Changing spots

Posted on February 1, 2022February 1, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, beer, Burslem, knives and forks, Leopard, Mural, Painting, Prince Leopold, shield, Stoke-on trent, The Leopard HotelLeave a comment

When I was painting in the Leopard Hotel I designed a coat of arms for the hotel. The hotels ginger cat lies across the top of a shield with garlands of leaves and berries around it. The shield is split into four sections. From the top left there are crossed knives and forks on a blue ground with a gold chevron. The top right is a portrait of Prince Leopold (not sure where he was from) it was possible that the Leopard could have been named after him. Bottom right are three foaming tankards in gold. And bottom left is a painting of a Leopard. The motto on the banner underneath says ‘The Leopard can change its spots’. The idea behind it was that the pub had just been taken over and the landlords Neil Cox and Neil Crisp wanted to turn it into a friendly place to eat great food and wonderful beer. I think they made a great job of it and for a few years it prospered but the changing face of the town, the empty buildings and then covid finally managed to close it. Sorry for the fuzzy photo.

Fast changing sky

Posted on February 1, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Clouds, going dark, Hibernate, Pink, Sky, Sleep, turbulent, Weather, WindyLeave a comment

It’s very windy outside. I took two photos within a couple of minutes of each other. One had a bit of blue sky in it, the other was much cloudier and more turbulent. The pink developed then faded quickly. I mirrored the two photos so you can compare the colours next to each other. Darkness is gathering. I want to snuggle up and hibernate!

Experiment, atomic

Posted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, cloud chamber, Cosmic rays, Drawing, Electrons, Experiment, Face, Hair, SketchingLeave a comment

I experimented with a sunset sky and added texture to it. Then I added some flood fill colours on a low tolerance so they didn’t spread far. Finally I used a sketching app to add the face and hair. I called it atomic because it reminds me of cloud chamber patterns, the patterns of electrons and Cosmic rays make as they pass through cold wet air.

My messy chair

Posted on January 31, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Anxiety, Art, Canvas, Dragon, Is it art?, mojo, Mugs, Painting, Pallette, Sketch book, Thinking, Tidy upLeave a comment

Instead of an easle I prop a stand up in a chair. But sometimes it becomes a bit of a dumping ground. Empty mug, started to colour a canvas, pallette, brushes and tissues and a mug for water. Sketchbook with a zebra Dragon idea. I need to start painting but I have no get up and go. Tidy up and start, or worry and prevaricate. I don’t know. I need to do something soon. Maybe it’s these dark days that are getting to me? I need my mojo back….

I’m bored

Posted on January 31, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Books, Bored, Boring, Closed, Drawing, Ill, Memory, Mind, remember, shut, Sundays, Tea, Years ago2 Comments

Fed up with being ill. Not Covid, but a cold/ chest infection. But I’m getting bored. I feel trapped but that might be a good thing. Perhaps I’m getting better?

Sundays used to be boring when I was a child. Nowhere was open, shops shut, nothing really to visit. If you ran out of milk you could not buy any. Memory of a different world. Time changes things. Then I was waiting for fruit salad with evaporated milk with bread and butter for tea. Watching my mom and dad doing the washing in a boiler in the kitchen that had a mangle on the top and an old spin dryer to get most of the water out. While they did that we played in the garden. Unless the weather was bad. Then I would read a book, or draw. Maybe it wasn’t all that boring?

Limerick time

Posted on January 31, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blog, Challenge, Health, Life, Limerick, Poem, Poetry, Prompt, Shake, Thought, Tired4 Comments

Mondays are laugh along with a limerick day from Esther Chiltons blog.

I usually just write something and post it there but the prompt ‘shake’ struck a nerve (pun intended) so I decided to share it here too. I do have a shake and I am waiting for an appointment to find out the cause. And it doesn’t really pause. It keeps shaking, even at night. And I’m really tired and fed up. So here it is.

Sunday lunch

Posted on January 31, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Chocolate, Drawing, Felt pens, Food, Hot Cross buns, Orange, Prompt, Sketching, TastyLeave a comment

Strange lunch, orange flavoured Hot Cross buns with chocolate chips. We were having a big meal for our dinner and we had a big breakfast so I just wanted a simple, small meal to eat. Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was Sunday Lunch so I did a quick sketch of these. They were tasty, but I think I prefer the original flavour. Less sweet and with Cinnamon. Also its very early in the year for Hot Cross buns. X

Moon closer?

Posted on January 30, 2022January 30, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged disaster movie, Distance, Earth, Film, Instagram, Life, Moon, Orbit, Sci fi, Thinking1 Comment

There’s a new film out about the Moon getting a lot closer to the Earth. Its by the same director as ‘Independence day’ and ‘the day after tomorrow’ I think?

There is also a video on Instagram showing the Moon closer and instead of being tidaly locked with the Earth (one face always towards us), it’s shown wobbling irregularly.

Thinking about it I wondered what would happen. Unless it was hit by something very large it wouldn’t move closer to us. But if it did I think we would have massive tides and earthquakes. The land rises as the moon passes over it. The question is how close does the video or film represent? The closer, the worse the effects. I know the moon is slowly moving away by a few centimeters a year, its been measured with a laser fired at mirrors left on its surface by the Apollo missions. If it was knocked away the Earth’s tilt would become worse and our spin unstable. Either way not good news…

Willow pattern painting

Posted on January 30, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Acrylics, Art, Ceramics, Design, Fine Art, Painting, platter, Spode, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

I painted this a few years ago. It’s an octagonal platter shape. I used a few images of willow pattern plates and amalgamated them. It’s mostly based on a Spode style of pattern. The edge design was made up by myself. The painting is meant to look like the platter is leant up against a background. That’s why I added shadows and played with adding a reflection below it. I can’t remember what else I added to it. I did a series of paintings of ceramic objects, there was also a jug and a teapot and a large vase painting. It was good to imagine pottery from my adopted home of Stoke-on-Trent.

Red sky at night

Posted on January 30, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bright, Colour, Fun, Hill, Life, Photo, Red, Red sky at night, Sunset, WeatherLeave a comment

I wish I lived on the other side of the hill.

Red sky at night! Wish I could have got up the hill. But it faded quickly after taking this shot. I’ve seen a couple of photos on Facebook which were taken by other people.

A gale force wind and storms are forecast for later tonight up in the north of the UK. But that’s mainly Scotland. Hopefully this means that the weather here will be OK. Its still a long time till spring. Lots of cold, wet, windy weather still to come.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Uncategorized