New paintings and regular art updates.
Window with curtains
Town Hall window with curtains, I loved the silhouette this made, the brightness of the daylight outside emphasised the shape, and the height makes it feel elongated. It’s like a tall house with a pointed roof.
Taken in the ballroom of Fenton town hall, Stoke-on-Trent.
Movement was the prompt and it brought back memories of my childhood. I learnt to draw horses. They are such powerful and beautiful and intelligent creatures. I only occasionally saw them in real life as I lived in a town. But I had the book black beauty, and watched folly foot, a TV series about horses, and was always singing the theme tune to something else “on white horses”, plus champion the Wonder horse and the lone ranger.
It’s no wonder that I loved drawing horses from an early age. When I was a kid at school I used to draw horses over and over again. I even sold some to other kids in my class for sixpence. I loved drawing dappled greys. I was better at it then than now x
Mom was the driver in our family. She drove a Robin reliant 3 wheeler car. Fibre glass body. Me and my sisters would squeeze in it with her and sometimes my gran too. The three wheeler struggled with hills because it only had a very low cc engine. It was hard to drive in snow because the front wheel would have to push it’s way through fresh snow… Eek
One day on a very long steep hill l remember it boiled dry dragging 5 of us and our combined weight upwards. I remember a hot day and wondering how we would get home. Luckily mom found a house and they brought a watering can of water down to refill the radiator.
BTW Robin reliants got the nickname “Plastic pigs”!
I took this photo yesterday looking out of the Fenton Town Hall window. Then I remembered the room used to be a court room, and I had been a witness there in a trial 30 years ago.
I won’t talk about the case, but I can say the person was found guilty.
Other features were holding cells where witnesses were kept until it was time to appear in front of the magistrates. I have to say it was a long and boring wait. I still remember sitting in a green painted room for hours.
Funny how taking a photo of something with no connection with a memory can stir up things from years ago,
Not in a church, but in Fenton Town Hall. In Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire.
History of the hall from Google : Fenton Town Hall is 138 years old. It was built in Albert Square between 1888 and 1889 by local architect Robert Scrivener and financed by pottery magnate William Meath Baker.
I love the fact that municipal buildings can be beautiful and subtle too. Just because they are used for local political work or council business does not mean they have to be brutalist (although more modern buildings can be very ugly). I guess you have to balance cost and utility. But I love beautiful architectural design.
Apologies world
I don’t want to hear
The millions of messages
Or emails or ads
I just get fed up
Of going through dross
To find the few gems.
I will reply soon
Just giving my brain
A rest.
Someone asked for mythical paintings so I shared this. It must be 40 years old. I think I painted it after finishing college. It’s oil paint on hardboard.
My downstairs lights don’t work and I need to get someone in to fix them, so the image is very dark. I’ll try and take a clearer picture of it.
It was fun creating a combined unicorn and pegasus.. Why not?
I’ve struggled with this for 2 years. I do a bit and get fed up. I’m making the design up and it’s fiddly, my hands shake and it’s hard to get it right. The base of the pot curve is not right. Maybe I’ll get it finished once this hot spell of weather is over? So it’s a WIP.
My mother died on midsummer day several years ago, I was there when she passed away…. I feel very sad today, all my recent losses have really got me down. I wish I could turn the clock back. I wish there was a way to speak to her, to ask her opinions, although we often disagreed, we had interesting discussions rather than full blown arguments. I painted this portrait before she died.
She was a strong and independent woman, she had to look after us when my Dad died. There are many sad memories about that part of my life too. But I think I’ve said enough.
Maybe I’m too old for them?
Have I used all my 9 lives?
I’ve cared for more than 9 cats in my life.
Lost them all over the years?
To finally end with one?
I want more
More companions
More company
Something to talk to
Something that has the ability to love back.
This lady is loving
But also aloof
Does her own thing
Plays, pounces, zooms….
Mallaband-Brown