Fire

Posted on December 1, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canal, Fire, Fire brigade, Longport, Pottery, Price and Kensington, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

One thing that did happen was that there were great clouds of smoke drifting across the road just up from the waiting room gallery. I went to look what was happening, fire was burning in a big pile of rubbish and palettes just across the canal from me. This was at the rear of the Price and Kensington pottery factory in Longport next to the bottle kiln there.

The fire was burning rapidly so I rang the fire brigade. They said they had already had a call and were on the way…

A funny thing, I posted this to Facebook and had a strange response, apparently there are fires there all the time, they are just burning rubbish. Why had I bothered to call? My answer. The fire was quite big, the smoke drifting across the road was as thick as gig. I drive up there quite a lot now at weekends and I’ve never seen this. Finally it was burning next to a caravan and a car.. It needed reporting.

Today was fun

Posted on December 1, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft stall, Life, Longport, Ornament design, Printing, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room gallery, WorkshopLeave a comment

Long day again, but it was good to see new people, a lot of the purchases of my tiny paintings were children asking their parents to buy them pictures of angels and snowmen that I’d done.

There were printing, stamp designs for Christmas paper, and Christmas ornament making workshops at the waiting room gallery. Everyone seemed to have fun.

There was also Walnut cake, Lemon drizzle cake and scones to delight the customers.

Yes, all in all, a good weekend.

Forgot my phone

Posted on November 30, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Cherished Chimneys, Forgotten phone., Life, Longport, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Tired, trying to blog, Waiting room galleryLeave a comment

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What a long day, and when I got to the Waiting room gallery for the craft fair today, I realised I’d left my phone at home.

Not good when you like to blog. There were beautiful frosty images of hoar frost on leaves, I could not photograph. Lots of ornaments and cards made by people visiting the free print and crafting workshops. These were very successful and a lot of people enjoyed the experience.

I just tried to blog about it, but I’m so tired I’m falling asleep as I type. I would write more but can’t keep my eyes open.

I typed two or three paragraphs that have disappeared because I just hit the delete key…. Argh!

Craft fair

Posted on November 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cherished Chimneys, Craft fair, Longport, Middleport, Middleport pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, The Waiting Room galleryLeave a comment

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Help! After a day painting I called in at the waiting room gallery to set up my craft stall for the weekend. I didn’t remember to take a photo, so this is from the previous weekends stall. I’ve added more Christmassy pictures to it.

So if you happen to be in Longport, Stoke-on-Trent, this weekend you might like to come along. You could also visit a Middleport pottery show and Cherished Chimneys in Longport.

Sausage and egg oatcakes.

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Food, Oatcakes, Savoury and sweet, Staffordshire oatcakes, Stoke-on trent, TastyLeave a comment

Tasty with a bit of brown sauce. Local delicacy, you can eat them with savoury and sweet fillings. Try them with jam and butter, or cheese and garlic.

I prefer them hot, but you can eat them cold, or how about with ice cream? You get one of your fibre five a day I think….

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire food! Lacy and Tasty, floppy and crispy, however you like them.

At Etruria today

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Damp, Dark, Etruria, Grey day, Leaves, Poem, Poetry, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trent and mersey canal, Water, WetLeave a comment

Grey day on the canal,

Leaves float,

Cygnets shelter from the rain.

Boats huddle near the bridge,

Wrapped in old tarpaulins.

Smoke drifts up from stoves

that sit below the water levels.

Tea kettles boil and whistle,

Stained hands make a brew,

wiping off excess oil on grubby teacloths.

Leaves create mosaics of moist greens and browns.

Trees splinter into the sky,

Bursting like fireworks

But wet black,

No sparkle

Just grey, wet, dank…

And beautiful.

Another craft stall

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft fair, Design, Longport, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room gallery, WorkshopsLeave a comment

_20191127_235948 If you are in Longport on Saturday or Sunday (30th November, 1st December,) why not call round to the Waiting Room gallery. They are holding Christmas workshops and I will be there with my stall. I’m still doing new tiny paintings for decorations on your Christmas tree, or small paintings, with lots of ideas.

Might see you there?

Got an idea from a friend.

Posted on November 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Christmas tree, Craft fair, Landscape, Longport, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Tiny painting, Waiting room gallery2 Comments

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Just a little painting,

Influenced by my friend,

I don’t live near trees

Or mountains,

I live in a city,

Where the Christmas trees are few.

But she woke up my mind,

She shook my thoughts,

She made me happy.

She made me paint.

Feeling festive,

This is my painting.

Posted on November 26, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Burslem, Emulsion painting on lining paper, molly leigh, Mural, My copyright ©, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, The Leopard Hotel6 Comments

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Continuing the point about copyright, this is my painting of the Burslem witch, Molly Leigh.

Our local TV programme, Midlands today used the image of the elderly woman, (I based it on a painting by Theodore Gericault, of an elderly French peasant woman). I emailed them twice to point out it was my mural, but have not had any response back.

Last Friday I was interviewed by the Sentinel newspaper about this and a photo of my Burslem riot painting that the paper had used without crediting me. I don’t know when it’s du to be published, do it might already have come out.

Anyway. I keep painting.

Waves of people

Posted on November 24, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Browsing, Fun, Life, Market@48, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

People are like the sea, they come in waves. Five minutes ago the tide was out. No one here. The next the tide is in and people drift past like a shoal of fish. Different shapes and sizes, like around a coral reef, browsing at the stalls and being caught in the tenticles of sea urchins, or feeding from the little pottery stall. ( mixed metaphors or what?) some people drift past my stall, others stop to browse. Occasionally people buy… Its all good, as they say….

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Stoke-on trent