The Book Club - life drawing on Old Street

I decided to try out The Book Club, a bar which holds life drawing in the evenings for those who like to draw in a bar.                                                                                                                                     
I duly arrived for the early session (for the more adventurous there was also one which ended at 11pm), scooped up my free glass of wine and settled into a couple of hours sketching. Although a bit pricey at £10 a person, all materials were provided so all I had to do was turn up. The bar was self consciously edgy, verging on pretentious, with wood-panelled walls and a plethora of light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Whilst the dark lighting set an arty atmosphere, it certainly didn't aid my drawing efforts as I struggled to make out the paper. Altogether a different type of drawing class, probably best for those who like their life drawing models to dress up in paper hats and wings. Here are the results...

Home made....

Steve Jobs' Speech: 'How to Live before you Die'

Today, Steve Jobs passed away from a cancer he thought he had beaten. This fact lends his speech to Standford University graduates in 2005 an extra special impact. 

Jobs talks about what it is to live and how life is overshadowed by the inexorable journey towards certain death. It sounds grim, but somehow the notion of death, felt so immediately and unrelentingly by Jobs, has become a key part of his success. The notion of a certain end has driven him to shed inhibitions and worries, and turn moments of loss into opportunities. He recounts three simple stories from his life, and shows how they were each integral to his achievements: a loving wife, a hugely successful business, personal satisfaction. 

A must watch video for everyone, from those just setting out on a career to those approaching the end of one.  

Light and Dark

I took this photo on my first visit to the British Library, staring out across the cavernous entrance space. It captures the stark contrasts for which it is famous. The architecture plays with light and dark, curving stairwells intercept dead straight walkways, casting shadows and making for an impressive view. 

Shhh...not so quiet in the The Library

The founders of a very expensive hairdressing chain, which I certainly can't afford to go to, have created something with a little bit more artistic weight (excuse my cynicism) than the traditional cut and blow dry. The Mascolo family, integral members of the Toni & Guy brand, have taken over a disused Grade II listed Edwardian library in Battersea and transformed it, creating amongst the aged winding corridors, oak panelled walls and stained glass windows a unique space for contemporary fashion, art and music events called The Library. Visitors are less passive viewers, more active participants in the viewing experience; delving into dark corners to discover the next work of art, negotiating creaky floorboards and precarious balconies to move from room to room. I love old buildings and hate neutral white-washed galleries, so this seems to be the perfect solution. 

The first exhibition is just as unique as the space it occupies. Curated by Jose Waldie the gallery displays works of art from acclaimed and established artists, scattering amongst these more well known works those by up and coming artists, singer Patrick Wolf's mother being one of them.

More information here.

This is not actually 'The Library' in Battersea                            

 

Food for Thought: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Graduation can mean many things to many people. Some begin careers in marketing, fundraise for a national charity, or embark on their quest to become the next prime minister. To me it meant returning to the family home, jobless and ‘Gilmore Girls’ on repeat.

While my monetary situation meant financial offerings to my parents were limited, I felt duty bound to contribute to the house in some way. I decided cooking would be (pardon the pun) my meal ticket.

Amazingly in my three years at university I managed to avoid becoming a cook of any description. I subsisted on a diet of Alpen for breakfast and cold baked beans from a can for dinner. As a treat I would have toast and buy Mr Kipling Cherry Tarts. Now I knew these nutritious recipes would not cut it. I threw ‘The Marmite Cookbook’* to one side and turned to Jamie and Delia in an attempt to learn what to do with a colander.

In my culinary journey of discovery I learnt not only that water is not an adequate replacement for stock but that simple tasty food is a good weapon in the battle to appease quizzical parents.

So unemployed graduates of the country listen up, learn to cook and win the respect of your family (or at least a five minute break from your mum’s nagging). Here is one of my best discoveries:

Red Pepper Soup

You will need:

1 onion, chopped, 2 large red peppers, chopped, 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, 1 tin of tomatoes, 1 litre of stock, 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped, a splash of olive oil, a slither of chilli, chopped.

1)      Fry the garlic, chilli, onion and peppers in the olive oil for a few minutes.

2)      Add the tomatoes, stock and a cup of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for half an hour until the peppers are soft.

3)      Pour the soup into a blender and puree until smooth.

4)      Garnish with the basil, add a little salt and pepper, and serve!

Thank you Jamie, Delia and Nigel. *This is actually a real book.

Ardingly Vintage Fair

I loved Ardingly Antiques Fair! If you love vintage you will too. Held an hours drive from London on a sprawling farm more commonly used for selling cattle, it is not for those afraid to get messy. The dirty cow sheds made for an odd backdrop to the thousands of stalls, piled high with an eclectic range of things, from junk to collectibles.

Old family photos, blackened with time and worn by generations of curious hands, lay alongside vintage silk scarfs and slightly musty smelling seventies dresses. Elsewhere there was furniture in varying states of decay, an abundance of quirky tea cups, cake stands, hats, a stuffed seal and even the odd prosthetic limb. I tried to capture it with these photos (below and above). See the website for details of the next one.

'Oasis of Calm' - Real Italian Coffee

Like most women, all I really need to have a good day is a hot cup of coffee and a nice slice of cake. Then, I am fit to go and ready to handle any challenge the world may throw at me. My quest for these two simple pleasures has taken me all over London, into the nooks and crannies of Camden, Soho and as far afield as Hampstead Heath. However, I have yet to find a coffee (latté or cappuccino, whichever is your tipple of preference) to surpass those served by La Bottega, near Victoria station. ‘What?’ I hear you cry, Victoria is hardly the place to relax, filled as it is with harassed tourists, crowds of office workers and queues of taxis honking their horns. But if you battle through the barrage of noise and people and take a swift left onto Eccleston Street you feel as if you have entered another world. Silence descends, smart white town houses line the streets and plush private parks sit smugly, little oasis’ of calm. And perched on the corner with Ebury Street is La Bottega.

Unassuming, and small enough to be cosy, it sells steaming cups of coffee at reasonable prices. The counter is lined with tempting snacks and a dizzying array of fresh food. Tasty smells waft over you as you recline in comfy green seats, and to top it off the people behind the counter are actually Italian. The perfect place to drop in before a long coach journey, and a brilliant alternative to packed high street chains. 

Vibrant flowers on the hottest day of the year so far!

It was the hottest day of the year today, a scorching 22 degrees. I hot-footed it to my local park where I was struck by the vibrant reds and yellows of flowers, back-lit by the sun. I decided to attempt to capture it on camera! 

A Day of Refinement at The Wallace Collection

I stopped for a coffee in Eat, and the jagged geometric shapes of the paper lights multiplied in the mirror caught my attention.

A chandelier from below.

My favourite room, lurid green and lavishly brushed with gold and cut glass!

Feeling very sophisticated I managed to veer away from the shops on Oxford Street and headed instead to 'The Wallace Collection' a few minutes walk away. A London town house packed with art and luxurious items, it was free to the public; I felt like I had stepped on to a film set with a multi-million dollar budget. I loved the vibrant green wallpaper pictured above and the gold embellishment which made it onto even the most subdued items.

Cherry Blossom in March

I took these photos on the road outside my house, the blossom against vivid blue sky transformed an ordinary London street with the first hint of summer.

 

Review: The Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum is a stellar attraction for all mums wanting to entertain young boys on a rainy afternoon, as my friend and I discovered when we visited during half term. Huge cannons announce the museum and hint to what lies ahead. Whole fighter jets hang imposingly from the ceiling, stripped back to reveal engines, tanks encroach upon the floor and rear up, their steel sides replace by plastic sheets to allow the viewer a peek into the cramped driving conditions.

               

At every angle planes, trains, jeeps, submarines and even unexploded bomb shells sit, inviting further inspection. Despite the macabre purpose of these machines of war, removed from the battle field they become less threatening. We almost forgot the violent intent with which they were built and instead admired the sheer scale and impressive beauty of their design. 

                

Beyond this metallic menagerie, and in contrast to the cavernous entrance space, lies a maze of corridors and smaller exhibitions cataloguing the major English wars of the twentieth-century.  Interactive learning is the order of the day with a re-enactment of the ‘Blitz experience’. Amazingly ‘The Children’s War’ exhibition contained a walk-through, full size replica of a 1940’s house, complete with two floors, garish wallpaper and a vintage outfit laid out on the bed. It even had its own post-box outside the stained glass front door, and an old fashioned pram you could try out for size.

In many of the galleries the putrid, somewhat off-putting, smell of war hung in the air. However, the queasy smell was this was the only problem I could find with an otherwise fantastic display of war time costumes and objects carefully designed to engage both children and adults alike.

'Shadow Catchers: Camera-less Photography' at the V&A Museum

Susan Derges 'Arch 4 (Summer)'

I loved every part of this exhibition, which I visited at the V&A a few weeks ago. The artists whose work it features reclaim and re-invent old photographic techniques to striking effect.

Eschewing the software of the modern digital era, and even the use of a camera, they take a hands-on approach which forces them to engage with their environment on a basic physical level. They cast light and shadow directly onto chemically treated surfaces. This is what, in addition to the unexpected beauty of the images they produce, makes this exhibition unique.

Susan Derges literally waded into a river in the middle of night, held photographic paper below the ripples and used lightening flashes to imprint their wavering forms upon it.

 

Floris Neusüss 'Untitled'

In Floris Neususs's work hazy figures loom from gloomy backgrounds like half-recalled memories. Their silhouetted shape strike a familiar cord with the viewer, yet the lack of detail and fuzzy edges transform the figures into something more mysterious. It imbues them with an eerie, ethereal quality.

At its heart this work is an exploration of light, its tones, depths and many shades. And what it is to be an artist working directly with the canvas.

Tranquillity in ‘The Peggy Guggenheim’, Venice: A treasure trove of modern art

Slightly away from St Marks Square and the swarm of tourists ‘The Peggy Guggenheim Collection’ offers a haven of twentieth-century art, tranquility and stunning views of the Grand Canal. Nestled among the artsy buildings of the Dorsoduro quarter, it is a relief just to get away from other people and enjoy the winding streets to yourself. 

A glimpse of the canal down a side alley (upside down).

Walking in through the light stone gateway I was immediately charmed. Peggy was a lifetime collector of some of the greatest modern and post-modern artists of her time. In this collection Expressionist pieces by Kandinsky jostle for wall space with the Cubist offerings of Picasso and the bright Surrealist paintings of Klee. Pollock’s ‘Eyes in the Heat’ grabs the viewer immediately with its playful coloured lines, swirling care-free across the canvas and filling it with restless energy. 

Outside avant-garde sculptures recline comfortably in the green, well kept gardens walled in soothing grey slate. 

The atmosphere is what really makes this gallery for me; light, airy and empty. I could admire the art works at my own pace, and escape the cacophony of accents which assaulted me at every turn of the cramped streets outside. 

A common sight. Washing strung up between houses in the narrow alleyways.

Check out the online gallery here.

Photographs of Corfu