New paintings and regular art updates.
Yesterday I drew an horizon. But this was a photo I took that I almost worked from. I liked the serried rows of house rooves and chimneys , but they are capped with tower blocks and modern concrete buildings up in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. I decided that it wasn’t what I wanted to draw. Slate rooves, old and grey, covered in lichens, no longer wrapped in the smoke of potteries and bottle ovens. Cleaner air, further views.
Not this years ones, they haven’t opened up yet. But they are starting to grow up. I just can’t wait. I’m used to waiting for spring but sometimes it seems to take an awful long time to get here. A couple of weeks ago the temperatures were in the high teens Celsius, last week they dropped to freezing or below, and there was a snow in a few places across the UK. We didn’t get more than a bit of hail and snow here. Meanwhile the daffodils and snowdrops are up. We haven’t had much rain though, so the buds on the trees are not fully open yet…
We drove past the Leopard Hotel in Burslem today. Its just hidden behind wooden hoardings and scaffolding. I haven’t been up past it since the fire that destroyed it back in February. We only glanced at it. I couldn’t stop. It’s a hole in the history of Burslem, and a hole in my memory. I managed to find a photo of the Leopard sign. It was also known as the famous Leopard. I’m still trying to find copies of the photos I took of the murals I painted in there. A remote hope.
They say when one door closes another one opens. I’ve now got some of my work at Etruria Industrial Museum. I’m so pleased. It’s for three months and then it will be changed. I do hope I can sell some work. I have done so many paintings over the years. I will have to donate them to charity at this rate!
Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was Horizon. This was the horizon as I walked over the canal bridge at Etruria, Stoke on Trent, near the Industrial Museum.. Its mostly obscuring the houses behind. Felt pen drawing and fine ink liner pen. It was a lovely sunny day. Not drawn in situ but from a photo.
Pareidolia, the ability to see creatures in patterns. This was a drink of hot chocolate that I had mirrored to make a pattern. The two shapes in the white area look like annoyed sheeps heads to me. I’m funny like that!
I think Euphorbia is this plants name. I’ve made a pattern from it. The flowers /bracts are a strange shape and are acidic green in colour. I know if you cut them you should wear gloves because they exude a liquid that can burn your skin especially when the sun is out. I’m calling this Euphorbia squared.
I didn’t walk far in March but I did walk every day. I need to do more though. Anyway I made a pattern from my steps. As you do. Mostly short distances, a few longer ones. Nothing to show off about.
I posted this on Instagram and my friend said she could see my third eye!
I like to be obscured
And obscure
Hide my light
Under a bushel.
Blue and red and grey
Like an old TV set
With a cracked screen
A play for today
Trying hard
Not to implode
But dissappear into
The fog of time
Faded in the light
He loves me I think, it might be cupboard love, because I feed him. But he likes having his cheeks rubbed and his ears stroked. He still doesn’t like being picked up and soon wriggles free. I think he must have been handled badly as a kitten. He was abandoned (we found out from the cat charity we support) so we have looked after him for about five years now. He started out living in our shed and gradually came into the house at night. Now he’s next to me, curled up on the arms of our armchairs, he likes sleeping between us. I think it makes him feel safer. But he still goes out most of the night, even when it’s cold and wet. I think he must be eleven or twelve now. Cats that live outside have shorter lives so I think we have added a few years on to his life. X
Mallaband-Brown