I’m quiet because I’m painting.

Posted on August 14, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Blue and white, Eleanora street, Landscape, Muted colours, Painting, Spode, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, WindowLeave a comment

I’ve decided to paint this one. I like the reflections and the blues and whites which remind me of the Willow pattern colours. I’ve turned the canvas to landscape rather than portrait and I’m concentrating on the lower two thirds of the photo.

I like the photo, but I wanted to simplify what I was doing. I’m hoping to get a good representation of the clouds and I want to get the flaking paint and the other details in the reflection in the windows visible but subtle. I will try and post updates and I might take a break later to blog.

What Spode means to me.

Posted on August 13, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Art project, Eleanora street, Life, Photography, Spode, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, what does Spode mean to me2 Comments

Series of photos taken at Spode today, 13.8.19. I will select one or more image to paint. The idea is to paint industrial archeology and also sky. Some include reflections and sights through to windows on the other side of a building. Many have clouds reflected in them….

I also did close-ups of things like hooks and taps and an old pair of rubber gloves.

Which is your favourite if any?

Got to paint,

Posted on August 12, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Canvas, Design, Painting, Planning, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, What is spodeLeave a comment

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This was me in 2007. I might be helping to paint a mural again soon, but I also need to paint a picture of what Spode means to me. I’m not sure what to paint as I never worked in the factory and only know it as it is, I was blogging about that a couple of days ago. Well today I went out and got a largish canvas about two feet by two and a half feet. I’m thinking of finding some old cracked paint or dusty glass, maybe a reflection. I will go and take photos tomorrow. I want to add some metallic glints to whatever I do. I need to make plans…..

What spode means to me?

Posted on August 6, 2019August 6, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Artists at spode, Deciding what to paint, Decisions, Eleanora street, Exhibition, Landscape photos, New art project, Project, Spode, Spode photos, Spode siteLeave a comment

There is an art project /exhibition coming up at Spode. It’s based on the question ‘what does spode mean to me?’

As I only recently got my studio there and it has been a pottery site for many years it’s hard not to feel the industrial archaeology means the most to me. I did not take a factory tour when it was open so what I see is flaking paint, rusting iron and damaged brickwork and furniture.

I painted a tiny picture several months ago of peeling paint round window frames and the glass next to it. I think I may do something abstract along those lines.

Craft fair or artisan fair?

Posted on July 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #market_@_48, Art, Artisan fair, Craft fair, Design, Eleanora street, Fun, Potbank Hotel, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

So many different talents, including lino cut printing, carved wood, making strum sticks and dulcimers.. I had my paintings and glass necklaces again. The fair was on from 11 to 4 but that didn’t include setting up and taking down so it was more like right hours.

There were some lovely kind people there and I got a lot of interest if not that many sales. The setting was inside the Potbank Hotel, which was good as it rained all day. Coming to the fair was a way of staying dry.

Artisan or craft? Probably artisan, the work was predominantly artistic and the crafts on display were of a very high standard.

Would I do it again. Yes I guess so.

Tiny paintings

Posted on July 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #market_@_48, Acrylic on canvas, Animals, Art, Craft fair, Design, Eleanora street, Fun, Painting, Potbank Hotel, Spode, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Tiny paintings4 Comments

I’m playing with paintings again. The idea is to do tiny paintings that people might like but won’t cost much to have. They are about the size of a small matchbox. I’m trying to do new designs. There are giraffes and butterflies, an owl and a skull. Hearts, a panda and I’m trying to paint a little sailing boat.

Well I’d better get on as they need finishing by the morning.

Glass for necklaces

Posted on July 15, 2019July 15, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Angela, Art, Craft, Creating, Creative, Fun, Glass, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Workshop4 Comments

I made these glass pieces in my friend Angela’s glass workshop. Now I’ve bought them to another friend who is going to wire weave round them and turn them into necklaces. Glass is fascinating. I now want to find out about stained glass and glass blowing. I’m only dabbling my toes into this craft but it’s great. I’m going to maybe get an enamel kiln but that’s another story…..

Talking of glass

Posted on July 14, 2019July 14, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acava Studios, Angela Ashton's glass workshop, Art, Design, Eleanora st, Fun, Glass, Glass workshop, Spode, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

DSC_glass drop made at Angela's workshop

This is the glass drop piece that I mad in Angela Ashtons glass workshop thy I put together last week. I think it’s turned out really well. I am going to put something on about some glass marbles and my smaller glass pieces later on, but I’ve been out since 10am and it’s almost 6pm and to be honest I’ve sat down and don’t want to move!

I love working with glass. I’m so glad I’ve started exploring it. Thank you Angela x

Flower photos

Posted on July 4, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Environment, Gardening, Life, Photos, Planting, Plants, Rose garden, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-TrentLeave a comment

I took these photos a couple of days ago outside the studios at Spode. Su Hurrell is an artist there and she works with urban garden planting. She works with other artists and uses objects like washing machines, old chairs, a chest of drawers and other objects.

Other places are being greened in the town centre. There is Spode Rise garden by the China Halls in Kingsway, Stoke, and then some wild planting along London Road and Hartshill and in Lonsdale Street.

I enjoy seeing these plants, it’s great to see people using planting in exciting new ways.

Tiny painting plan

Posted on July 3, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Busy month, Makers market, One night only, Penkhull, Penkhull mystery play, Rehearsal, Spode, What's on8 Comments

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Here are some of my older tiny paintings. I have a bag of about twenty matchbox sized canvases to paint in time for a makers market at Spode on 28 July. I’m still in rehearsals for “one night only” on Friday night and the Penkhull Mystery play on the 13th. Busy busy busy…

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Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Spode