them, they had been very comfortable. But no, when you have to put books in the base of them to hold them up, and the springs dig into the carpet you know it’s too late! I rescued the seat pads and used them to boost the cushions on the settee which is really only used for guests to sleep on. Waiting for two ‘new’ (secondhand) chairs to be delivered tomorrow.

Alone

Each morning I look for you

Remember cycling behind you

Along roads we knew

I listen for your key in the door

Your footstep on the stair

The sound of your voice

“come to bed – it’s late!”

The times I didn’t hear you

Switched off and ignored you.

I feel guilty for losing you

Not taking care of you….

A phone call to say you’re Ok

I’ll see you today?

Coming back,

Not gone forever

The mirror is broken

Lost forever

And I’m alone.

Mossy roof

View over rickety old workshops in Etruria last week. The roof is heavily covered in moss. It’s also covered in leaf litter from silver birch trees growing on the Etruria Flint mill land. It must have blown across in the heavy winds we had over the last couple of months. Today I’m having a rest after loudly wassailing last night.

2024

Late greeting to 2024’s calendar

You arrived at the start

Of January (not a wonder)

And ended 2023 at last

A year I don’t want to remember

Not a good year for me.

May this year be better and hopeful

A leap year, an extra day

February 29 a blessing

Where happiness might just stay.

Apart from that added adventure

The rest may be simply the same

But hopefully pleasant and gentle

I don’t want 2023 again!

Fat cat

Drawn with an ink roller

When I got an ink roller to blot out the name and address on a letter I realised I could also draw with it. This is from 4 years ago and came up on Facebook memories. This was one of my experiments. Since the roller made quite a wide mark it turned into a fat cat! Some of it is using a fine line pen but if you use the roller edge you can also draw lines.