New paintings and regular art updates.
Painting I did of the gaseous swirls of one of Jupiter’s polar regions. The photos were taken by NASAs Juno probe. I was amazed at the colours and patterns on that fantastic world and had to have a go..
It’s a large acrylic on canvas. I think I painted it two years ago and it was included in an exhibition called ‘blue’ at Spode Studios, Eleanora Street, Stoke-upon-Trent, which is one of the six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent.
A blue lobster I painted earlier in the year ( I used a stock image off Google to work from) I’ve now got to paint a purple crab to accompany it! I find it quite difficult holding my phone as I cant always print images off. It’s also interesting that I have reverted back to my old signature, I had started signing things “Mallaband-Brown” simply because my name is so long its not always easy to fit my full name on. Also it is meant to be my brand (my blog is called mallaband-Brown too). There are so many things I should be doing to improve the look of what I post. For instance this image is twisted slightly, so the edges of the canvas do not line up with the edges of the picture… I guess I should pay more attention, but my brain is more involved in the actual painting than being neat!
Looking through my photos of small paintings with gold leaf, I found this of my girl cat. I think I was about half way through this painting. I used the gold leaf to emphasise her eyes and the cushion behind her. I know I have a bit left over. I was not very good at attaching the gold leaf, its hard to stop it wrinkling and breaking up, but I would say its fun to use and have a go if you fancy it.
You know when you just want to do something different? My view out the side window. Including pink orchids. Started out with white chalk on a black background and nail varnishes I don’t wear anymore. Then felt pens, metallic marker pens and more nail varnish including a clear coat…. Messy but fun! Next one might be painted…. Neighbourhood (1). Bit whiffy, I can smell the nail varnish from the other side of the room. As long as it doesn’t crack it should be OK. I think it’s absorbed into the paper. I shall use it on a few more abstract pictures, I used to wear mad colours to work but my nails went manky!
I might be having an exhibition in October. There is a slot free at a gallery where I have exhibited before. What I need to do is produce some new works. It might be based on my Urban sketches, or something totally new and colourful. I will have to be careful though as I start my next semester on my college course on Monday, so I will have to try and fit everything in to a limited timescale. Got to have a discussion.
X
Painting done from two photos of our wedding. I chose each portrait from one or other photo and fitted them together. I’ve got photoshop on my computer but I just did this by eye. And yes my sister is a lot taller than me. My hubby is looking like some sort of ambassador! Family and friends arranged up the stairs at the registry office. I love this painting, I had it framed and it has pride of place in our house. There are twenty nine portraits on the painting.
X
I’m in the reflection, you can see my fingers holding my phone in the bottom right hand pane of glass. Acrylic on canvas. Approx three foot by two foot. Painted a couple of years ago and exhibited at Spode and The Waiting room gallery at Longport. I’ve not painted much for the last six months because of covid 19 and doing my MA in illustration. But I know I need to paint again. I don’t want it to stop. I will be planning to paint more images from the Spode site. I love industrial archaeology. I hope to celebrate more of it in paint.
Visiting my friend today who’s a fine art student. Because we were inside her house we both wore masks. This is the final Stoke Urban Sketchers challenge for this run but I don’t think it will be the last. This was so good, to be able to visit someone. I feel like crying, I felt nervous, I felt touched that someone would let me in their house after all this time. I may dream about it! It was an honour to be allowed to draw her. I hope she does well in her fine art degree.
X
Monets’ painting of a poppy field is such a ubiquitous image, but beautiful nonetheless. The figures at the top of the hill are the same couple at the bottom of the hill, though I doubt that he painted so quickly that he managed to paint the rest of the picture by the time they had walked down the hill.
The trees in the background and the house set at the back of the field frame a beautiful summers day. It always seems so calm and peaceful when I look at it. I feel joyful and relaxed, thinking of glimpsing a view like that in Devon or Yorkshire. I know many wildflower meadows have gone, but maybe we will restore more of them in the future so people can enjoy walking through them again.
Photo my friend took on February 2018, I think it was up until 2019. Its also been exhibited at the Waiting Room Gallery. I liked doing these pottery ‘portraits’, but they are imagined, using pottery patterns and marrying them up with teapots or plates or bowls etc. It’s also about creating imagined backgrounds.
Acrylic on canvas, created, 2018, for sale…
Mallaband-Brown