05ue98hr2bmf9's Blog (42)

Recently a short series of programmes on working class, middle class and upper class taste  made by artist Grayson Perry was aired on Channel 4 here in the UK. Here is the first video in the series, now available on Youtube:

It was a fab series, really well-presented, thoughtful and engaging and Grayson Perry has had a lot of good reviews (and apparently also has a contract with Channel 4 to make more programmes YAY!)

The tapestries he made as an…

I recently visited Dublin for a few days. For a long time I had wanted to see the studio of Francis Bacon, which was donated to the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin by Bacon's heir John Edwards.

I spent a few hours on two separate days in the Hugh Lane, soaking up the atmosphere of the studio - an amazing installation in what they call a "micro-gallery" at the back of the building. Not only is the entire room rebuilt there and most of the contents still in it as they were found, but also…

I thought I would share the photos I took on my second visit to this installation at the Curve Gallery, Barbican Centre in the City of London. I found it it very touching.

This description is from the Barbican website:

"A poignant meditation on family life and the artist’s own childhood during the Cultural Revolution, the installation comprises over 10,000 items collected by Song Dong’s mother, Zhao Xiangyuan, over five decades - ranging from a section of the family home,…

Today I visited a major retrospective show of the work of Lucian Freud at the National Portrait Gallery. I have admired  his work for a long time and wanted to see some of the well-known works - it was a great collection spanning his whole career and I loved it. Wish I could have taken photos but well, you know how it is... anyway after the first hour it was HEAVING with so many people it was difficult to see the…

Today I had a little trip down to Sussex, my favourite corner of the world... to see Mitsi Brown's solo show in the cutesy village of Alfriston. It was a perfect day and really warm for late March, clear blue sky and birds singing fit to bust - fantastic!

Here is a video of the day.

I painted…

Today I had a day out with Joan... we kicked off with a visit to the Mall Galleries to see the annual exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, including works by some of my favourites - Shirley Trevena, Lillias August, Bill Toop and many more. From there we took a Tube (how I loathe…

Today I took a trip to Chelmsford in Essex (east of London where I live) to go and see the new pop-up shop a group of Essex artists have started. My friend Joan who is also a member here had art displayed there, the really eye-catching pieces being the three mannequins she had in the window:…

Today I was determined to start a painting in COLOUR, and use a canvas i have had lying around for AGES. So I took as my inspiration a video made by Mitsi, I loved the colours in the picture she was painting and the image of her face overlaid on the painting was irresistable. I was using a lot of ink and turned…

I have been taking inspiration from the photos of Eadweard Muybridge to be the source for my daily drawing the last two days.…

This is a work I made today (stages 1 and 2):

I don't often get up and feel inspired to start making art at 5.30am but…

January 2: guess who?? lol

January 3: start of "rapper series - Giggs

January 4: The rapper JME…

My picture for today is a return to making a portrait of Hawah, the third/fourth attempt from this photo taken on her wedding day. I nearly put myself right off by starting out today attempting this in colour again... then went back to black and white with just the turquoises in colour. I am pretty happy with…

This is my drawing for the last day of the year. I am not all that keen on this one, I like some others I have done in the past month much better. But anyway I am keeping…

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character." (Camille Pissarro)

So it is the last day of December and the last day of 2011, and I have one more drawing to make for my current album. Tomorrow I will open up a new album and hope to…

Today I thought I had to get a bit more "real". I so need to go back to figure drawing class, I am trapped in photo rendering/copying right now... it is enjoyable but is not leading me down a useful path, I feel. So today I switched on the drawing tool and set it to a 30-second interval…

A drawing in watersoluble graphite from a photo of my son Jonathan taken a few years ago and from a strange angle... I quite like this one…

I liked what Gary did with the photo app to break this image up into its constituent parts, and it made a good drawing exercise. I am happy with the…

A drawing of my husband David from a photo taken a few years back LOL when he looked younger he he he!

So difficult to snatch some minutes out of the day for just ME lol... liking working in charcoal, such a soft, forgiving and flattering medium, so here is a…