Pot Kilns, Hanley, Stoke on Trent C1937

Whether you worked in those places, or just lived in the towns polluted by them, you couldn&#39;t escape an environment like that and its obvious effects on health. And while there may be those who think scenes likes this are a thing of the past, they may be for us (although whither our manufacturing industry?) but you could go to China now and find live examples to paint from - though I don&#39;t recommend it.<br /><br />This is an important painting - it tells a story about industrial production and the way in which production and expansion may have made the country wealthy, but had horrendous side-effects and long-term consequences. This is what phrases like the &quot;dash for growth&quot; actually meant. <br /><br />Oh, and it&#39;s also a brilliant bit of painting!

You are on the Alan so many perfect colour and tone combination of both time and space with verve and sureity bravo

Lovely painting Alan :)

Wow Alan, what an eye for detail you have - I love all the colours in the sky from the smoking chimneys.

Really arty piece this one Alan , I do like it its a powerful painting with strong colour and plenty of atmosphere .

What a stark example of the filth and pollution of this era and the price (for some) of the growing industry in this area. The deep reds and blues really do give that feeling of what must have been a choking atmosphere for the poor people that lived so close. Wonderful depiction of a all too real landscape.

For all that pollution and horror of living around that industry you have made it look beautiful Alan.

I worked on some cases in the late 60&#39;s and early 70s in Stoke and some of this was still evident even then. This excellent depiction takes me right back.

Different industry but it reminds me of Teeside and when I went to school across the road from the furnaces. Smashing, accurate, iconic piece Alan and well done with the commission.

So expressive Alan, &quot;satanic mills&quot; springs to mind. Wonderful image in your inimitable style.

Thank you all for some interesting comments and observations. This is the first of a series of ten, two more almost complete, I hope you continue to like them.

Brilliant meaningful work of art, I love the way you have made it look do colourful too.

Wonderful Alan! It would make a fantastic cover for an Arnold Bennett novel! Look forward to seeing more.

Many thanks Lisa and Christine, yes Christine, definitely a Bennett theme and I will be covering the &#39;Five Towns&#39; as they were as part of my original brief.

Superb and amazing painting. The colours are just right to suggest the heat, dirt and toil of the potteries and it also tells us how close the pottery worker&#39;s houses were to all that. Can&#39;t have been very nice. This really is a class act.

Thank you Thea, yes, it must have been hell on washday!

A pi&#232;ce de r&#233;sistance in every way, Alan! This is absolutely fabulous - superb atmosphere. palette and detail, and the fumes are brilliantly apocalyptic. Stunning!

Thanks Seok, glad you like it.

A wonderful painting, Alan. It is a perfect depiction of time and place. Well done on your commission! They will be delighted with this, NO doubt about it. It may even reach iconic status, in my opinion.<br /><br />Also, thank you so much for your good wishes.

That&#39;s very nice of you Jennifer, appreciated.

You&#39;ve got your work cut out here Alan - so much to convey on many levels. It&#39;s a very powerful image, very successfully done.

Robert got there first. Brilliant. Love it.

Phenomenal! Your use of red here Alan really seems to allude to the dangers present in living in and around these industries!