Just wrote to my MP

Posted on October 5, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Homeless, Life, MP, Nowhere to live, Pay taxes!, Sad, Terrible, Unfair, WetLeave a comment

Dear XXX MP
Why have I just had to give my takeaway meal to a homeless woman by xxx bank in xxx tonight. Why is she sitting there with a wet duvet, in the cold. Articulate and desperate. Crying.
She didn’t ask for our help, she was just desperate.
Why do I need to take pity on someone? Be a good Samaritan. Why isn’t your damn government doing something Christian to sort things out?
Oh we can’t afford it? But you damn well won’t charge taxes to the rich!
Yours Sincerely
Xxxxx Mallaband-Brown

But I shouldn’t have to write this. Our MP doesn’t seem to be in touch with the local population. I don’t even know if she lives here. When she was first elected she answered my emails, then one of her staff answered. Now I expect silence. In the meantime people are suffering. If I’d had somewhere for her to go I would have offered her somewhere to stay.

From thirty years ago?

Posted on September 24, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, House of commons, Life, MP, Oil on canvas, Old painting, Painting, Perspective, Plants, Portrait, Shelves, WindowLeave a comment

Finding things that I haven’t seen for years. There is a set of old slides that I might try and get turned into photos. I’ve also seen an app where you can convert negatives to photos on your phone, which is great, but I already have them in albums and do I need more on my devices? I wish I still had the painting but it was sold to the local MP at the time. I think it ended up at the house of commons!

This was a friend years ago. I painted it with the idea that the perspective of the window gave it an interesting effect. The figure looks large in comparison to the shelves across the window. I also liked the slightly twisted pose. It’s an oil on canvas.

Homelessness

Posted on March 25, 2020March 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Council, Desperate, Help, Home, Homeless, Homelessness, Life, Local, Money, MP, PovertyLeave a comment

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Just wrote to my MP because this happened today….

Dear………. MP

I just had a man knock on the door, he’d spoken to my husband last week, he had nothing, we gave him a bit of money and some bread and cheese. I asked him if he had spoken to the council homeless team. He said they just come out with a flask with a lukewarm drink and a few protein bars. He can’t easily eat them as he has no teeth. He used to run a business but had to sell it. He’s living in a tent by the river. (all this was discussed at a distance well over six foot).

Is there anything that can be done for him. All I know is his name is ……. and he is in his fifties by the look of it.

Yours Sincerely

……………..

What is going on. How have we come to this. I think he would have knocked on the door even without what is going on now. People should not be in this situation.

Stay safe and sheltered.

Sent from my Xperia by Sony smartphone

Painting from the 1980’s

Posted on November 2, 2019November 2, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1980's, Art, Design, Life, MP, Oil on canvas, Old painting, Portrait, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent6 Comments

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I have a few images of my old paintings on slides. I would like to get them transferred onto a digital platform before they deteriorate too much. This painting was actually bought by our old MP, Mark Fisher, and I was really proud to have known him. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago.

It’s funny how you find things and they bring back old memories. This painting was done of a friend. I deliberately tried to alter the angles of the window to make it more atmospheric. I would like to do more portraits if anyone is interested.