Muraling again…

Posted on November 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged acrylic on plaster, Art, Design, Geese, Life, Mural, Painting, Walls, Work in progress2 Comments

I did more to the mural today, climbing up and down some steps to get up to the top of it. I’m tired but happy with it so far. I’ve toned down some purple I’d added to it and made it more grey. This was because I was trying to add colour to it but was a bit overwhelming. Once I’ve finished blocking in the background I will add reeds and leaves and other details. I’ve got some iridescent white which I’m going to use to add more sparkle to it. Once it’s finished it’s going to have a glaze over it to protect it.

May get it finished by next week.

Funny little paintings

Posted on November 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Bauble, Busy, Frost tree, Tiny owl, Tiny paintings, Tired2 Comments

I’m sort of running out of ideas for the craft stall this weekend. So I’m painting variations on owls. A Christmas bauble with cat, and a frosty tree with faces in it. I’m not sure what my reasons behind them are? I am very tired so it might be phantoms from my dreams?!

Anyway, back to the mural in the morning, then more to do in the evening…. Yikes!

Plant trees, cut CO2

Posted on November 28, 2019November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Chlorophyll, Climate shange, Plant trees, Plants, Science, Small garden, Trees, Woodland Trust, WorldLeave a comment

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Just watching a programme about tree planting from the Woodland Trust. I wanted to donate but the website seems to have crashed.

I think it’s a brilliant idea and the thought of planting Rowan trees or Wild Cherries really sounds good. We might not stop global warming but it’s got to help.

The previous programme, on another channel, was with leaders of our political parties stating how they would reduce global warming and pollution. The leader of the current government and another party did not take part and are now calling for the Channel the discussion was on to be censured! We are not a dictatorship but I do worry that things are not as democratic as they should be!

Sausage and egg oatcakes.

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Food, Oatcakes, Savoury and sweet, Staffordshire oatcakes, Stoke-on trent, TastyLeave a comment

Tasty with a bit of brown sauce. Local delicacy, you can eat them with savoury and sweet fillings. Try them with jam and butter, or cheese and garlic.

I prefer them hot, but you can eat them cold, or how about with ice cream? You get one of your fibre five a day I think….

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire food! Lacy and Tasty, floppy and crispy, however you like them.

At Etruria today

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Damp, Dark, Etruria, Grey day, Leaves, Poem, Poetry, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trent and mersey canal, Water, WetLeave a comment

Grey day on the canal,

Leaves float,

Cygnets shelter from the rain.

Boats huddle near the bridge,

Wrapped in old tarpaulins.

Smoke drifts up from stoves

that sit below the water levels.

Tea kettles boil and whistle,

Stained hands make a brew,

wiping off excess oil on grubby teacloths.

Leaves create mosaics of moist greens and browns.

Trees splinter into the sky,

Bursting like fireworks

But wet black,

No sparkle

Just grey, wet, dank…

And beautiful.

At Etruria Artists this morning.

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Easter island, Easter island head, Etruria, Etruria Artists, Etruria Industrial museum, Life, Pottery, Thursday art session, WarehouseLeave a comment

Four of us visited the Warehouse at Etruria today, its by the summit lock 40 on the Trent and Mersey canal, near Etruria Industrial museum, Stoke-on-Trent.

The subject was Easter Island heads, and I decided to try and work out how to slab build it, which is why I did a drawing of it first. Then because we decided to do smaller statues we decided to carve the clay instead. The results are shown in the middle pictures. Finally I talked to my friend Robert, who is a Potter and leader of the group. He explained that we should have glued bits on with slip if we wanted the pieces firing.

The final photo is one of my hubby’s drawings in response to the ideas. I liked what he was doing and took a photo. He explained he was working on ideas from Barbara Hepworth.

Easter Island head

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ceramics, Design, Easter island head, Fun, Hand building, Ideas, Plans, Pottery, Slab builtLeave a comment

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I’ve been asked to maybe do some pottery with a group at the warehouse at Etruria Industrial museum this morning. I’ve tried to do a digital sketch of one and I will look at photos of them. I can see how to make a slab built pot by rolling sheets of clay out and sticking them together with a bit of slip (clay and water). The only problem will be to get the air out of the clay so if it is fired it doesn’t explode in the kiln my friend has. Wish me luck. I think we will try and draw it first.

Another craft stall

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft fair, Design, Longport, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room gallery, WorkshopsLeave a comment

_20191127_235948 If you are in Longport on Saturday or Sunday (30th November, 1st December,) why not call round to the Waiting Room gallery. They are holding Christmas workshops and I will be there with my stall. I’m still doing new tiny paintings for decorations on your Christmas tree, or small paintings, with lots of ideas.

Might see you there?

Coffee spill

Posted on November 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Coffee, Decaff, Hot liquid, spill, Tired, Washing, Washing machine, WetLeave a comment

_20191127_233122 argh! Just got soaked. I’d rested my cup of coffee on my easle paintbrush tray, a fresh, full cup of decaff (don’t ask). But it tipped up, fell off landed on my foot, bounced, splashed…. My legs were soaked, the throw on the chair is soaked, my jumper, even my face was splashed! Everything is in the washer now! Coffee, even without sugar, seems to be sticky. Yuk.

Will have to wait for the washer to go through its wash and spin cycle. A later night than I had hoped.

Cheese please?

Posted on November 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cheese, Cholesterol, Cooking, Food, Life, Too muchLeave a comment

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Firstly, there are two of us, me and my hubby, middle aged, we need to lose weight, not eat as much food.

But hubby went shopping today, shopping for fruit? Yes, mince pies? Yes.

A two pound block of cheddar… A TWO POUND BLOCK OF CHEDDAR? Why? I need to cut my cholesterol, not raise it and apart from cheese on toast and cheese sandwiches, or a bit grated onto pasta, where can we use so much? Answer, hubby will chop it up and eat it in chunks. Any suggestions? Cheese and curry, fish and cheese?

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Uncategorized