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Fiona McLees

@mclees-fiona.bsky.social

4K followers 880 following 2.4K posts

Paper conservator in Wales. Manuscripts, drawings, artists’ materials, studios, sideline interests in holy wells, roodscreens, and all manner of heritage at the end of long country lanes. Colour-related Instagram posts @chromatic_dispatches

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 2d

My partner bought a La Pavoni lever machine, I scalded myself on it almost immediately. He makes all the coffees now. It makes great coffee but I am unwilling to spend that much time learning how to use it 😬

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 4d

I don’t know what to make of this. A creative prompt to dream up new conspiracy theories? I suppose they have to originate somewhere…

Sign stuck up in a cafe window:
‘The Awake 2nd Monday's Meeting 7.30pm
At the Deri Inn Rhiwbina
A friendship group of conspiracy theorists whose theories are now common truth and we are looking for new conspiracy theories.
Come and join us, speak freely, laugh at the implausibility of the new
truths.
We are ordinary people living our lives but accept that our world is
changing,
In a way that is perhaps not in our best interests.
2nd Monday every month.
Blue water bottle on the table’

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 4d

Pattern made by high winds and suburban parks

A puddle on tarmac on which manifold leaves float

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 6d

Oh Bluesky messed up the line breaks

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 6d

Oh wow there is a 10 point analysis of The Panther! “Readers are meant to quickly consume these poems and find some joy in them.” Desperately despondent at the world whilst trying to find ‘some’ joy in Ogden Nash poemanalysis.com/ogden-nash/t...

The Panther by Ogden Nash - Poem Analysis

‘The Panther' by Ogden Nash is a children’s poem about panthers. It uses humor to depict the panther and the dangers it poses.

poemanalysis.com

Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 6d

Also this Ogden Nash gem:

The panther is like a leopard,
Except it hasn't been peppered. Should you behold a panther crouch, Prepare to say Ouch.
Or better yet, if called by a panther, Don't anther.

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 6d

Some of the few bits of poetry I have committed to memory are Ogden Nash’s comic couplets.

A cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk

Jeremy Noel-Tod @jntod.bsky.social · 6d

On National Poetry Day, the greatest poem I have ever read

A printed poem which reads:

I hav for breakfast Weetabix

I hav for lunch some meat

I have for tea 2 sosajis and thats enuf to eat

Peter Hazel, 5

Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 7d

SECOND BEST CRINOID. Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, Lyme Regis (it’s wonderful and I love museum labels with personality)

A display featuring a large rock embedded with fossils. Above it a sign reads: “SECOND BEST CRINOID.
This Crinoid plate comes from the Mississippian (Early Carboniferous) of Montgomery County, Indiana and is about 350 million years old. Of course it doesn't fit naturally into this museum (wrong age, wrong location) but it is so wonderful I couldn't resist.”

Reposted by Fiona McLees

Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 8d

Hard not to identify with this gatepost receding into the hedge / being subsumed in collusion. Please hide me

A brick gatepost, topped with a concrete ball. A hedge is enveloping it slowly

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 8d

Ha! I knew it reminded me of something!

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 8d

Hard not to identify with this gatepost receding into the hedge / being subsumed in collusion. Please hide me

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Reposted by Fiona McLees

Gavin MacGregor @gavinmacgregor.bsky.social · 8d

Gavrinis is the most amazing megalithic site I have been privileged to visit. Taking a boat to reach, you encounter a remarkable concentration of #Neolithic rock art at a single megalithic monument. A deeply powerful & inspiring place.

@megalithic.bsky.social #rockart #archaeology #TombTuesday

Drystone facade with large megalithic stones forming entrance to passage entering large cairn

Passage of cairn with large stone side slabs all covered incised decoration and with stone slab floor and capstones

Large standing forming side slab of passage. Covered in incised decoration comprising rainbow 🌈 shaped forms, large ones in middle and smaller to side.

View into large square chamber at end of passage. Two large decorated backslabs and massive single paving stone.

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Reposted by Fiona McLees

Dr Izzy Wisher @izzywisher.bsky.social · 9d

Time to update your Palaeolithic palettes... 🔵

Very proud to share our new research on the OLDEST use of blue pigment! We identified traces of azurite - a vibrant blue mineral - on a stone object around 14-13,000 years old. Why is this so exciting? 👇🏺

doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Close-up image of a sand coloured stone, with a diagonal crack. The sand rock has a textured surface, and small spots of blue can be seen towards the centre of the stone. The background is grey.

Microscopic photo of the blue spots, that are irregular in shape and size and positioned diagonally across the image. The rest of the photo shows the rough sand coloured texture of the stone.

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

Probably worth repeating that exercise with the estate agent’s blurb, to see what tale one could draw from that. I still remember a lettings advert fondly that had a wonderful typo suggestive of a different world entirely; in fact I kept a screenshot of it:

Screenshot of a lettings advert for a property in London:
Full Description
The Caxtons, this is a huge two double bedroom property with two bathrooms as well as generous study room. The property offers a fantastic sized open plan lounge and kitchen. The property comes fully furnished to a very high standard, modern bathrooms as well as a top spec kitchen.
The property is in a great location, minutes from Oval tube as well as all local ammonites. This property will not disappoint. Please call our lettings team on 02078204141.

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

More examples welcome of views through artists’ windshields!

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

Ha! A surprising homage!

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

By pure coincidence I just came across the same astounding Hermes work in Susan Owens’ book Spirit of Place, having never seen it before. It reminded me - another of the same unusual subject: Matisse’s painting The Windshield, On the Road to Villacoublay
(1917) www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.225

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

Urgh Phillips’

Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

Tom Phillip’s amazing house, on the market

Uniformbooks @uniformbooks.bsky.social · 10d

This was mentioned on here a few days ago... you might enjoy a look around TP's house in Talfourd Road, seemingly untouched since and now on the market.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1...

Check out this 6 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove

6 bedroom terraced house for sale in Talfourd Road, Peckham, SE15 for £1,850,000. Marketed by Wooster and Stock, London

www.rightmove.co.uk

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Reposted by Fiona McLees

Jack Davies @tongwynlais.bsky.social · 10d

The 5th anniversary of my lockdown project is coming up. The ceiling in Lady Bute's bedroom is an iconic feature of the castle.

I've written a post every month so there's loads to explore if you've not visited before.

castellcoch.com

#Cadw #CastellCoch #Tongwynlais

The ornate ceiling in Lady Bute's bedroom at Castell Coch, Cardiff.

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 10d

‘Nature is an inexplicable problem; it exists on a principle of destruction. Every being must be the tireless instrument of death to others, or itself must cease to live, yet nonetheless we celebrate the day of our birth, & we praise God for having entered such a world’. Emily Brontë, 1842

Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 11d

One for @themerl.bsky.social, surely

Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 11d

And one of my absolute favorites: "I AM A PIG AND I DON'T CARE" eb-j.org/browse-artwo...

Drawing of pig with caption above: "I am a pig and don't care"

Reposted by Fiona McLees

Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 11d

Did not realize how much I needed Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones's utterly adorable drawings of pigs (thread). First up, front & back views of a prized pig adorned with a flowered garland, from Lancaster @darthbluesky.bsky.social @themerl.bsky.social eb-j.org/browse-artwo...

Garlanded pig, drawing, back view, with card notation from Beaumont Hall, Lancaster

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Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 11d

Will look that up, thank you!

Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · 11d

Your thesis would make a lovely book too

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