The English countryside in Autumn

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We just came back from lunch at a pub called the Red Lion in Werrington, Staffordshire. Lovely food, and a view from the restaurant over the Staffordshire countryside. The leaves are still falling. There are some beautiful colours. It was clear and the sky was a cold blue. It was good to be snug and warm inside. Now I’ve got to get ready for a craft fair tomorrow. I need to finish a couple of paintings a d add some ribbon… Back to work…

Copyright © issues

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I am a local artist in Stoke-on-Trent and about 11 or 12 years ago I painted a series of murals in the Bennett suite at the Leopard Hotel in Burslem. Recently my paintings have appeared on a book, on Midlands Today a BBC local TV channel, the Sentinel newspaper and on a ghost hunting website. All without my permission. I hold the copyright for the images and I would like people to contact me if they wish to use them. The image is my painting of my painting of the Burslem Riot of 1842. I’ve contacted the people who used them but only one has responded so I have given her retrospective permission. What can I do?

Jupiter 2009

FB_IMG_1572912413208Ten years ago, and before that, I was painting Jupiter. I love the planet, though its atmosphere is hellishly difficult to paint, swirls that meld into one another, colours that blend and merge.

I think I said it was like knitting the painting, because I built it up band by band.

Now I want to do more in the astronomical area. I’m thinking of painting on perspex if I can get the right effects. I woukd do something like the ‘pillars of creation’ dusty nebula. I am thinking of having different layers. How I would display it, and how accurate it would be? I don’t know-yet!

Painting from the 1980’s

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I have a few images of my old paintings on slides. I would like to get them transferred onto a digital platform before they deteriorate too much. This painting was actually bought by our old MP, Mark Fisher, and I was really proud to have known him. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago.

It’s funny how you find things and they bring back old memories. This painting was done of a friend. I deliberately tried to alter the angles of the window to make it more atmospheric. I would like to do more portraits if anyone is interested.

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Colour

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I love colour as you can see.

Colour is the best option for me.

Bright colours are very good.

Not just black and white could

grab my mind…

Without colour I am blind…

I love a spectrum of every hue.

Yellow, red, gold, bronze and blue.

Purple and orange fight to be seen,

Not to mention beautiful green.

So of I will go to paint again.

My palette with new colours, lain.

 

Ink blot test…

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You know the inkblot test? Rorschach test? Why does this photo remind me of rabbits doing a Morris dance? Or laying the drums?

Photo of the sunrise about a month ago I think, with overgrown hedge and trees.

I can see ears, eyes, mouth and nose. Mind you I’ve always seen patterns in wallpaper. Sometimes I see a splodge and from then on I can’t get away from the image of Marge Simpsons blue bin, or a horse rearing…. Why? I don’t know.

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Phoenix

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I drew this a couple of years ago. I was trying to find something magical but not the usual Halloween images of pumpkins or spiders webs. The story of the phoenix rebirth from fire is quite ancient. There was a children’s programme in the 1970’s that had a phoenix at the heart of it. I remember it being quite badly done because it was before CGI, but I think I enjoyed it. Perhaps it was on at Sunday tea time? It was in the era before children got their own TV channels. I don’t remember much more about it.