New paintings and regular art updates.
Tidal waves of books,
Sloshing round my room,
Pouring down from bookcases
Dripping from tables,
Making a beach of pamphlets
Puddles of novels
A tide of documents.
I sit in a paper sailing boat
Atop an ocean of biography.
Littered with paperbacks
Swimming with pratchett turtles
and the old man of the sea.
I’m drowning in books,
Flooded by books
Waves crashing over my head.
Whirlpools of literature ……..
I’ve just visited Berryhill fields in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent. It’s one of the green lungs of our City, a country park between Fenton, Longton, Bentilee, Sandford Hill and Bucknall.
I took some lovely photos of the view, including the TV mast that dominates the skyline. The white blossom along the pathway up from Arbourfield drive is floating like a pure white cloud alongside the path.
I’m worried that this green lung of the city could disappear. The local Conservative and Independant council wants to build 1300 houses on the site, this despite there being a covenant on the land to prevent this. In fact there have been protests over its use in the past. I know we need new housing but why destroy the environment. Yes there are industrial patches around the site. Why not build on brownfield sites in the city instead?
In a world where pollution and environmental degradation are on the increase we should preserve what we have left of our green spaces.
I was up there with Labour councellors and candidates. We were filming and taking photos of the parkland to raise the issue with the voters in the upcoming local elections
I had the pleasure of being invited to a behind the scenes visit to our city archive today. I had been asked if I wanted to go along by a friend who is doing an art project about the pottery manufacturer.
We went up to the third floor of the city library and were shown round the back of the reception desk into the staff only section. There the city archivist showed us some of the fading pages in the ledgers. They were images of pots that various pot banks made in the history of Stoke-on-Trent.
There were pattern books for tableware and tiles ledgers with the cost of making the ware and details of workers. The old pottery firms did not collect a lot of details and a lot was thrown out when they closed down. But once we had been in the air conditioned archives we were allowed to sit and (very carefully) look at selected pattern books including prints of tiles to surround hearths, doorways and floors. Some were mundane but others were breathtaking. Art nouveau and art deco masterpieces.
I’m very pleased I was invited.
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It’s mother’s day here on 31st of March but I won’t be celebrating it as both my mom and mother in law passed away a few years ago.
What I do have is these two paintings of them to remember them by.
They both had their troubles and difficulties but they were both strong women and I loved them both.
Instead of going to a mothers day lunch or tea I’m going to a theatrical event called Titchy theatre.
I’ve written a couple of small conversations for two or three voices and the people running the theatre event will be reading them out. The Titchy theatre started at Penkhull Mysteries but is expanding to two performances a year. People were asked to write something for the performance. If you are free on Sunday the 31st and want to come up to Penkhull Village Hall please do. Please get there for 2.30pm. The show starts at 3pm. Spaces are limited.
When I was a child I would sit next to your trunk
Hiding from view being your green screen.
Your roots must run deep down in the ground,
Water running through the earth,
Turning your leaves green before other trees.
Skeleton twigs surround you
Dark evergreen screens you
But only you swirl and wave in the breeze.
Dancing a ballet of soft leaves,
Your dress curves and waves in folds.
Once fully grown with green
Your leaves will make my hiding den again.
Wherefore art thou?
High up on the wall of the Brampton museum and art gallery is a lovely balcony. I want to visit the room and look out over the parkland in front of the museum but I think its probably a store room.
I think it’s a sweet little touch to the architecture of the place. I’ve visited before but never noticed it until today. Probably because the strong sunlight and shadows picked it out against the brickwork.
Modern architecture can be startling and revelatory, but details like this should be cherished.
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The sun was warm today although it remains low in the sky. These tall grass heads were back lit by it. The sun was also reflecting on the metal fence. I couldn’t see the image properly as the sun was dazzling me.
I’ve done a few edits to the photo in black and white…
The negative image in particular looks quite alien.
Growth and growing are part of life and economics, but maybe we don’t need growth as much? The world does not have infinite resources and the population keeps rising. Perhaps we need to seek a balance and an ability for renewal instead of just consuming everything in sight.
We need to use less plastic and less energy. To save resources for the people that come after us. Maybe buy one less peice of clothing or fill up a water bottle again instead of buying a new bottle.
I sometimes think that people are like a virus, growing exponentially. Covering the world with our rubbish and disease.
We need to be able to eat, drink and find shelter. Why don’t we try and care for everyone? I can probably remember back to when there were only 5 billion on the planet, now its over 7 billion and rising. And yet we are still growing? Is it any wonder that there are wars? I think we should share technologies so everyone can have better lives and education… .
We have a small Magnolia Stellata tree that has come into blossom this week .
There are many species of Magnolia from tiny blossoms to as big as a human head. They range from pure white to dark pink. They are beautiful and spellbinding. Our tree is only just coming into flower but others are full of blossoms. Masses of pink and white petals adorn the local trees.
Magnolia can be affected by frost and seem to like sunlight. We were lucky to get ours to grow. All I would say is follow the instructions carefully if you intend to plant your own.
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Walking round a charity shop I came across this bundle of tea cards. As you can see the back of one says its a collection of pictures of British butterflies. And yet the top card is a bird?
When I looked at the cards there were a few birds mixed in with the butterflies and there are also duplicates in the pack.
Tea cards, and cigarette cards too, used to be included in the packaging of the product to help sales. I used to collect them myself when I was a child. But you had to rely on getting the right card in the box to make a set so I didn’t ever get a full set.
I guess it’s similar to pokemon cards in the 1980s or 1990s.
Anyway I like these. They are bright and cheerful. I just wish I had the album to stick them in.
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