Author: aberdabbadoo
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The Aberystwyth Promenade Mosaics – guerilla learning
This long ‘in conversation with makers’ is with Stuart Evans. He reveals the thoughts behind his design and how he managed to obtain funding for these wonderful designed pieces in 2006. These depict the history of Aberystywth in panels; an opportunity for the public to learn about our history – guerilla learning! They were executed…
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He called me his girl
A true love story set during World War 2 of the early part of my Mum’s life in Ceredigion. This is being serialised by Ego magazine, for those who want to hear more, I have made a 45 minute audio recording in five parts of the story from letters by airman Fred Lloyd. This is…
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Look out for pirates
My mother was desperate to see the Bardo museum. Naively, I used to think it was something to do with Brigitte Bardot; not so! She made two thwarted attempts to visit the museum at great cost. Why the fascination in the Bardo Museum, Tunisia? It contains the largest collection of mosaics in the world including…
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A pop-up garden gallery – June 2021
Last Sunday I held the garden gallery event to showcase new work. I was intensely working on my chimney pot project in full sun. The skills was new to me…different glue, vertical surfaces and multi-tasking talking with the public. You could view from the pavement and all very safe. I’m not a mad fan of…
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Whales from Wales
A little diversion from mosaics in this post. This idea of a whale shark salt cellar has been ruminating for about 7 years. I had to purchase extra clay to finish my big batch of moaning mermaids and I had some clay left over – I pounced on the chance to get the salt cellar made.…
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Sail fish
Ooooh what a week. I filled in the census and found that I had lost a year! That was sobering news! This little fella is just a sheer piece of whimsy. It started with a pebble – his eye; remember that from a few posts ago? I had also been reading about Portuguese men of…
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A clutch of sirens
The last lot of grumpy mermaids leaves the house today. I’ve been making these girls for over 20 years on and off. They are made to house air plants or witches broom plant; the mouth drains excess water. This batch have lost their tail and I’ve sliced their arms off as a nod to broken…
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A storm in a teacup
Proverbs were a popular theme in paintings. Do you know Breughel’s proverbs painting? This is my contribution to Proverbs. A Storm in a Teacup. I have used mirrors for the lightening and matt vitreous tiles for the white. This started as a wood cut, finely chiseled from boxwood and printed. see below. Woodcuts are tiny…
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Fancy a glass of wine?
Oh hello, what’s going on here then? A bit of grape pressing in a Byzantine church of the Saints Lot (of pass the Lot) (more later) and Procopius in Jordon. Procopius was a scholar and historian. His great tome of secret writing was planned to be published after Justinian died for fear it might unsettle…
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Mosaics at Cottonopolis
Busy bees in Cottonopolis Facing Manchester Albert Square is Manchester Town Hall. A grand municipal building looking like a jumbled up Houses of Parliament; it was acknowledged for its beauty by John Ruskin. This imposing Neo-gothic structure was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1877. Manchester is known for its hard working ethos; the factories formed…
aberdabbadoo -Walks 