Katkins in the sun

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A warm evening in March, out at Westport lake. One of my favourite places for a walk. Over the last few years the trees have grown and the management of the lake has been taken over by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. The sun reflects off the water and ripples from the swimming birds make it sparkle. The lake was artificially created from the remains of a marl pit (where they dug out the clay for potteries) and old mine workings. It was created for wildlife in the 1980s I think when Shelton Bar Steel works closed ?

Life spreads and grows. Greenery overtakes the tallest buildings, ivy scrambles, buddlea infiltrates. And beauty comes from waste and destruction.

Wallflowers and dianthus

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I shared this a few days ago as part of a group of photos but I came back to it because I loved the vibrant colours. It goes with my mood today. Gold wallflowers and pink dianthus I think are the types of flowers.

An artist at Spode planted and looks after this area just outside the spode studios. They always cheer me up when I go in. To see them in the middle of industrial delapidation lifts my spirits.

On the road that passes the site there was a project called greening Stoke where various shop fronts and bits of derelict land were planted up with wild flowers. They are still growing. Good to see green in the urban landscape.

You’ve got a spider in your ear….

_20190421_190008you’ve got a spider in your ear,

with a heart on its back.

It’s smiling gently

As it builds its web.

It stops thoughts leaking out

when you lie on your side.

Stops ear wax escaping

And keeps bed bugs out.

It plays on your eardrum

Tapping timpani

When you are asleep!

So don’t be afraid if you see a spider in my ear.

It’s just looking after it

and keeping it clean.

 

Blossom and pigeons

DSC_1836My picture of pink blossom today, photo bombed by pigeons! I might turn the top half of the photo into a painting, the pigeons just add some movement to it. This year the blossom has been amazing. My cherry blossom is starting to fade and blow off the tree. I don’t know if that’s due to cold nights or drought as the weather has been very dry. There are thunder storms due later in the week. I guess that will remove the blossom.

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Whirlpool galaxy drawing

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This took a few hours to draw on the old sketchfu website. I do love astronomy. This is not accurate, it couldn’t be with the limited tools that were on the website but it was fun to try and get a reasonable representation of it. Space is so infinitely beautiful. It makes me realise how tiny I am, how small our planet and solar system are in relationship to the mass of stars in a galaxy and the smallness of galaxies in relation to the infinity of the universe.

How important we think we are, we have so much on this world that we are using up. We are big in comparison  with insects and smaller still bacteria. Then even smaller viruses. The smallest things, molecules, Atoms  and sub atomic particles.

Apparently we are halfway on the scale of size in the universe. Halfway between the infinitely massive and the incredibly tiny. Perhaps in realising this we can see we are not very important after all. I think we should take more care to preserve our tiny/huge planet so that humankind can continue to survive and flourish.

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Etruria Artists

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This group I’m in is starting up again this week. At the moment I haven’t the time to get involved. But in a couple of weeks I might be able to join in again. I’m the meantime if you live in Stoke you might want to give it a look this weekend. Just up the canal from Etruria industrial museum by Summit lock on the trent and merdy canal. I think there is an exhibition on. There will also be the chance to do some hands on clay art work.

Buddha

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Having a good meal at the local Thai restaurant in Stoke. Sawadee Thai taste. I noticed how the Buddha there was beautifully decorated. Such a warm friendly atmosphere. I like the coloured garlands round his neck and the shiny baubles balanced on his knees. Buddhas seem to look so relaxed, calm, kind.

The food was lovely. The owner always cooks tasty meals, we really enjoyed it. This hadn’t meant to be a restaurant review..

The Buddha might get his portrait painted!!