New paintings and regular art updates.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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…..
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.
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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.
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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!
Too much to see! There were many interesting and beautiful pieces at the BCB (British Ceramic Biennial) being held in Spode over the next four weeks, ending I think on 14 October. The BCB sees the China Halls at Kingsway Stoke taken over and turned into a massive gallery to showcase ceramics, with hands on experiences making solid flat back figures and more abstract work.
There is also access from the Eleanora Street entrance of Spode. Useful to know if the car park in front of the building is full.
It’s great to see this asset being used and bringing much needed visitors into Stoke Town centre.
No doubt I will post more photos later…
Look what’s arrived! The new book by Martha Kennedy. All the way from the states. I can’t tell you how excited I am to read it. Its about her life teaching English at South China Teacher’s University in Guangzhou in 82/83.
I’ve been reading excerpts from it in her blog, ‘I am a writer, yes I am’ on WordPress and I’m really looking forward to it. (If I can get it back of my hubby who just snaffled it!)
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Mallaband-Brown