I’m painting a broken man,
The cracks run through him
Shards of bone and flesh
Split and shattered.
Gluing him together
Bit by bit… With Gold
Like Japanese pottery
Once broken
Now finally held
With love.
Mend him
Open day went well
Not my studio….
It’s my neighbours across the corridor. I wish I had that view but my studio is window free, which means it’s easier to heat! A few people came in and said how toasty and warm it was. I sold a couple of paintings from there and a few miniatures in the makers market. But most of all I liked asking people if they were artists, or if they enjoyed it. I enthused to parents to get their children involved in art. It was a good day.
Tried painting Jupiter’s pole.
I tried painting Jupiter’s pole in 2020 I think, from a photo taken by the Juno space probe. I was amazed at the colours that we saw. Not the oranges, whites and reds seen by the previous missions, but wonderful blue black and white swirls that are so difficult to capture. I saw this in my studio today and memories flooded back.
Beach (and surroundings)
Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?
Only because I’m not good at climbing. The worst walk I ever went on was a steep hill in the pennines. First the sole of one of my boots came unglued and started flapping around. We were only halfway up the hill. I solved it by tying it back on with my laces, but that made the bit round my ankle loose!
Then when we got to the top it was raining sideways and foggy. We sheltered behind the trig point at the top. This was two walls in a cross shape, so whatever direction the wind was blowing you could get out of it. When we decided to walk down we walked over the plateau at the top, only to find it was another side of the hill with a twenty foot drop and no path down!
Luckily we managed to find our way back across the top. By the time we started down the rain was making puddles on my glasses, the water was seeping through my coat, I was freezing cold and my boot sole was flapping about again….
That’s why I prefer beaches. Not lying on them, but exploring rock pools and caves. Visiting seaside cafes, and walking along coastal paths, as long as they aren’t at the top of cliffs!
Horse
Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt was dream. I love horses and this is my dream of one. Another Artrage app drawing. (It might be more of a nightmare than a dream!)
In studio 21
I’m going to a spode Open day tomorrow, when I went to the studio I realised how much art I have. It’s a case of loving painting too much, but not being a salesperson! If you see anything you like let me know I guess? You could always visit me. I will be in Spode studio 21 if the wooden cat is outside my door!
Makers market at Spode
Saturday is the open Studios day at Acava Spode Studios in Elanora Street, Stoke. On from 10am to 4pm, studio holders open their studios to the public and also hold a small sale to try and sell some of their work in time for Christmas.
This is a chance to buy hand made arts and crafts at a local venue in Stoke. There are all sorts of work represented.
I will be in my studio to show people work in progress and also have some of my older work on sale.
Might see you there?
Chinese, Japanese, Indian
What are your family’s top 3 favorite meals?
We were introduced to more exotic food at quite an early age. My mother and father would take us out for meals to local restaurants. Mostly Chinese, but sometimes Indian eateries. It was there we learnt to use chopsticks. We ate tandoori or baltis. We never really ate anything too hot or spicy though. My favourite Indian meal had orange flavours in it, very mild, a house speciality of a local restaurant.
Then a few years ago I discovered a Japanese Restaurant near us. I had not really understood the difference between Chinese and Japanese food so it was a revelation. I soon got other family and friends to try the cuisine there. We sometimes have birthday meals there. I don’t think I have really explored world foods, but at least we have tried some.
Finished galleon?
I’ve been trying to paint this for a while. It’s based on a drawing I did a while ago. I’ve used a bit of metallic paint on it which I’m not sure about. It looks OK in some lights but a bit patchy in others. Anyway I’m calling it quits for now. I’ll have a look at it in daylight.
Happy Thanksgiving
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK. It comes from the arrival of settlers in the USA and their survival despite the conditions there. I don’t know much about its history, it seems like many of the same treats and foods for Christmas are eaten during Thanksgiving. I know people make their way home to be with family and friends.
I have been to Plymouth in Devon, England, where the Mayflower left to go to America, but there is some argument about where it first set out from, and I believe there was another ship due to travel across the ocean, but it was in such poor condition that it did not go. I’m interested in the history of the celebration, and the variations between it and Christmas or other winter celebrations. I wonder if it’s similar to our harvest festivals earlier in autumn?
Mallaband-Brown 