Waiting for tomorrow night

Posted on January 31, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged An exhibition of blue, Art, Blue, Colour, Design, Excited, Fun, Installation, Painting, Spod, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

An Exhibition of Blue opens at 6pm tomorrow night. I know what I have painted but I can’t wait to see what others have done. I could have sneaked in to take a peek but I want to enjoy the suspense like waiting till Christmas afternoon before you open your presents or looking through an assorted box of chocolates looking for my favourite piece.

There are a lot of exhibitors ranging from glass and light installations to possibly found objects. I know someone has based their art on an old blue and white plate design (with a modern twist), I don’t know how my work will compare but it was a pleasure to work with the organiser to enter a painting to the exhibition.

The excitement is increased because I want to see how different people have interpreted the colour blue.

Finished at last..

Posted on January 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, An exhibition of blue, Art, Artist, Blue, Fine artist, Finished, Jupiter, Jupiter Blue, Painter, Painting with acrylics, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent2 Comments

Finished Jupiter Blue. This painting of one of the poles of Jupiter is what I have done for an Exhibition based on the colour blue. It looks more blue than the original photo because of this. The picture brush strokes are not as soft as I wanted, in fact it seems to have taken on a Van Gogh feeling. Come and see the result in the flesh at “an Exhibition of Blue” at Spode Site, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, at the artists studios. Starting 6pm on Friday 1st February 2019. There are over 20 artists exhibiting.

Work in progress… Painting Jupiter is hard!

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Juno probe, Jupiter, Jupiter pole, Painting, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Work in progress2 Comments

I’ve been doing some more work on this painting. I want to get it finished this week. It’s a painting of one of the poles of Jupiter. In the photo it has a bluish tinge but I’m trying to make it bluer as the exhibition title is “an Exhibition of Blue” on in Spode exhibition space at Acava Studios, Spode Site, Eleanor Street, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent. From 2nd February 2019.

Panto rehearsal

Posted on January 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acting, Fun, Humour, Maid Marion, Panto, Panto in February, Pantomime, Penkhull, Robin Hood, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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Help! The pantomime is getting closer “oh no its not!” it’s on in a month “oh yes it is!” and we are supposed to be word perfect and know the songs and dances… “oh no we don’t!”

Well last Fridays rehearsal was cancelled due to snow and this week a couple of the main cast were away or had injured themselves so some parts had to be read in. There are lots of things to remember for the whole cast. Like when to come back on stage for a crucial part of a song which we all missed! I don’t know how long 16 bars is! It’s a case if standing around muttering rhubarb rhubarb (to pretend we are talking) while the main characters act out the story.

It is funny (honest) but it’s hard to describe. It’s good that one of the cast has actually written and I’d directing it. She’s so clever to do it. Plus organising over 20 children. I don’t know where she gets the energy.

I won’t tell you all the story, but Robin falls for Marion, some Goons cause mayhem on behalf of the Sheriff of Penkhull who is cleverer than Prince John. Marion is Scottish and the panto has her travelling to her home land. However all ends well. …

Looking at backstamps

Posted on January 18, 2019January 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Antique, Art, Back stamps, Industrial heritage, Life, Potteries, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent9 Comments

What are back stamps??

They are the trademark or manufacturers mark that you find on the bottom of cups, plates and dishes that shows who made them.

This can be useful in identifying the manufacturer, whether they are antique and if they are worth anything. Sometimes they even get forged! People have added things like the Clarice Cliff signature onto modern pots to try and fool people into buying them as originals.

Some pots have simple marks on their base to identify them. Others have complicated patterns and writing.

The people who live in the potteries (Stoke-on-Trent). Have a habit of looking underneath pots to see if they have recognised which pottery made them. I think it’s called the “turn over club” but I may be wrong…..

Windows…

Posted on January 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Clay, Dust, Industry, Pottery, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Windows4 Comments

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No not the trade marked version. But old windows at Spode. Dusty and dirty and empty of footsteps, no faces staring out of them, no lights behind them, no shapes of pottery stacked. Life is quiet for the factory, silent. The place is shunned, surplus to requirements. How can it still exist?

Time passes, new movement as people take up spaces. Shift of light, shift of direction. Art and theater, people sleep on site now in the hotel. The chance to regenerate like a time lord. The site has age and power behind it. The ghosts look on, seeing the lights, wondering what will happen next. Will they be evicted from the deep soft clay dust that coats their footprints and hides their breath.

Bicycle on the wall

Posted on January 13, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bike, Burslem, Gold paint, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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I remember this cafe in Burslem. Its called the market place cafe. We sometimes visit it when we are in the town. They do nice food. What I really liked was this bike displayed on the wall. Painted gold, it was high up and shining in the sunlight. I took the photo in 2016. Another taken on my old phone.

It seems bikes can be used as art works. We have just got a multi coloured bike from the Art Stop in Stoke It’s going to be restored to a working bike but I want to keep the colours it’s been painted (mostly pink and blue) so I will varnish the frame.

Street names.

Posted on January 13, 2019January 13, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Fun, Life, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-Trent, Street names, The potteries2 Comments

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One thing I do notice is street names. There is a Christine Street in Stoke-on-Trent and other names that are part of my family.

But one thing I have seen is where names have changed. For instance this name was changed to Spark Street. But what was it before?

It starts with P, but that’s all you can see… As I’m an incomer I don’t have a memory of it changing. I suppose I would have to look at old maps. If I do I think I will find a few more changes. I’m guessing it might be from when the six towns became a federation and turned into the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The towns are Stoke-upon-Trent, Burslem, Hanley, Tunstall, Longton and Fenton. Also known as “The Potteries”.

A friends exhibition

Posted on January 11, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Paper, Porcelain, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Here are a couple of photos of my friend, Alice Thatcher’s, exhibition on at 118, Church Street, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent. It’s on from today, and is made up of peices of porcelain made by placing thin layers of the porcelain clay on paper and then firing it.

The exhibition is called “Porcelain and Paper”. I’m not sure when it’s on till but it will be visible through the windows of the building until the show ends. The pieces are delicate and fragile. They are displayed in various ways along with drawings of them.

Wassailing

Posted on January 10, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Boundaries, Choirs, Dancing, Fun, Humour, Penkhull, Singing, Stoke-on trent, Traditional, WassailLeave a comment

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Wassailing is a tradition to celebrate the New year. People would go from door to door knocking on them to rouse their occupants.

The local Morris Dancing troupe started to organise Penkhull Wassail a few years ago. Our Choir joined in and now quite a lot of people walk around the boundaries of penkhull with lighted (flaming) torches. We visit an ancient apple tree in a garden nearby, the Morris dancers dance and we get a drink of hot cider.. Then we continue around and sing and dance outside the local pubs.. . Just for fun. We end up at the local village hall for soup. Sometimes we stop for a barn dance afterwards.

We sing various songs including the Penkhull Wassail and the Gower and the Gloucester Wassail.

I guess some of the songs will be on YouTube.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Stoke-on trent