The Eye of the Potato

      Some    claim     that     The plural        of  potato

is  potatoes     now there's an  image  for you   to conjure        with   

Let's    visualise        it       together like peas    in a    Pod

H ow   many   toes    do you    see

people   see   lots   of   toes   and   remember

when kids    sang        sing song

hole   in  your   sock            hole   in  your   sock

You   have    a   potato     in   your   sock

Soothsayers   say      potatoes  have  eyes

The Eye of the potato

Some   say      starchy   oval   tuber     say this in a nasally way 

      Others   say    Edible    yum   yum   


 roast them   bake   them     and   most  callous   of  all     Mash   them

   The   Beloved   potato

proud    member  of   the   nightshade   family

    should   never  be   confused   with   the   couch   potato

or   indeed     the  hot   potato    a delicate or awkward matter


You can   see   more  

of   the Paranoia of Fruit and Vegetables series by clicking the link

The Paranoia of Fruit and Vegetables

The Cartography of Dreams

I'm very pleased to be taking part in this exhibition at Dimbola Museum

Julia Margaret Camerons' former home

on the Isle of Wight

www.dimbola.co.uk

Huge thanks to Maxine Watts of Reclaim Photography Festival  who organised and made this exhibition possible 

https://reclaimphotographyfestival.org

A Cartography of Dreams

14 October 2016 - 1 January 2017

Dimbola Museum & Galleries

“Dreams are true while they last. And do we not live in dreams?” Alfred Lord Tennyson

In this exhibition, four photographers set out to answer this question posed by Alfred Lord

Tennyson some 150 years ago. Their artistic exploration maps the contours of their

dreams and imaginations—much like cartographers outlining the shorelines and mountains

of a new continent. For what are dreams, but a map to move us forward on a quest

for understanding?

And on this journey to awareness, one artist beckons with gesture and symbol to a quiet

blue world, on a search for meaning and purpose in an unknown future. While another’s

attraction to the strange and bizarre, melded with a dose of reality, creates an incongruence

that implores us to look again and again. A third artist uses colour as an emotional

springboard, moving us through visual dreamscapes that merge magic realism with surrealism,

considering complex relationships along the way. And a fourth artist looks through a

lens of hope and possibility, longing to see the unseeable and to know the unknowable. A

quartet of dreamers and explorers they are, taking us along for the ride.

Julia Margaret Cameron, in her timeless and moving work, sought to ennoble photography

by combining the real and the Ideal. It is the hope of these four photographers to honour

her legacy by creating art that encourages viewers to embark on their own expeditions,

map their own dreams, and perhaps alter their directions as a result.

This exhibition features thirty one works by four international photographers: Fran Forman,

Jonah Calinawan, Paul Biddle and Tami Bone. The exhibition is produced and curated by

Dr Rachel Tait, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, in association with Maxine Watts, Reclaim

Photography Festival. For more information about the four artists and the exhibition,

please visit:

Dimbola Museum & Galleries

www.dimbola.co.uk

Tami Bone

http://tamibone.com/

Jonah Calinawan

https://amillionsuns.com/

Fran Forman

http://www.franforman.com/

Paul Biddle

https://paulbiddle.com/

Maxine Watts

https://reclaimphotographyfestival.org/

S w a n S i s t e r s

Swan      S wan   and   Swan      3   Sis  ters 

    Cygnus Sisters    one and all

I’ve always     felt in awe   of those big white birds

 that only         a few people  are allowed to    eat 

graceful as a swan       in        seasoning      

Swan Song    Sing  a  Song      a    sixpence   

and confused         by   Phrases    like               geese are swans

geese are    N O T    swans

S w ans     i s   S  w  a n s

Swan Sisters

A S  a   c hild  I was  told swans   can break your arm

so  Those white slings kids wore  with  a broken  arm

Were  they   a   white  wing  about  to  sprout

the Swan

the    constellation Cygnus

The idiom       B Y THE sEA 

“up  the Swannee”  or       "down the swan"

This image is from my series  Cabinet  of   Curiosity

You can see more by following   this  link  to   my   website

https://paulbiddle.com

Freuds’ flirty Fenestration Frock

Brooder of   Beasts  in   the   Nursery  Of   Nonsense

It    was   over  a  while   ago   now   when   I   first   saw  her   likeness

to   be   honest   it  was  more  of   a   glance  than  the  full Fred  Astaire

But   a   Glance  has  a   Glint   and   is   almost  a   Peep 

hush   hinting   far  more than  a  gap  or  a  Gawp  can   do

The Incubator

so   when   did  Freuds’  flirty  Fenestration  Frock     Turn  into

the   Hatch  hatch  hatchery   of  free  Spirit  Jars

Everyone   knows   It  was  Tantamount  the 23rd   of   course

Freuds' Flirty Fenestration Frock

I notice  the  Countenance   of   a  little girl  complete   with Enigma

  She   held  a leash  most   fine   and    Lepidopteran

All  of   a Whirrr   and   Myopic  on the move

Much   to   my   delight  I recognised the flutter and tink Tinkle 

of  Count   Muldivos’  Clockwork  Moths   vanishing  up  her   sleeve

The Leash made of Moths

So   this   was   the   work   of   the Cunning  old Count

His   Automata  the Envy  and   Relish of most   of  Old  Europe    

Best   not  to   mention   what   hides   behind   beady  eyed Masks

and   Modesty   Panels  Alive  alive  O

If you would like to see more   of   the Cabinet of Curiosities series

please click the link below to Paul Biddles' website

https://paulbiddle.com

Word Play and Fun with Fonts by three Wise Fish

    Editors Note: 

we have had to abandon

and   it   wasn't   even  the   6th   of   November 

our Word Play and Fun with Fonts  as the Search Engine

 Bots struggled to read and list them in Search results.

 Rest assured 

when the Book of the Blog   is published 

it will be replete and filled with Font Fumbles 

both Upper and Lower Case Studies and

 ripe read rictus  galore

   Oh   and   the   Odd   Image   or   two

Talking   of  Which

Did   you   ever   see

The   Threee   Wise   Fish

Three Wise Fish

You  can  see  more  of  Paul Biddles'  Fine Art Photography  

by   clicking   the   Link  to   his   website   below

https://paulbiddle.com

The Collectors' Spectacles

(a   sight   for   sore   eyes)

spectacles   glasses    blinkers  and   goggles   

lorgnettes  and  musty  net   curtains  

glistening  pince-nez  good  for  a  gossip

 monocles  for  posers  full  of  surprises

Nearly  Everyone  knows  that   Quizzing  specs  are  sometimes  sly

The Collectors' Spectacles

Count  Muldivo  has  always  preferred  riveting  spectacles

to  the  drab  and  dribbling  nondescript

more  to  the  point  do  glasses  remember 

the  Wonders  and Curios   they  have  beheld

mumbling  past  their vigilant  frames  two by two  achoo

 rub  your  glasses  on  a  Tuesday  with  a  wicked  wink  twinkle

and  memories  will  flick  flicker  before  the  blink  of  an  eye

Editors Note :  The Collectors’ Spectacles is from

 Paul Biddles’ series in progress - The Cabinet of Curiosities

You can see more of the series by clicking the link below

https://paulbiddle.com

Spikey Knitting is now live on Your Daily Photograph.com

I'm   so   pleased   to   announce   that   my

photograph   Spikey   Knitting   

Spikey Knitting

is now live   on    Your   Daily   Photograph

please click the link below

Your Daily Photograph   

Review of Paul Biddle photographs

I'm really pleased to share a review of my photographs by Per-Erik Berglund​

Please have a look when you have a little time to spare

http://znapshotstudio.com/?s=Paul+Biddle

The Luminous Isle of Lint

http://znapshotstudio.com/?s=Paul+Biddle

T he   K e y  T o   A l l   O w ls

I ‘ v e    tol d   you   b e f o r e 

I    T r i e d    to   t e l l    you   l a s t   time

A L L   O w l s   have  k e y s 

F  or g e t   t h e   t a l e s   o f    T A   WIT    TA   WOO  

T H  e y    m u c h   p r efer   k e y s

J u s t    l isten   to   t h e m   R aT t l e    t h o s e   

S k e l e t o n         K e y s

E v e r y   K e y   n e e ds    a   hole  

to   be   a   t r u e    K e y

The Key to all Owls

a n d   s o m e   s a y      O w l s   a r e   W i s e

O w l s   a r e   I c o n i c   I r o n i c   a n d     L A  L a   c o n i c

a n d      a s   t h e y   s a y       T a  Wi t    T a   W o o

Editors Note :  This photograph is part of Paul Biddles' series

The Aviary of Strange Birds

Please click the link below to see more of the portfolio

https://paulbiddle.com

Little Stick figures in the street

Snapshots which don't normally see the light of day

No' 262   and   counting

I've heard it said    I   always   carry   a   camera

W ell  I  do   too

Ok  I   do   when   I   remember

there   really   is   no   excuse   not   to

and then   I   remember  a few   words   by    Susan  Sontag

something   about   photographers  

not   really  experiencing  the   scene   before   them

only   recording   it   to   experience   it   after   the   event

I  read   this   when   I   was  a  student

and it   certainly   made   me   ponder

but   it   never   stopped   me   taking   a   snap   or   two

Now   here   is   one   of   my   snaps

Street Scene

I    have      to say

I  do    love  a  bit   of back-lighting

and   combine   that   with   a   gauze   curtain

and the magic begins to happen

Diffused   Light

Long   shadows  

Add   some   Stick   figures   A   bit   like   Lowry

and   say   Palpable      at least   three times

You   can   see   more   of   Paul   Biddles'  Work   at  

https://paulbiddle.com

Hair Do Voodoo

                 Hair        doo       Voodoo

Did     I   ever    tell you     about

I    probably    did n't        and

most     likely   shouldn't          But

You   can never  be too  careful   about   history

OK   if you insist   here   goes

It was    some time ago    now

that    an   album  most   proud

came   into   my   possession   quite   unannounced

Purporting    to be   Photographic evidence

of      Count   Muldivo's

Cab in ets     of       Curiosity

Just   imagine  the position  of   my   eyebrows

Here is   the   first   plate   Hair do   Voo Doo

Hair Do   VooDoo



The   Only   known    Likeness   of
The   Clockwork   Woman
who wore    a   tame   Armadillo   as   a   hat

also   featuring   for   one   night   only
The   Healing   Hands   of   Halifax

yes

The   Healing   Hands   of   Halifax

Never   You   mind   about   them

for now or    ne’er do well

let’s listen instead

 to the tick and the tock
of the Cl ock      work Woman
with  her granny  grin  grin
 at    a   quarter to    three

You   can   see   more   of   Paul   Biddles    work   at

https://paulbiddle.com

Editors Note:

It's   come   to   my   notice   that much   of   the   above   is   utter   nonsense

The Little Chap - Fact or Fiction?

The   Li ttle   Chap

 The Little Chap has appeared in three pictures in my Cabinet of Curiosity

and each time he does he elicits a huge response from women and men

and the occasional side table and of course our friend the budgerigar

He’s a no nonsense sort of chap with an enigmatic air

Little Chap Nesting

A    clean cut jaw        and on some days a   glint       in his eye

At first I thought him to be Hungarian for obvious reasons

He always makes himself at home and bakes the most amazing little buns

but I was soon proven to be mistaken when he baked me a cake of consequence

So why does he elicit     this response ?

Little Chap spots the egg

On the face of it he’s and old engraving squeezed into a 3D shape

Found by the Great Arturo und  Annie Tolaini

Nurtured in their          Cabinet of Curiosity

and generously sent for a little holiday with the Count and Countess Muldivo

where he sleeps in a tiny cotton wool filled   Box of Wonder

I often think about the journey he made form Bristol to Devon

Can see him standing there waiting for the train, his little suitcase in hand,

on the windswept platform patrolled by his friends the Pigeons or were they Dodos?

The Last Dodo

Attila the Hun once asked me

Just what makes this Little Chap Tick    ?

I’m afraid    Nobody Knows but he does have a little clock face

Y OU    can see    more of    The  Cabinet   of   C u r i o s i t y        by

Paul Biddle             here    and   Here   not   to   forget   there

https://paulbiddle.com