Painting mugs

Posted on February 6, 2020 Posted in Cat, Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Canal, Cat, Design, Etruria, Etruria Artists, Etruria Industrial museum, Flowers, Horses, Mugs, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trent and mersey canalLeave a comment

At Etruria Artists today we painted mugs, they were blank white mugs and we used on glaze paints that stay the same colour when they are heated. The most exciting thing is that they can be heated in an ordinary domestic oven. They have to be dried for twenty four hours, then heated at 150°C or gas mark 2 for 35 minutes to bake the colours in.

The outside photo is lock 40 on the Trent and Mersey canal. It was a beautiful morning, bright and sunny. I really do prefer coming to Etruria Artists ‘hands on Art’ at the Warehouse next to the lock in the morning rather than the evening. It is on from 10am to 12 noon if anyone wants to come along.

One of those days.

Posted on January 29, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Campbell Place, Car, Design, Garage, Grey day, January, Life, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-Trent, Thinking, Time, Trying to sell artLeave a comment

sketch-1575999245319

Grey and depressing, icy cold, big droplets of rain. Disappointing as well, I keep trying to get the car mended (someone broke my wing mirror, the glass is cracked, and someone must have reversed into my nearside wing, it’s all scraped and dented. But I rang up, and the mechanic, who is trying to find the right mirror rang in sick this morning. I will have to try again tomorrow. Then I collected some paintings from my studio to try and get into a local craft centre. But the owner has been inundated with local artists. He is interested in more work but needs to sell some art first. He has had people in but one comment he got was “is it really That much?” for one if the pieces in there. It’s the usual thing in this area, people don’t have money, or if they do they don’t want to spend it. It’s depressing (oh I’ve already said that)……

Old architecture.

Posted on January 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Architecture, Fixtures and fittings, Hanley, Music venue, Old and New, Place to visit, Restoration, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Venue, Victoria HallLeave a comment

I didn’t take many photos at Stoke Sings because I wasn’t sure people would approve, but I did take some photos of the inside of the hall. It’s surprising because externally it’s all modern glass and metal and neat brickwork. But inside the old fittings and fixtures remain. BUT… That’s good because the acoustics are fantastic. The composer Edward Elgar even said it had some of the best acoustics in the country. Clearly the people of Stoke-on-Trent loved their music very much.

Stoke Sings choir festival.

Posted on January 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cheshire, Choir, Choirs, Fun, Life, Music, Singing, Songs, Staffordshire, Stoke sings, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Sixteen Choirs, including the Deaf links Choir and the Intertheatre choir got together in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent today at the Victoria Hall. The reason? It was a splendid Choir festival for choirs around Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire.

Workshops on sea shanties, music from the shows. Gospel singing and African music were some of the wonderful things we learnt. The teachers were so enthusiastic and so we’re we as pupils. Then later we learnt a new song to sing at the Finale.

There was a concert in the evening when all the choirs performed. An eclectic mix of Bond themes, a song from sister act, old songs by Robbie Burns because it is Burns night tonight. Lots of beautiful melodies and friendly people. Finally we sang auld land syne and said farewells to new friends. A grand day out.

Somewhere new

Posted on January 24, 2020January 24, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Art gallery, Craft centre, Facebook, Gallery, Paintings, Serendiparty, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-TrentLeave a comment

A new arts and craft centre offering a place to sell your work and also art workshops has opened in Campbell Place in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent.

I had the pleasure to meet Phil today, who is running the Centre. He took some of my paintings to display. There are some interesting art works in there includung work by Phil himself. I think it’s great that something like this has opened in Stoke. It makes Campbell place a bit more interesting. Good luck to him and congratulations for having the spirit and enthusiasm to open up. Open Wednesdays to Sundays, it’s initially opening for two years. It’s got a Facebook page under Serendiparty arts and crafts centre. There are events and workshops listed there.

Daisy type flowers

Posted on January 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Colour, Daisies, Flowers, Gardening, Photo, Plants, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trentham, Trentham Gardens2 Comments

DSC_2379_optimized

One of my favourites. The centres of these are a multitude of flowers with petals round the edges (think of sunflower hearts). There are oxeye daisies and osteospermums, cone flowers, asters, all sorts of types and colours. Life in all its variations can be wonderful. This photo is of Rudbeckia I think, taken at Trentham Gardens in the autumn. What I like about daisies is the length of time throughout the year that they flower. They cheer me up.

Have you ever made daisy chains? We used to when we were kids. Pick a daisy and make a hole in the stalk with your fingernail parallel with the stalk, then thread another daisy through till the flower head is in contact with the stem. Then do again till you have a chain. (I’m not suggesting you do this, just how we did it, you shouldn’t pick wildflowers).

Panto scenery

Posted on January 16, 2020January 16, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on scenery boards, Art, Blogging, Design, Environment, Helping paint, News, Painting, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Blurry photos, we are doing Aladdin for our panto this year. Someone else started it but I then asked if I could help. It’s bright and breezy and as colourful as I can make it. Im not publishing this on Facebook so you are getting a sneak preview. This is the Act one scenery.

Widow Twankey is Aladdins mum. She owns the local laundry and here is the market stall she has in her village. Expect excessive silliness!

When this is finished I will be doing the scenery for Act two. That’s is of a cave in the desert. I might add palm trees. At least its got me painting again, I was a bit down but this has helped.

Oatcakes with filling.

Posted on January 11, 2020January 11, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Camembert, Food, Life, Lunch, Mushrooms, Oatcakes, Staffordshire oatcakes, Stoke-on trent, Taking my mind off things, Tasty, TomatoesLeave a comment

_20200111_151126

I thought I would try and lighten my mood by posting about food.

These oatcakes (like savoury pancakes but more oaty,) with a savoury filling.

Traditionally its bacon and cheddar cheese, but that can be too greasy. So I cooked cherry tomatoes and button mushrooms on the hob with a little olive oil. Then when they were cooked I added camembert so I ended up with a melted creamy sauce.

In the meantime I put the oatcakes under the grill and toasted them on both sides so that they were crispy. Then I poured the mixture onto the oatcakes and rolled them up. Result, hot and tasty lunch.

Just doodling

Posted on January 8, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Clay, Doodle, Fun, Great pottery throw down, Middleport, Pottery, Sketch, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

IMG_20200108_204251_816

What to do when you are watching TV and you want to draw? Wait for the ad break and draw something quickly.

I’m watching something called the Great Pottery Throw down where twelve potters compete each week to make the best ceramics. This week the challenge is to make a six piece coffee set with a caffitierre, two expresso cups and saucers and a toast rack. Really enjoying watching people design, make and fire pots. Watching clay dry and drawing… Fun!

9 for 2019

Posted on January 5, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #9for2019, 2019, 2019 roundup, 9 for 2019, Acrylic on canvas, Art, Artist, Clay, Easter island head, Life, Paint, Painting, Photo, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

IMG_20200105_233841_062

9 of my favourite images from 2019.

From top left to bottom right…

Dramatic mirrored image of a North Wales beach.

Lion I painted for the local lions charity.

Mural in a downstairs cloakroom. I can still climb!

Easter Island clay head I made at Etruria Artists.

My art stall at a craft fair.

The stray cat that we are looking after who needs rehoming.

Falcon works, two images of the pottery I painted last autumn.

Holding my green man painting and with my vase painting during my exhibition at Spode.

Finally, painting of a window with peeling paint, taken from a photo I took at Spode.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Stoke-on trent