Climate change

Posted on September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Climate, Climate change, Engineering, global warming, Heat, WeatherLeave a comment

Walking round Trentham Gardens yesterday I saw a banana plant in flower, in this country, in mid September?! It is usually 5 or 10 degrees Celsius cooler than this.

The last four years have been the hottest in Britain (and the world?) ever. Climate change is a massive problem, its complex, but people are coming out on strike. Children have been showing today how much it means to them. Everyone needs to push the people in power to take action. To share technologies that reduce the need for power in the form of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Sustainable engineering like wind and wave power need integrating into the worlds power grids. Solar energy should also be exploited. We have got to solve global warming fast if we can.

Casey cat

Posted on September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Animal, Art, Cat portrait, Fun, Funny, Kite, Pattern, Playing, Poem, PoetryLeave a comment

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He was a mad cat,

Jumped on kites,

sat in the middle of the road.

Climbed shelves,

ran round the local shop.

Climbed the curtains,

chased dogs

Mad yowling,

Running round at high speed.

Pouncing and preening.

Playing…

Learning to draw…

Posted on September 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Drawing, Fun, Learning, Paints, Paper, Pencils2 Comments

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Someone was asking for ti’s on how to start drawing today so I gave this response.

Choose good quality things to draw with. If you use pencils try softer ‘b’ numbers not hard ‘h’ ones. It’s nice to see the marks you make. Also choosing a combination of thin and thick nibbed black pens means you can have different sizes of marks. Choose a sketchbook that has at least a hard back if you can. Not too big. That way it’s easier to hold and it doesn’t slump mid drawing. Finally you could practice making marks with them. I started drawing copies of things when I was a child. I chose something I liked. It helps your hand eye coordination. You don’t have to do that though. Everyone will do things differently.

I suppose I could have talked more about what to draw, but I think basic equipment is important. If you draw something but it looks weedy and thin it it can put you off. Like when you use cheap paints. You don’t get a good effect, you can’t really see the result and you might have to scrub at the paper to get the marks to show up.

Sculptures

Posted on September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Animals, Art, Birds, Design, Plants, Sculpture, Sunshine, Trentham Gardens, VisitLeave a comment

There are various sculptures in Trentham gardens. Each time I visit there seem to be more.

From fairies to birds, animals, plants.

The original sculpture in the gardens is Persius and Medusa. A gory sculpture of Persius holding the gorgons head. The body of Medusa is draped over the column he stands on.

Later additions are several wire fairies holding dandelion heads, the seeds are floating into the air. Then there are snails sculpted onto plant leaves and a hare twisting round to look out of tall grasses. The latest ones I’ve seen are a huge kingfisher sculpture and a tree trunk that has been carved into the shape of a frog. I got lots of ideas of things to add to our garden from this visit.

Details

Posted on September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Colours, cracks, Design, Photos, Poem, Poetry, Rust, Sky, Stark, StoneLeave a comment

Cracked paint

Algae on Stone

Rusty metal,

Details of life,

Details of colour.

Bright white,

Blue sky,

Grey stone.

Angles and Shadows……

Curves and lines.

Stark images

Contrast

Beauty.

Mock Mayor

Posted on September 19, 2019September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ceremony, Fun, Guildhall, Humour, Life, Mock mayor, Newcastle-under-Lyme, StaffordshireLeave a comment

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In Victorian times Newcastle-under-Lyme was a rotten Borough. The citizens of the town decided to choose their own Mock Mayor and Mayoress. There is a famous painting in the Brampton museum and art gallery depicting the scene. A man stands on the market cross steps with a wooden staff and a horse tail switch. His wife is falling off a donkey. Mace bearers with cabbages on sticks are in his retinue. The town crier and other mock officials officiate.

So me and my hubby were asked to join in and have ended up being chosen to play the mayor and mayoress parts. Then we found out the mayoress was played by a man! So I had to find a dress to fit him. The thing is he suffers badly from anxiety so he took a lot of persuading. The thing in its favour is that he enjoys acting. It takes his mind off the anxiety. It’s because he’s laying a character. It’s hard to explain. If he is just being himself his anxiety is through the roof. But as long as things go OK when he’s acting he’s OK. If I am not there he can’t do things… Anyway that’s just how things are.

The Ceremony recreation is on Saturday. I’m hoping I don’t fall off the steps, fluff my lines, forget where to stand, plus support hubby…… Eek!

Flower photos today..

Posted on September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, Colours, Flowers, Garden, Plants, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Sunshine, Trentham, Trentham GardensLeave a comment

We went round Trentham Gardens at Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, late this afternoon, and at the far end of the garden past the tea shop and the children’s play area are a series of colourful and interesting gardens, a bit like at a flower show. In fact some of them were show garden winners from previous places like Tatton Park. There are an allotment garden and sensory and secret, plus other styles of gardens. Best of all there was still plenty of flowers in them. It made for a very pleasant walk around the gardens. Relaxed and interesting.

Old painting, maiden castle

Posted on September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on board, Art, Dancing figure, Dorset, England, Figure in landscape, Landscape, Maiden castle, Painting, Time, UKLeave a comment

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Painted several years ago, my painting of Maiden Castle Hill Fort imagined a woman dancing in the landscape, and also her bones as if they were found in the land.

The idea was inspired by visiting Maiden Castle in the 1990s,thinking about it being a hill Fort and part of the Celtic world.

It is located in Dorset near Dorchester. If I remember correctly it is reached by a small road, then you walk up through the ditches and mounds that lead up to the top of the hill Fort.

I think I got the idea from watching archaeology programmes on TV. I imagined the woman being aware of the changing seasons and how time passes. The little skull below her is a rabbit skull we found on a walk.

It’s a bit weird, but I wanted to include a figure in the dramatic landscape.

Trust

Posted on September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Friendship, Lap, Love, Poem, Poetry, Relaxed, Sleeping, TrustLeave a comment

You sat on his lap today,

Fell asleep with a twitch of your tail,

Trusting you could stay,

Trusting that you would be safe.

First time that’s happened

In three years of life

Living with us, but nervous.

Always flighty, flitting, fleeing,

But now content to rest,

On his warm lap

One totally relaxed cat.

Trust. X

Love. X

Friendship. X

Doves or pigeons?

Posted on September 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged BCB, China Halls, Eleanora street, Kingsway, Midlands, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-Trent2 Comments

I know they are ceramic, but I’m not sure what species? They flew across the China halls, landing on a tower and on the ceramic land and vegetation. BCB installation.

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