Spooky tap

Posted on April 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bathroom, Life, Running water, Spooky story, Tap, WaterLeave a comment

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I went to use the ladies in the hotel where we just held a craft fair. I walked in and the lights were off, no one else was in there. The lights came on automatically. As I used the facilities I heard the tap go on (but no one was in there with me). And when I opened the door the tap (which was one of the push down types) was still running, it was just spooky. I know the building is old. But why would a tap switch on?

I pulled up the top of the tap and it shut off. I didn’t feel scared, just surprised.

Plains Zebra

Posted on April 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Africa, Animal, Equine, Life, Painting, Plains Zebra, ZebraLeave a comment

The weather here is very wet and windy so I’m concentrating on doing some painting. I decided to paint a zebra yesterday. I sketched it out last night but didn’t start on it properly till today. I’ve extended the muzzle and made its mane black and white. It seems to be shaded with brown dust. Possibly it has been having a dust bath. I hope to finish it and my owl painting today. It’s also taking my mind off a toothache I have after eating a cashew nut.

Keeping warm

Posted on April 26, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged April, Black and White cats, Cat, Cat tree, Life, Rain, Shower, Spring, WeatherLeave a comment

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My cats on their cat tree. Keeping warm. The weather is a lot colder now than it was last week. I gave up and put the central heating on. We were out in the rain earlier and I got soaked. We are having hefty April showers. The sky turns dark grey and then hail and rain pour down. The temperature is about 10 centigrade lower than it was a week ago… Typical British weather.

Cherry Blossom

Posted on April 26, 2019April 26, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blossom, Cherry blossom, Garden, Life, Ornamental cherry, Petals, PinkLeave a comment

Has anyone got a pot of glue? This was the result of heavy rain and strong winds over the last couple of days.

They had looked like this before the weather got involved. DSC_1837_optimized (6)

The beautiful pink blossom is from ornamental cherry trees I think. In the meantime the blossom on my cherry trees in the garden is equally bashed. I hope the insects like bees and hover flies have been able to pollinate them and they have set fruit.

Happy Spring!

Sunset

Posted on April 25, 2019April 25, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canal, Etruria, Etruria Industrial museum, Life, Poem, Poetry, Silhouette, Sky, SunsetLeave a comment

One red bar of cloud

reflected in the canal,

Blue grey and pale peach

silhouette leaves and trees

mobile mast and cables.

Industrial Stoke,

Etruria on Trent

Old canal

Built by James Brindley

You are serene

No longer busy with horse and butty boats.

Tranquil sunset

Blazing sky.

Mango juice

Posted on April 24, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Challenge, Drawing, Drink, Food, Life, Mango, Mango juice, North West, Sketch, Sketchfu, SouthLeave a comment

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Another challenge drawing from about 10 years ago. I think this was Mango juice over ice looking at the colour of the liquid. I never tasted Mango juice until my thirties I think. And a real Mango? Probably in my forties. They were just not sold in local shops. Its the same with figs, I never realised how delicious they are. The world has changed in my lifetime. Probably better for the majority of the North and West of the World. Not so much the southern continents. I wish life was fairer where everyone could taste Mango juice.

N’er cast a clout till May is out…

Posted on April 23, 2019April 23, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blossom, Environment, Garden, Hawthorn, Life, May, PlantsLeave a comment

May blossom? It erupts in spring, flowering in masses of tiny flowers. The proverb doesn’t mean that you have to wait till the end of May to wear less clothes but just until the May (hawthorn blossoms) are out.

New business cards

Posted on April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Business cards, Life, Painting, Spode4 Comments

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I’ve had some new business cards. Shiny, new and based on one if my paintings.

My previous set were based on a painting of a spode plate but it’s good to have a change.

Not much else to say really. I’ve decided to just sign my paintings Mallaband-Brown as fitting the Christine or C in takes up a lot of space. These also reflect my love of colour and experiment.

Maybe one day I will be better known, but I’m trying..

Sunday and Monday sketches

Posted on April 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Black and white, Dorothy Clive garden, Drawing, Etruria, Life, Sketch, Sketching6 Comments

Not good photos of these. I’ve been using a black felt pen and them a broad nib cartridge pen. I took the photos of them in bright sunshine so they were overexposed. I’ve used the curves option on my phones photo editor to try and get them less bright but on one of them this caused a blue cast. The drawing of the cup is just a doodle because we were messing about with clay.

Oak man

Posted on April 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Dorothy Clive garden, Fun, Garden, Green man, Life, Oak man, Plant sale, Plants, StaffordshireLeave a comment

I’m a bit disappointed with my phones camera. Although this image of an oak green man came out OK three other photos of similar green men didn’t register. I think it’s because I have too many photos saved and as most of them are MB not KB they are too large as files so they take up too much space.

This oak man was for sale at the Dorothy Clive garden near Woore, Staffordshire. It was rammed with people, there was a great plant sale on, but it was crowded with hundreds of people. We struggled to get a seat and had a quick lunch. I usually go there to see the rhododendrons in flower but it’s a couple of weeks before they will be out in the quarry garden. In the meantime they had a massive plant sale with stalls so we came home with about 15 varied and interesting plants. Glad to be home to get a rest.