A painting

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

Not these

I don’t think my insurance company would appreciate me giving out details of what I bought and how much it cost. This post may be fun, but it’s encouraging people to share information that might just be tempting enough to cause a theft.

Yes I know I might be overreacting, but my Jetpack account gets shared to other social media sites. People here might not know where I live, but others do.

I’d like to know who writes these prompts? I try to answer most of them, then I wonder if I’m being foolish? Yes it’s more content for my page, and it saves me having to think about a topic sometimes. But am I letting my guard down too much! I can chose my own topics and be circumspect, but answering others questions can be too enlightening for your own good. Beware…

More BCB Ceramics

I took a lot of photos at the British Ceramic biennial, the ceramics were remarkable. This object is made up of several pieces. Coloured in what I would call ice cream colours, pastels that I would associate with the seaside. The rope makes me think of bouys or the floats on lobster pots. I didn’t get a catalogue so I’m afraid I don’t have the details of the artist involved.

Abstract, flowers reflected

An experimental painting, acrylic on canvas, using drops of paint spread with a} pallette knife. Each colour was put on one at a time, spread, then the next colour and so on. The paint was reasonably thick so I then swirled the colours with the pallette knife and pulled curved lines through the paint. I’ve called it flowers reflected.

Crocodile on a cushion.

At the British Ceramic biennial on Sunday Probably made by the same artist that made the frogs on exhibition there. I love it’s sinuous shape, you can almost imagine it’s gait, legs splayed out, first the legs on one side come together, then the spine flexes and the legs on the other side meet. Crocodillians have been about for millions, of years. Even before the dinosaurs? With it’s front legs lying alongside it’s body it looks like it’s about to slide into a river or pond….

Church window

Gorgeous window at All Saints church on Leek Road Stoke-on-Trent. The colours really are bright and spectacular. This is at the rear of the church (but on the left hand side looking from the road). It’s such a busy road, it’s surprising how clean it looks. Whether it was washed for the ceramics festival, I don’t know.

Dead frog?

Photo from the BCB

A giant lies upon it’s back

It’s hop has gone, it’s knocked flat!

A human male looks on

At where nature has gone?

Ceramic frogs don’t jump

They don’t have a heart to pump.

But life has a way of staying

If we from nature aren’t straying.

So give frogs a chance

Put in water plants

Dig a new pond

If of frogs you are fond?

Protect anphibians

Their survival’s in your hands!

British Ceramic Biennial

Today was the last day of the biennial exhibition. We only managed to get to the one venue at All Saints church on Leek Road Stoke-on-Trent. The pottery and ceramics on display were remarkable. From abstract to classical, but all with a modern twist. I wish I’d managed to get round the other venues, but I didn’t feel up to it. Anyway I bumped into a couple of friends. I will probably post a few more photos later.

Autumn woman

Painting from eight years ago, it came up on my Facebook page. I don’t know if I’ve ever posted it here.

Autumn Woman

When the leaves fall

From under leaf litter

You will slowly crawl.

Gleaming colours

Red, gold, green,

Are soft or brittle

A seasonal scene.

Then mists and fruits

Make subtle colours

And Autumn woman

Finds her full power.

Etruria Inustrial museum this weekend

This weekend at Etruria Industrial museum, steaming the Princess engine. Pleased they’ve used my painting of it to publicise the event. (28 and 29 Oct 2023). I think the opening times are on their Facebook page.

The industrial museum includes Jessie Shirley’s bone and flint mill. The Princess engine is a beam engine that ran the belts to grind the flint in large floor pans in the adjoining building. It’s steam powered and runs by using a beam to rock up and down like a seesaw. This uses steam to push a valve down and then the vacuum created pulls it up again. I’m not an engineer, but you could come and see it running.

Etruria Industrial museum

Kilndown Close

Etruria, Stoke on Trent

Staffordshire.

(on the Trent and Mersey canal).