Flat back pottery

Posted on September 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, British ceramic biennial, China Halls, Clay, Design, Fun, Life, Pottery, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

The British Ceramic Biennial has some hands on workshops that are free and open to the public. Last week I made a flat back pot using a mold of a boat with Donald Trumps head in profile and a pair of boots walking in the other direction. There is also a lion with a union jack, a monkey, and other figures and plants. There are other pots shown above. Each of them has been designed by an artist, so they are possibly controversial, maybe a bit tongue in cheek.

Today I painted glaze on my pot that had been fired. I didn’t remember to take a photo of it, but I have taken photos of some of the larger pieces now they have finally been fired.

I’m glad I had a go, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Got to paint

Posted on September 23, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Artist, Blogging, Design, Holly and Ivy, Life, Living, PaintingLeave a comment

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I’ve got to get on and paint. I’ve been distracted recently. I’m going to get my paints and brushes out tomorrow.

This is a close up of my Holly and Ivy painting that I started a couple of weeks ago.

We live in a world where art can be worth millions or pence, where there is no set price for anything. If you buy a TV they generally are a certain amount of money. If you do a painting of a TV then it seems to depend on who painted it, how well known they are. Whether there is a resale value. It also seems to depend on scarcity and if the person is alive or dead when generally the art is worth more. It’s a funny old world.

Anyway all that said I think art is important and I will keep making it.

Webs

Posted on September 23, 2019September 23, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Arachnids, Birds, Garden, Insects, Life, Micro poetry, Poem, Poetry, Spiders, Summerhouse, Traps, Webs2 Comments

Someone said its spider mating season

It’s webby in the summerhouse

It’s webby in the shed

There’s more silk than a silk kimono

Slung along the hedge.

The spiders spin such grand big webs

They catch the birds on high

They set great traps for insects,

And grab them from the sky!

A huge big spider

Came to visit

And stayed for a year

Now its little offspring

Are always very near!

Facebook problems? shake it up!

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bug, Facebook, Internet, Life, Phone, Problems, Shaken phone, TroubleLeave a comment

You know the feeling? You have a cute post on Facebook and you want to leave a comment. Or you read a friend is ill and you want to wish them well. Or your friend is moving and you want to offer to help?

But Facebook says! Posting has failed, or the post has been deleted, or some other problem. This is despite you creating the post yourself, and you haven’t deleted it!

What do you do? I tried looking for a page to report it. Then someone told me to shake my phone, apparently if you have a smart phone it opens up a page to report bugs.

Well I’ve been shaking my phone like a tambourine. I’ve reported lots of problems. One minute things seem OK, the next it plays up again. Maybe I write too much? Maybe I comment too much? I will definitely keep shaking my phone!

Autumn sun.

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Change, Colour, Death, Decay, Equinox, Life, Poem, Poetry, Season, WorldLeave a comment

The sun fades,

There is more night than day.

Equinox

Change of season.

Leaves that were green change,

First pale then golden or red and russet.

Chill air frosts spiders webs.

Rain falls cold and drenching.

Flowers that were bright fade away.

Fruits ripen and fall.

Golden grain is harvested and brought in.

Stored and dried.

Winter is not here yet but gradually

So gradually, time leaps on.

Autumn shades will fade in turn.

What are you watching?

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1957, Crusades, Death, Film, Ingmar Bergmann, Life, Plague, Seventh Seal, TVLeave a comment

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I’m trying to watch (and understand) a 1957 film by Ingmar Bergmann called ‘The Seventh Seal’.

It’s in Swedish with English subtitles. The language sounds complex and ancient. It’s in black and white. A Knight comes back from the crusades and finds plague. Then he plays chess with Death and Death gives him time to get his life in order. Well that’s what it appears to be about but I’m not sure. What I might do is look it up on Google, but that seems wrong. I shall continue to watch it. Its beautifully photographed and very interesting and very strange.

Canvas

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Canvas, Eclectic, Life, Painting, Plans, SuppliesLeave a comment

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Value pack. When you are creating art it’s good to use quality paints but I don’t spend too much on canvas. I’m not being mean, the stretched canvases are serviceable. It’s just that I’m not made of money but I want to paint.

Plans for future pictures:

Green men and women,

Winter men and women (images within trees)

Astronomical objects from moons and planets to novae and Galaxies.

Animal and human portraits, perhaps integrated with nature.

Architecture.

As you can see I’m planning to use a lot of canvas…..

Old portrait

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Breakfast, Commission, Contrast, Design, Life, Pink, Portraits, SunshineLeave a comment

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This portrait of a friends three children must be twenty years old or more. All I have as an image is an old photocopy of a photo of it….which is why it’s blurred..

The three children were having breakfast when the photo was taken. There was strong sunlight shining into the room. The main colour was pale pink but the pin board behind them and the deep shadows made a good contrast.

I’d like to share a photo of my painting but I haven’t seen it for years. I used to do a lot more portrait painting but I guess now selfies are the fashionable thing they are less likely to be commissioned.

If you would like a portrait don’t hesitate to contact me.

Today

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Butter Cross, Entertainment, Fun, Guildhall, Humour, Life, Mayor, Mock mayor, Newcastle-under-Lyme, PerformanceLeave a comment

Belly dancers at the Heritage weekend at Newcastle-under-Lyme today. This was after the Mock mayor ceremony which went really well considering I was wearing a large white wig and it has the effect of turning me into some sort of old English sheepdog! I delivered my speech on the steps of Newcastle-under-Lymes’ Butter Cross, which is outside the Guildhall. After we had done the performance we walked around the Lancaster building on the other side of the cross. We had to process and I started saying Good Afternoon in a posh voice to everyone to keep up the character of the Mayor. Returning to the Butter Cross we had photos taken with the real mayor. They might follow if they are not too embarrassing.

Mock Mayor

Posted on September 19, 2019September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ceremony, Fun, Guildhall, Humour, Life, Mock mayor, Newcastle-under-Lyme, StaffordshireLeave a comment

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In Victorian times Newcastle-under-Lyme was a rotten Borough. The citizens of the town decided to choose their own Mock Mayor and Mayoress. There is a famous painting in the Brampton museum and art gallery depicting the scene. A man stands on the market cross steps with a wooden staff and a horse tail switch. His wife is falling off a donkey. Mace bearers with cabbages on sticks are in his retinue. The town crier and other mock officials officiate.

So me and my hubby were asked to join in and have ended up being chosen to play the mayor and mayoress parts. Then we found out the mayoress was played by a man! So I had to find a dress to fit him. The thing is he suffers badly from anxiety so he took a lot of persuading. The thing in its favour is that he enjoys acting. It takes his mind off the anxiety. It’s because he’s laying a character. It’s hard to explain. If he is just being himself his anxiety is through the roof. But as long as things go OK when he’s acting he’s OK. If I am not there he can’t do things… Anyway that’s just how things are.

The Ceremony recreation is on Saturday. I’m hoping I don’t fall off the steps, fluff my lines, forget where to stand, plus support hubby…… Eek!

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life