I want to post some panto photos.. But I can’t!

Posted on February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Break a leg, Comedy, Dance humour, Environment, Fun, Life, Music, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Penkhull panto, song, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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Sneak peek of the washing machine front I’ve painted. Today was the dress rehearsal, one person had a problem as her trouser elastic snapped and they fell off as she was trying to make her entrance. I was practicing part of a song, and forgot to go on stage to sing that song. We got a lot of feedback on the mike’s. One of the helpers or cast got a parking ticket even though they were arked correctly… I still can’t remember all my lines, and in one scene the person before me completely forgot his so I didn’t know where I was! And breathe….

But on the whole we are getting it. There are lots of songs, dance, sketches, a nice story, an evil villan and lots of fun.

Got to start painting again

Posted on February 19, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Design, Fun, Green woman, Humour, Imagination, Life, Painting, Portrait, self portrait, Work in progressLeave a comment

_20200219_130113 this is a self portrait I started last year, but haven’t finished. So where best to start when you have been a bit blocked, than to work on something like this.

I want to do a series of ‘green’ portraits. The idea being that I can make a different image that is striking and interesting. Although there is a basic structure done on this I may make a lot of changes. Its definitely a work in progress.

Pink dawn

Posted on February 19, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Clouds, Dawn, Environment, Life, Pink, Rain, Red, Sunlight, Sunshine, WeatherLeave a comment

Sky to the East of us about 7. 10 am. Barometer showing fair but the old saw that red sky in the morning is a shepherd’s warning seems appropriate after all the bad weather we’ve been having. Apparently if the sky is red its because the dawn is reflecting off the underside of clouds (yes I can see that), and that means the bad weather is more likely to be overhead now or later. Red sky at night shepherd’s delight? The weather will have passed over and be moving away. I guess the point is also that it depends what direction the wind is blowing in?!

Waiting for the next storm…. It will probably start with the letter E…. How many more?

Old glass lampshade

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Antique, Blogging, Etruria, Glass, History, Holy Inadequate pub, Lampshade, Light, Pub, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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Saw this in the pub a few days ago. I’m not sure if it’s antique or a reproduction but it has a feeling of something from the start of the last century. I liked the main shade surrounded by three smaller shades all held together by solid but delicately shaped metal. I wonder if it’s converted from a gas mantle?

I imaging its a considerable weight, so I guess it’s screwed into a ceiling joist. I didn’t think to look at the lights in the rest of the pub so I don’t know if it’s the only one there. Perhaps it’s from a reclamation yard? There are a few round here. Anyway it’s good to see old things about.

A drawing of a steam engine

Posted on February 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Black and white, Cartridge paper, Drawing, Middleport, Middleport pottery, Sketching, Staffordshire, Steam engine, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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I like to try and sketch things when I’m visiting places, and this is my attempt at a steam engine when we were visiting. Middleport pottery in August 2018.i don’t know why I thought it was bad, it doesn’t look too awful now in hindsight. I can be too critical of myself sometimes. It’s a bit wonky but when you are trying to draw a moving bit of machinery it’s not easy. Anyway I’m publishing it, so I’ve forgiven myself for my mistakes.

Black ink pen on cartridge paper, it’s probably in one of my numerous sketchbooks, somewhere in the pile of drawings and sketches I have built up over the years.

Choir practice

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aye Waulkin oh, Choir, Choir practice, Fun, Learning, Music, Practice, Robert Burns, Singing, Summer is a coming in, The Green ManLeave a comment

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Learning new songs tonight including ‘Summer is a coming in’. That was the song towards the end of the film ‘The Green Man’. Its a joyous song of the coming of summer, but I can’t get the image of Edward Woodward being captured and killed at the end of the film out of my mind.

We also started learning a wedding song but I left the words behind so can’t remember the title. I know it was sung by the Copper family, who are a folk singing group. We also continued to practice ‘Ay waulkin oh’ by Robert Burns. It means I’m still awake, and does not mean I’m walking…. Its about a woman worrying about her lover and when he will come back to her I think.

Talking about songs I still need to remember the words to ‘Prince Ali’ for the panto. I think it’s from the film ‘Aladdin’ with Robin Williams? Anyway I’ve got two days to learn the bits the chorus sing, so that’s OK then….

Sunlight finds a way

Posted on February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Letting light in, Light, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Short poem, Sun, Sunlight, WordsLeave a comment

The sunlight sneaks in

Through the cracks in the door

Through the chinks in the fence

Under the trees

Through the blinds

Past the steel reinforced concrete

Over the brick wall

Tumbling down the chimney

Through the grid over the window

When it’s sunny

Sunlight finds a way.

Citizenship test!

Posted on February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, British national, citizenship test, Eton, Fail, Quiz, Test, Unfair, University, Why?2 Comments

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I’ve just done the British Citizenship test practice questions. Something people who are coming to live here have to take.

My family is British and the family history is British. So I should have got 100%…24 out of 24? NO ! I got 16 out of 24…or 62%…a FAIL.

Well if I can’t score a pass why should someone coming here from abroad be able to score better? In fact native Britons who did it are posting their results, and most FAILED!

So why? A lot of the questions are based on dates. The date of when the battle of Agincourt happened for instance, or where places are, for instance Maiden Castle. Some I knew, others, no idea.

I had an education at a comprehensive school. Unlike Gammar schools or places like Eton, we didn’t learn dates by rote. My education was not cramming facts in my head. We had to think.

Anyway, if there is anywhere in the world that would like me, perhaps you could let me know? I feel really sorry for people taking the test. It is biased towards native British who have had a grammar school, or posh university, education!

This was me.

Posted on February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Canvas, Eighteen, Foundation in art, Painting, Paper, Quink ink, Watercolour, Watercolour paperLeave a comment

Me at 18.

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I have no idea where there paintings are now, but thus was me at 18. My work was part of a group exhibition for my foundation course in Art. Why did I have curly hair?

I think the picture I was holding was in watercolour or black quink ink? The top picture is my mirrored image, with desks in the background. I don’t have the article any more, it’s got lost in the mists of time. I posted this somewhere on line and kept a copy of it. I can’t say the exact date it was taken… How I wish I could go back to those days!

Birdie

Posted on February 16, 2020February 16, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bird, Blogging, Colour, Design, Digital drawing, Humour, Pattern, Primary colour, Secondary colour, Sketch, Swirl, TwirlLeave a comment

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Colour and shape and hopefully humour. Digital drawing, playing, having fun…. Little fat birdie. Feathers flying, bird, not quite, of paradise? Little heart shape in its eye, only just noticed it, a gleam there. Primary and secondary colours. Swirls and twirls…. I think I need to sleep, I’m dreaming of baby canaries!

Mallaband-Brown

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