July at Westport lake.

Posted on December 14, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cafe, Cold, cormorants, July, Longport, Sketch, Staffordshire, Staffordshire wildlife Trust, Stoke-on trent, View, Weather, Westport lake, WinterLeave a comment

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It’s good to look back at old drawings as the days grow colder and shorter. Remembering warmth and colour, the view from the cafe there, then a gentle walk round the lake. Watching the place mature over the years, the trees have grown up so tall. Now Staffordshire wildlife have taken over running the site there has been a programme instigated to improve the area and make it more wildlife friendly. I saw four cormorants perched on a man made island there a couple of months ago. I thought these birds were costal, but maybe they are coming inland like gulls.

Must visit again in the near future, maybe if it snows…. Then I can re draw this scene…

Sketches at Cherished Chimneys.

Posted on December 1, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Cherished Chimneys, Longport, Sketch, Sketchers, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Urban sketchingLeave a comment

This is a shop just over the road from the waiting room gallery. They sell ancient and modern chimneys, teapots, pottery and other collectables. Today they had a craft fair and they had a lot more stalls than us. Including lovely jewellery, art, fabric, illustrations and mulled wine and minced pies..! They also had santa Claus. I’m amazed that anyone came over and bought from us.

Urban Sketchers, Stoke-on-Trent had a get together and drew pictures of what was happening and what the place looked like. Unfortunately my photos had a reddish shade to them. I’ve tried to correct it on photo editor but it didn’t really work. I want to post better photos but I ve lost my sketchbook

Fire

Posted on December 1, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canal, Fire, Fire brigade, Longport, Pottery, Price and Kensington, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

One thing that did happen was that there were great clouds of smoke drifting across the road just up from the waiting room gallery. I went to look what was happening, fire was burning in a big pile of rubbish and palettes just across the canal from me. This was at the rear of the Price and Kensington pottery factory in Longport next to the bottle kiln there.

The fire was burning rapidly so I rang the fire brigade. They said they had already had a call and were on the way…

A funny thing, I posted this to Facebook and had a strange response, apparently there are fires there all the time, they are just burning rubbish. Why had I bothered to call? My answer. The fire was quite big, the smoke drifting across the road was as thick as gig. I drive up there quite a lot now at weekends and I’ve never seen this. Finally it was burning next to a caravan and a car.. It needed reporting.

Today was fun

Posted on December 1, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft stall, Life, Longport, Ornament design, Printing, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room gallery, WorkshopLeave a comment

Long day again, but it was good to see new people, a lot of the purchases of my tiny paintings were children asking their parents to buy them pictures of angels and snowmen that I’d done.

There were printing, stamp designs for Christmas paper, and Christmas ornament making workshops at the waiting room gallery. Everyone seemed to have fun.

There was also Walnut cake, Lemon drizzle cake and scones to delight the customers.

Yes, all in all, a good weekend.

Forgot my phone

Posted on November 30, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Cherished Chimneys, Forgotten phone., Life, Longport, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Tired, trying to blog, Waiting room galleryLeave a comment

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What a long day, and when I got to the Waiting room gallery for the craft fair today, I realised I’d left my phone at home.

Not good when you like to blog. There were beautiful frosty images of hoar frost on leaves, I could not photograph. Lots of ornaments and cards made by people visiting the free print and crafting workshops. These were very successful and a lot of people enjoyed the experience.

I just tried to blog about it, but I’m so tired I’m falling asleep as I type. I would write more but can’t keep my eyes open.

I typed two or three paragraphs that have disappeared because I just hit the delete key…. Argh!

Craft fair

Posted on November 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cherished Chimneys, Craft fair, Longport, Middleport, Middleport pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, The Waiting Room galleryLeave a comment

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Help! After a day painting I called in at the waiting room gallery to set up my craft stall for the weekend. I didn’t remember to take a photo, so this is from the previous weekends stall. I’ve added more Christmassy pictures to it.

So if you happen to be in Longport, Stoke-on-Trent, this weekend you might like to come along. You could also visit a Middleport pottery show and Cherished Chimneys in Longport.

Another craft stall

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft fair, Design, Longport, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room gallery, WorkshopsLeave a comment

_20191127_235948 If you are in Longport on Saturday or Sunday (30th November, 1st December,) why not call round to the Waiting Room gallery. They are holding Christmas workshops and I will be there with my stall. I’m still doing new tiny paintings for decorations on your Christmas tree, or small paintings, with lots of ideas.

Might see you there?

Got an idea from a friend.

Posted on November 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Christmas tree, Craft fair, Landscape, Longport, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Tiny painting, Waiting room gallery2 Comments

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Just a little painting,

Influenced by my friend,

I don’t live near trees

Or mountains,

I live in a city,

Where the Christmas trees are few.

But she woke up my mind,

She shook my thoughts,

She made me happy.

She made me paint.

Feeling festive,

Home is Where the Art is revisited.

Posted on October 25, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Exhibitions, Group exhibition, Life, Longport, Newcastle-under-Lyme, One inch challenge, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, The Brampton museum and art gallery, Waiting room gallery4 Comments

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I’ve has a busy day! I took eight paintings up to the Brampton museum and art gallery for their annual Christmas show, which is an exhibition by a group of local artists to se their art through December. I still have two paintings in there for the Orme Art group show. Then I popped over to the Waiting room gallery to see their ‘Home is where the Art is – revisited’ this is another group show on for a couple of weeks. I have two paintings in it.

I’ve never had so much work exhibited in so many places at once!

Rie’s little animals

Posted on October 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ceramics, Design, Longport, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room galleryLeave a comment

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These little animals are by my friend Rie. She’s also made pumpkins, and they are for sale at the Waiting room gallery in Longport, Stoke-on-Trent. Some of them are based on Egyptian gods, others look like cats, dogs and foxes.

I’ve already got a few of Rie’s pieces and I bought an animal from this collection. I think she might be making a chess set soon.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Longport