New paintings and regular art updates.
It still amazes me that my friend Phil made us this ginger cat, leaded light window above our front door from a design I drew out for him. It’s proper stained glass with lead holding it all together. It’s about 27 years old. We had it done because the half moon of glass that is above the front door was only single glazed and this does help the draught a bit. I’m so glad I had it made. X
This time of year is called Christmas and this stained glass window is in Bethesda chapel in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. It depicts Mary, mother of Jesus. I’m afraid the photo is a bit blurry and small, but it is one of my own pictures.
Around 2000 years ago stories were written of a tale of a child born to a virgin woman. The baby was visited by shepherds who were told to see the him by an angel. He was also visited by three Magi or King’s bringing gifts of gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. His family fled as refugees into Egypt to flee the massacre of innocent baby boys by Herods troops.
In later life, after performing miracles by looking after the poor and healing the sick, he was crucified by the Romans as a type of rebel, or freedom fighter, but he was trying to get people to love one another, care for each other, forgive each other’s sins.
The stories were collected into a book called the Bible and the new Religion called Christianity was born.
When we went to lunch earlier this week I took a photo of the room. I liked the ambient light from candles dotted around the it. They gave a warm glow on the wood panelled walls and floor. The pub has spectacular stained glass windows so I shifted the candle over and took a photo. I guess the building is Victorian and may have been the watering hold of thirsty potters after work at the Spode pottery.
The Glebe Public house, Glebe Street, Stoke upon Trent, Stoke-on-Trent. Staffordshire.
Self portrait reflected in a stained glass window at Little Moreton Hall in Staffordshire. The idea was to create a ghostly image in keeping with the age of the property. I could have gone all out and added an Elizabethan headdress but I didn’t want to over complicate the idea. The painting is set at sunset when things get a bit more spooky. I do like creating narrative images.
Playing with Artrage again. I started out trying to create something like a stained glass window, but it morphed into a more sci-fi style image x
I used coloured overlays and an added image of the previous collaged photo on top of this. I like the complexity and that the Christmas tree looks a bit like an insects head.
When I get fed up I like to play with images, creating something new, learning, and keeping myself occupied.
I used the incollage app and photodirector to create this.
In the church singing carols
Music rises up
To the vaulted ceiling
Every note with feeling
Ralantando, piano
Notes descend and lift
Practice make perfect
Not there yet, but harmonizing
Three weeks to go
To the show!
Gorgeous window at All Saints church on Leek Road Stoke-on-Trent. The colours really are bright and spectacular. This is at the rear of the church (but on the left hand side looking from the road). It’s such a busy road, it’s surprising how clean it looks. Whether it was washed for the ceramics festival, I don’t know.
I started exploring the symmetry tool on one of my new drawing apps. I had just watched a programme about Saxon art and illumination illustrated in bibles and books, and also the style you sometimes see in stained glass windows. It’s interesting how different filters change the way they look. I feel like the face ended up looking like the Hollywood film star Bette Davis for some reason….
In Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent is a place called Bethesda Methodist Chapel. It has been being restored over several years now. I have visited to sing there in performances with our choir. The building has gone from a crumbling shell to a much more robust structure. It is currently still being restored. One thing I have noticed are the spectacular stained glass windows. Methodist chapels are usually plain and simple. The wooden pews are unadorned. But the glass windows make me smile. It’s just beautiful art.
Mallaband-Brown