New paintings and regular art updates.
Plant in a teapot, on an old flaky paint windowledge in the restroom at Spode studios. The plant looks like it’s trying to escape, and is exploding like a firework from the pot. I like the crinkly window glass behind it, it looks so old, with rust building up on the metal window frames.
I took this photo of an old door at Spode pottery five years ago. I guess you could call it shabby. I would not have seen it but there was some work going on at the main entrance to Spode studios so we had to use a side entrance.
I only found this again because of the marvellous Facebook memories. I don’t know how many hundreds or thousands of photos I’ve taken since this, but not that many get put online, so this one must have felt special to me.
I think this might have been a pottery mould store, there was a collection of several thousand old pottery moulds that were a historical record of the shapes of the ceramics Spode used to make. Unfortunately I think they were destroyed a couple of years ago because they were not going to be used again. I think that sort of destruction is unforgivable.
One of the problems with sleeping on the sofa… It’s already occupied!
My feet are at this end and the cat thinks it’s great to get in the way. He likes to snuggle in the corner. I added the knitted reindeer for scale. He’s a big cat!
The sun shone today
It didn’t rain
The flowers were glorious
Their colours fine.
Washing dried on the line
Reflecting brilliant white
Light onto petals
Giving them a glow
Of bright orange and pale lavender
To remember this day.
I can almost see a koala bear in this collaged photo. Above and below that I can see eyes on stalks. It’s called Pareidolia, and it’s something I seem to do all the time.. I saw patterns in wallpaper when I was young. Roses became teddy bears somehow. Green leaves became fairies. I could see faces in bowls of fruit. I think I’m weird!
Almost metallic, huchera leaves look like copper in the moist air. The pattern was achieved using a symmetrical collage tool on a photo I took a few years ago. I need to do more of these, it’s fascinating to see how the symmetrical pattern enhances the shapes. This could almost be a bowl with a drain in its centre.
It’s still attached!
Actually the wound is healing well. Still got to keep it elevated. Plus I’m getting better at walking again. My problem is I’m putting stress on my shoulder and arms pushing myself up and down, and it’s making me tired and grouchy. Four hours sleep last night…
When you have to lift your legs up to reduce swelling it is tiring as it catches your thigh and calf muscles, but I’m treating that like chair yoga and doing bends and stretches to try and improve my flexibility.
Now if I can just get over the cough and sore throat I seem to be developing…. Heaven knows I’ve had enough of this now.
He is old
He is tired
His hair is wild.
A green man in the making?
Change hair for leaves
Or roots?
Wisdom spread outwards
Like fungi twisting
Tangling
Nature
Myth
The sun was shining through the checking office door at Etruria Industrial museum. The age of the building means that the walls are damp by the door. I like the red fire extinguisher and the blue in the corner add pops of colour that work with the browns and greens outside and the terracotta colour on the wall. The conduit pipes to the electrical switches give a hint of the buildings Industrial heritage. This office is set between two arms of the Trent and Mersey canal and the Cauldon arm of it. Inside are old bakalite telephones and other old fashioned equipment.
I just went to my studio to take a photo of this tryptic. I’m afraid the light was bad, so I don’t think I’ve captured the exact colours on the paintings, but to be honest I’m walking with a stick and everything feels a bit “off” so this was the best I could do. I’ve adjusted the colour balance, contrast and brightness.
Mallaband-Brown