New paintings and regular art updates.
These are props we have previously made and used. These are bamboo and papier mache trees. We are going to repair them as they have been in storage for a few years. Part of the Penkhull Mystery Play this year is about two woodsmen who have been turned into trees by an evil witch. They want to be turned back after 20 years and need to get help from another witch to stop the first witch casting another spell on them. More to come….
At today’s rehearsal we didn’t go to the end of the play because we ran out of time. We were blocking scenes to get some idea of how to stage it. We think it will take about an hour of running time. We need to agree about staging it and what props and scenery we need. The makers who help design the sets looked at how to create the tree costumes, sorting out a wig for the witch, and have got a broom and papier mache stars, we need a cave with a canvas flap to show a boulder being rolled in front of it. Also whether people will come on and off the stage area or more sensibly to share half of the acting area as the witches cottage and the other half as the wood and cave. We definitely need people. One of the people was good as the witch and another did a good Greta (the witches assistant, I’m not sure if those people will be final characters we still need to look at who is available and happy to do it. I helped by playing a woodsman that was turned into a tree because of trespassing in the witches wood and also a girl who is helping to look for names of the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent. I’ve got my fingers crossed that we can literally get our act together!
Two old chairs and some planks of wood. Upcycling I think it’s called? Or is it recycling…. The chairs are solid so this should work. I think she’s going to make it into a garden seat with a space in the centre for a plant pot or planter. The good thing about this is that it is recycled, so instead of hundreds of pounds this could be made from scrap out of a skip and some screws to hold it together.
Just found this on my Facebook page of glass cabochons I made in a workshop that my friend did a wireweave around. They each have chains and they were for sale in my craft stall last year. I sold a couple but they are sitting safe in a bag waiting for when I can do it again.
The pleasure of art is that it helps me mentally. Doing workshops where I learn new things also helps. This lockdown has been difficult. I don’t want to go out much. I can’t go to workshops and apart from the risks of going shopping, I’m socially isolating myself. Yes I might miss a few things, but I feel safer that way. I think our government has lifted lockdown too early. I think it will lead to another spike. Am I being too pessimistic? Possibly.
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I got this last year. Its a bowl constructed of buttons stuck together with PVA adhesive. It was made by a friend who used a bowl as a form to make its shape. The only thing is that it has deformed slightly because it was pushed into by another object.
I like her choice of colours and the way you can see the gaps between the buttons. I don’t think it will last forever. Perhaps it will turn into a forlorn heap of buttons, but it’s OK for now.
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A few years ago we did a mystery play which had to include the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This horse was made by my friend Kate and I painted it and another one in a Picasso style to give it an angular and aggressive look.
As time goes on and we get older we are doing less complicated making, basically because we are spending less time doing it. For myself I would like to do more. Anyway I’m off in a bit. Lots to do…
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One thing I have got to do is paint some images of minton tiles. These were made in their millions over many years and can often be found in the hallways of town houses especially in Stoke-on-Trent. People are enthusiastic about them even now and get excited about them when they find them in old houses.
There were apparently 12 original designs which are documented in a little book called touching history by Hans van Lemmen and Bret Shah. This is available through StokeYourGratitude.org.uk #StokeYourGratitude
Today was all about making and painting things for the Penkhull Mystery Play this year. I reused two boxes from previous plays. I was asked to paint them black and then to use gold and yellow paint for the decoration.
The idea was to create boxes which would look like they had been decorated with Chinese lacquer. I didn’t know whether the idea would work, but it seemed OK.
Other work to do include sticking paper plates together to make them strong enough to be passed between 50school children and painting two large papier machè birds that represent the birds on the willow pattern plate.
One box has a landscape on the top of it, the other has a circular coin like shape on the top.
I did these cards about a year ago. I had taken photos in a friends house because she wanted some home made cards.
If you would like to do something similar all you need I’d a thin black ink pen and acrylic paints thinned down to watercolour consistency. They work as well as watercolours and it saves having to find them out from whatever cupboard I’ve got them in!
I basically drew outlines then filled them in with the paints.
I’ve only done a few more of these. Maybe I will paint more in future.
Mallaband-Brown