What are you watching?

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1957, Crusades, Death, Film, Ingmar Bergmann, Life, Plague, Seventh Seal, TVLeave a comment

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I’m trying to watch (and understand) a 1957 film by Ingmar Bergmann called ‘The Seventh Seal’.

It’s in Swedish with English subtitles. The language sounds complex and ancient. It’s in black and white. A Knight comes back from the crusades and finds plague. Then he plays chess with Death and Death gives him time to get his life in order. Well that’s what it appears to be about but I’m not sure. What I might do is look it up on Google, but that seems wrong. I shall continue to watch it. Its beautifully photographed and very interesting and very strange.

A bush in the sink

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Destructive, Longport Station, Plant, The Waiting Room gallery, Vandalism, VandalsLeave a comment

Why are people so destructive?

The waiting room gallery looks after a part of Longport Station and is trying to restore part of it. They have also planted shrubs and plants to improve the site. But they caught someone pulling up plants. Stealing them! This shrub was rescued and put in the sink to stop it drying out. It’s going to be replanted. But I can’t get over how mean people are. We also saw some broken windows. Can’t people leave things alone?!

Sold, autumn vase.

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Autumn vase, Friends, Longport, Painting, Sold, ST6 4ND, Staffordshire, Still life, Vase, Waiting room gallery4 Comments

Today was going to be the last day of my exhibition. But two things have happened. My painting ‘autumn vase’ has sold, and they have extended it till next weekend. The gallery is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to about 5pm.

Best of all I saw lots of friends there today as I was there so people could ‘meet the artist’ lots of cups of tea and chatting ensued. Many ideas and plans were discussed. My head is spinning but I had a great time. The gallery is so helpful and friendly.

Canvas

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Canvas, Eclectic, Life, Painting, Plans, SuppliesLeave a comment

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Value pack. When you are creating art it’s good to use quality paints but I don’t spend too much on canvas. I’m not being mean, the stretched canvases are serviceable. It’s just that I’m not made of money but I want to paint.

Plans for future pictures:

Green men and women,

Winter men and women (images within trees)

Astronomical objects from moons and planets to novae and Galaxies.

Animal and human portraits, perhaps integrated with nature.

Architecture.

As you can see I’m planning to use a lot of canvas…..

Catopuss

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Catopuss, Duplicate, Fun, Funny, Humour, PhotoLeave a comment

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What has eight eyes and whiskers? A Catopuss. When you play with photos you can get some very strange effects. _20190921_203918

This is the original photo, a bit over exposed but cute. He’s got those big eyes that just melt your heart. So OK I just wanted to ost something funny and weird!

Final day of solo show

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Animal, Art, Design, Eclectic, Green man, Landscape, Longport, Paintings, Solo show, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room galleryLeave a comment

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My final solo show day at the waiting room gallery is tomorrow, 22nd September 2019. Its open from 12noon to I think 5pm.

Im hoping people that couldn’t get to the opening will come along tomorrow.

It’s near Longport Station (which is being restored) and is a great new artist led gallery. I’m hoping to sort out some prints with them so they will have artwork for sale with them after the show has ended.

So that’s The Waiting Room Gallery, Longport, ST6 4ND. Maybe see you there. x

Dust Rising 19

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, BCB, British ceramic biennial, Ceramics, Day trip, Design, Dust 19, Dust Rising, Painting, Pottery, Staffordshire, Staffordshire University, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, VisitLeave a comment

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Dust rising (or Dust 19) is a group show by artists being held at Spode alongside the British ceramic biennial which is currently on till mid October.

This is me with one of the plates that have been created out of transfer prints. (if you look over my left shoulder the green patterns on the window are where the image comes from).

It’s amazing what’s going on here. We might be a bit down in the dumps but Stoke-on-Trent is so full of creativity. There is still a full time Fine Art course at Staffordshire University which is quite unusual in the current economic climate.

Stoke-on-Trent is situated in the middle of beautiful countryside. You can’t complain if you want places to visit.

So I guess what I’m saying is come visit!

Old portrait

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Breakfast, Commission, Contrast, Design, Life, Pink, Portraits, SunshineLeave a comment

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This portrait of a friends three children must be twenty years old or more. All I have as an image is an old photocopy of a photo of it….which is why it’s blurred..

The three children were having breakfast when the photo was taken. There was strong sunlight shining into the room. The main colour was pale pink but the pin board behind them and the deep shadows made a good contrast.

I’d like to share a photo of my painting but I haven’t seen it for years. I used to do a lot more portrait painting but I guess now selfies are the fashionable thing they are less likely to be commissioned.

If you would like a portrait don’t hesitate to contact me.

Today

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Butter Cross, Entertainment, Fun, Guildhall, Humour, Life, Mayor, Mock mayor, Newcastle-under-Lyme, PerformanceLeave a comment

Belly dancers at the Heritage weekend at Newcastle-under-Lyme today. This was after the Mock mayor ceremony which went really well considering I was wearing a large white wig and it has the effect of turning me into some sort of old English sheepdog! I delivered my speech on the steps of Newcastle-under-Lymes’ Butter Cross, which is outside the Guildhall. After we had done the performance we walked around the Lancaster building on the other side of the cross. We had to process and I started saying Good Afternoon in a posh voice to everyone to keep up the character of the Mayor. Returning to the Butter Cross we had photos taken with the real mayor. They might follow if they are not too embarrassing.

Tired

Posted on September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Argument, Blogging, Bright light, Kept awake, Music, Noise, Sleep, Sound, Tired, YawnLeave a comment

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I want to sleep, I need to sleep. The noise is keeping me awake. I drift off into slumber, but wake because I can hear the noise outside, loud shouts and broken bits of arguments. Screams and music. But I nod off- +bibb ghn – typed on the screen without my knowledge.

Sleep tries to take hold and yawns crack my face. The screen on my phone darkens and I have to dart out a finger to keep it on. So tired…… Then car doors bang, two men shouting obscenities, a woman shouts and screams to be let in. Bright light in my living room burns through my eyelids… Awake again…

Mallaband-Brown

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