Willow pattern banner

Posted on January 25, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, banner, Design, Life, Memory, Painting, penkhull mystery plays, Potteries, Spode, Time, Willow pattern9 Comments

A banner for one of our Penkhull Mystery Plays. We hold them most summers and the one this was painted for was about the pottery industry and its history. This banner was based on the willow pattern famous in the potteries. Spode was one of the factories that made plates and pots with this design, but if you Google ‘willow pattern’ you can find lots of images from many manufacturers.

Blue acrylic paint on a canvas cloth. It took me a while to paint. I also painted the local church and methodist Hall as they would have appeared in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Faces

Posted on January 21, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Lichtenstein, Marilyn, Michelangelo, Painting, playful, Pop art, Renaissance, School, WarholLeave a comment

I watched a programme about Andy Warhol last night. Even though its a while since he died it stated his Warholian influence is still widespread. It made me think about when I first found out about him. It was when I was at school. The paintings and screen prints of Campbells soup cans and portraits of Marilyn Monroe were the images I first saw. I was learning about Pop Art at the time. When you have just been learning about renaissance artists such as Michelagelo or Botticelli it’s a bit of a shock to see something different. Like the Roy Lichtenstein paintings such as ‘Whaam!’ using bright colours and screen print effects. I think Warhol and these other artists were what got me interested in being playful with art.

What’s on the easle?

Posted on January 20, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Dragon, Drawing, Easle, Fun, mojo, Painting, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, ThinkingLeave a comment

They ask

‘what’s on the easle?’.

I say

‘a lot of stuff’

Tissues and a coffee cup

And other sorts of muck

A drawing of a dragon

A pallette and a brush

A green painted canvas

If you really want to look….

I ought to be painting

But there’s been a delay

My minds gone off the boil now

It’s not coming out to play…

One day I’ll get my mojo back

I’ll start to paint again

But till that day my easle

Is a place to rest my brain!

Using an ink roller

Posted on January 19, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, College, Design, Experiment, Fun, Ink roller, Life, Portrait, Sketching, techniqueLeave a comment

When I drew this, and a few other portraits for college I decided to use an ink roller. It’s one of those that you can use to cover over your address when you get rid of letters. It makes the drawing feel a bit like it’s been collaged with newsprint. I like using unusual techniques to draw. Why not?

Splash of colours

Posted on January 18, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Colours, Design, Dragon, Filters, Graffiti, Ideas, Illustration, Pattern, SplashLeave a comment

Oh I do love a filter, playing with colours. Adding layers, making the pattern slide around. Like Graffiti on a garage door. Splat! Somehow I am creating things that look medieval and Mexican or South American at the same time? I don’t know, but I’m enjoying playing with it.

Wordless cartoon

Posted on January 14, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, campfire, Cartoon, College, Design, Fire, Fun, Life, Memory, Sketching, Snake, TimeLeave a comment

I can’t remember the story behind this or whether there was a prompt. I drew it last year. I had to draw something with four panels for my college course. It starts with someone by a campfire. The fire goes out so they go to get more wood, But instead of it all being sticks, a snake, which had been asleep wakes up. I like the simple style I drew it in and the minimal images in it. But now I look back at it I worry that the snake would have been burned or might have woken up before being put on the embers. Even with a simple story you have to be aware of consequences!

Tree art

Posted on January 12, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Abstract, Art, Cold, Design, Fun, Layout app, Reflection, Silhouette, Sky, Sunset, TreeLeave a comment

Capturing tree abstract ideas today. I saw a wonderful silhouetted tree on my slow, short walk this afternoon. Looking at the world is important. You have a chance to see things that you wouldn’t if you just stay home. But getting out is not always simple.

Life can get in the way. My knees ache now. But I’m glad we went. The air was clear and cold. I enjoyed walking and Ben managed a short bit of uphill walking.

Potteries

Posted on January 7, 2022January 7, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ceramics, Craft, Design, Greek potter, Life, Ornaments, Pottery, Six towns, Stoke-on trent2 Comments

Burslem, Tunstall, Hanley, Stoke-upon-Trent, Fenton, Longton.

Six towns United as one city. Stoke-on-Trent.

I remember seeing this print and taking a photo of it, but I cannot remember where it’s from. So apologies for using the image and if I’m infringing copyright let me know and I will remove it. I like the style of the illustration. It’s almost grecian in style. The Potter is throwing a pot on a foot treadled wheel. The background looks a bit like a Minton tile. I did Google it and found some very similar images.

Pottery is such a wonderful craft. The things you can make out of clay. From tableware to ceramic insulators. Sanitaryware (bathrooms) to delicate ornaments. The Potteries has a great history. It’s fame is world wide. I’m proud to live here.

Dragons get everywhere

Posted on December 30, 2021December 30, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, College, Design, Digital drawing, Dragon, Drawing, Fun, Illustration, Sketchers2 Comments

Oh I do like creating a dragon now and then. I decided to rotate my sky drawing and then add a bit of symmetrical drawing over the top. I think the result is quite cute.

It’s getting towards the end of the day, week, year and I’m looking at some of my older stuff. I might have to delete some of the earlier work. Memory on computers and phones seems to run out faster than humans!

65

Posted on December 29, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 65, Beauty, Birthday, Colour, Design, Mobile, Pink, Red, Sunset, WireweavingLeave a comment

A mobile my friend did for my hubby for his 65th birthday. It hangs in the bedroom window and I just happened to notice it as I took a photo of today’s sunset. I think she did a splendid job. The mobile above it was another one she did of ygdrasil, the world tree. She’s the person who has done wire weaving for some of the glass jewellery I made. I might do more in the new year.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Design