Tag: Friends

Remembering paintings

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I can’t remember where this is! It may be on a tor on dartmoor or it could be somewhere up high in the Yorkshire dales. I know the figure is a friend of mine, but he’s lived in Devon and Yorkshire so that does not help. Looking at it I’m not even sure of what the stone is. I know it’s been weathered by the wind to created the distinct layers in the stone. I’m not sure the colours are accurate. But I like the photo, there is a feeling of distance and atmosphere. Perhaps I will see it again sometime.

Unitarian meeting house

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In 2018 I sang with three choirs at the Unitarian meeting house at Newcastle-under-Lyme. The original meeting house was built in 1717 but the building was burnt down. I don’t remember everything they told us but I think Josiah Wedgewood whose portrait is carved in wood above the door was a supporter of them.

I was impressed by the tapestries of their history that were on display in the hall. It’s fascinating what history there is in this area. Some of the Methodists first met near Stoke-on-Trent at Mow Cop and also built Bethesda Chapel in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent..

Old painting

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This was a painting I must have done in the summer of 1983 or 1984, soon after I finished college I think.

My friend had lots of cats so I did a portrait of her with them.

I wanted to do the painting but didn’t have any stretched canvases to hand so I got some linen canvas and stretched it over a horseshoe shaped chair back with an extra peice of wood nailed in place at the bottom.

The painting was in oils  This was before I started using acrylics. After it was finished I gave it to my friend.

A year or two ago it turned up. It had moved house with my friend and she had got it propped up in the kitchen when I visited one day. It was starting to deteriorate because it wasn’t proper canvas and had a couple of holes in it. Bearing in mind it had been painted about 34 years before I guess it has done well. I took photos of it and left.

Sadly the painting got damaged beyond repair when they moved again. But at least I have this photo and I did a small copy which another friend purchased.

It feels like I am letting children go when they go to new homes .You never know if they will survive. At least I know this one’s history.

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