New paintings and regular art updates.
Instead of an easle I prop a stand up in a chair. But sometimes it becomes a bit of a dumping ground. Empty mug, started to colour a canvas, pallette, brushes and tissues and a mug for water. Sketchbook with a zebra Dragon idea. I need to start painting but I have no get up and go. Tidy up and start, or worry and prevaricate. I don’t know. I need to do something soon. Maybe it’s these dark days that are getting to me? I need my mojo back….
Strange lunch, orange flavoured Hot Cross buns with chocolate chips. We were having a big meal for our dinner and we had a big breakfast so I just wanted a simple, small meal to eat. Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was Sunday Lunch so I did a quick sketch of these. They were tasty, but I think I prefer the original flavour. Less sweet and with Cinnamon. Also its very early in the year for Hot Cross buns. X
I painted this a few years ago. It’s an octagonal platter shape. I used a few images of willow pattern plates and amalgamated them. It’s mostly based on a Spode style of pattern. The edge design was made up by myself. The painting is meant to look like the platter is leant up against a background. That’s why I added shadows and played with adding a reflection below it. I can’t remember what else I added to it. I did a series of paintings of ceramic objects, there was also a jug and a teapot and a large vase painting. It was good to imagine pottery from my adopted home of Stoke-on-Trent.
I have been tidying up and looking at art equipment that I didn’t realise I had. I bought quite a few things in 2020, but my filing system is more like a ‘piling it up in boxes’ system.
I’ve also found lots of paints, tiny canvases, small canvases with easles, new brushes and paper for drawing with pastels.
I also found a bag of glass cabochon pendants that I used to have on my craft stall before covid stopped the fairs happening. I shall have to try and see if I can get them in a gallery. Must take new photos.
The other advantage is, have more floor space in my living room!
How do I draw from imagination? I talk and think my way through things, by describing how they should look in my mind or verbally helps to make me think more about details of the image I’m drawing.
For example, this drawing was based on a memory of my walks in a local park as a child. There were trees that seemed to have faced in them. They were probably Ash trees, they seemed to have long spidery branches with tipped up ends like fingers. The path wandered around past stone walls that I used to balance on. Behind me was a play area with a slide, swings and a roundabout and seesaw. This is a memory drawing so it isn’t exactly accurate and things have probably changed a lot. I haven’t been back for years. But the face in the tree gives me a bit of a feeling of nervousness I used to get as a child.
I got a couple of photos from my friend of the Arnold Bennett suite in the Leopard Hotel in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. These were taken before the fire that destroyed most of the building although some walls are still standing.
People have asked if the paintings were removed when the pub closed two years ago. But they were murals. The room originally had flock wallpaper inside framed areas on the walls. When the new owners took over the pub they decided to have murals painted in there. They contacted Burslem School of Art and I was asked if I was interested. I’d painted murals and scenery before so I said yes.
The owners lined each space with lining paper and I got coloured emulsion paints to create each mural.
I think this photo in particular gives an idea of the size of the murals and how they were laid out. I hope to get more images of them so I can have an archive of them for my records.
Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt was open. I didn’t know what to draw. I thought an open tap. But instead of drawing the real thing I imagined it. Using felt pens again… I need new ones!
I was in the studio at Spode painting this image of one of the poles of Jupiter. It was based on a photo from the Juno probe to Jupiter. I was amazed at the blue colours and the strong swirling currents in the cloud scape. I hope to go back to the studio soon, but I kept away because of underlying health conditions. I’m probably being over protective but I want to stay safe. I could go back, but I’m waiting till Omicron and Covid have really reduced. Our government say people don’t have to wear masks anymore. I’m not that confident. X
She sits and stares
The tabby cat
Contemplating your face
Will you open the treats
Will you give her some biscuits
Can she have a fish?
What will you put in her dish?
Staring, hypnotic, unblinking,
This tabby cat knows what she wants!
Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was lick. Tried to get a photo of my cat but it took a while in the end I dabbed a bit of cream off the milk on his nose. I think he quite liked it! I used dark blue felt pen and pale metallic green because all my pens are running out. I still have some maroon colour left. A bit of tippex for the whiskers. Plus a very dried up black felt pen and a black liner pen, also running out. And the photo was a bit blurred. I’m tired.
Mallaband-Brown